Winter covers - full cover vs. cockpit cover

[Artoes]

We've got a 2004 Hunter 41 and cover it with a mishmash of tarps. It is time consuming and they often do not survive upstate New York winters. We are considering a nylon or polyester winter cover for next year (canvas is way to heavy to manage). Does anyone have any recommendations for how much of the boat really needs to be covered? We are considering an over the boom cockpit cover instead of a full cover. We have never had any leakage from the hatches and feel a full cover is overkill. Thoughts?

 

[Davidasailor26]

One of the advantages of a full cover is keeping snow off the deck. Where snow sits on the deck it will tend to keep the cabin roof colder, causing condensation and potentially mold/mildew growth.

 

[RoyS]

You will sleep better all Winter with a full shrink wrap.

 

[dlochner]

I am a huge fan of fitted full canvass covers. They fully protect the deck and the topsides and as an added bonus allow you work on the boat later in the fall and earlier in the spring. When others are bundled up and trying to work on their boats, you are in a t-shirt sitting comfortably under the cover.

Another advantage, because the boat is securely covered, it is possible to remove hatches, winches, hatch boards and other gear to take home to maintain. Last season, we removed the primary winches and rebuilt them comfortably in the garage while the hatches were sent off to have the lenses and gaskets replaced.

I've had covers from 2 different lofts. I much prefer Fairclough covers. For a boat your size, have them split the cover into two pieces with a zipper in the middle. Those suckers are heavy!

 

[Steve L22188]

Try ShipShape covers - they're out of Duluth, MN. They already have patterns for all kinds/sizes of boats.

I did the blue tarp thing for about 8 years and then finally got the cover that was fitted to my boat. MUCH better solution! Comes in two pieces that zip together. Be sure to get the door option - you just unzip the panel and slip right under the cover. Takes about 2-3 hours to put on. An hour to take off. Very high quality cover and workmanship. My cover has been through about 4-5 tough Kansas winters and it is still in terrific shape.

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

. We have never had any leakage from the hatches and feel a full cover is overkill. Thoughts?

Your lack of leaks is likely a result of covering the boat. Fully covering a boat is essential, not overkill, if you want to minimize damage from freezing.

 

[Bob S]

I agree with Dave. Sticker shock up front. I think the break even point of about eight seasons. If you keep the boat long enough it more than pays for itself and if not it certainly is a plus on the resale side. And you will sleep better knowing it’s securely covered.

 

[Artoes]

Try ShipShape covers - they're out of Duluth, MN. They already have patterns for all kinds/sizes of boats.

I did the blue tarp thing for about 8 years and then finally got the cover that was fitted to my boat. MUCH better solution! Comes in two pieces that zip together. Be sure to get the door option - you just unzip the panel and slip right under the cover. Takes about 2-3 hours to put on. An hour to take off. Very high quality cover and workmanship. My cover has been through about 4-5 tough Kansas winters and it is still in terrific shape.

Did you get canvas or a lighter weight material? We had a full canvas cover when we bought the boat. It was in 3 pieces and utterly unmanageable. I pride myself on putting together anything but the frame was impossible to figure out! We gave it away. I am leaning towards something of lighter weight.

 

[Artoes]

One of the advantages of a full cover is keeping snow off the deck. Where snow sits on the deck it will tend to keep the cabin roof colder, causing condensation and potentially mold/mildew growth.

I hadn't considered that. Thank you!

 

[NYSail]

Try north shore canvas..... out of Long Island but he does covers all over the country. Mine goes over boom and over side full cover. No frame. Cost over $2,000 but now has paid for itself over shrink wrap.....

North Shore Canvas, Northport, NY, 631-456-9083, nscanvas@optonline.net

We are a full service marine canvas shop and designer of the Nor'easter Sailboat Winter Cover system. Our facility is located on the north shore of Long Island, NY

www.northshorecanvas.net

Good luck!

 

[dlochner]

Did you get canvas or a lighter weight material? We had a full canvas cover when we bought the boat. It was in 3 pieces and utterly unmanageable. I pride myself on putting together anything but the frame was impossible to figure out! We gave it away. I am leaning towards something of lighter weight.

Can't speak to the other frames, however, the Fairclough frame is pretty straight forward and they have decent instructions. As with anything, the first time is always the hardest. Part of the effectiveness of the cover is the weight of the cover. The weight and snug fit help to extend the life of the cover.

Time of year affects sticker shock. Order in April or May to get the best deal. covers for boats stored with the mast up are more expensive than with mast down as there are more zippers and such to install.

Unlike shrink wrapping, once the upfront costs are covered the annual cost is close to zero. We use some zip ties and strapping tape to secure the frame, maybe $10 or so. And, unlike shrink wrapping, we're not adding more plastic to the environment, except for the wire ties and tape.

 

[berner73]

Try north shore canvas..... out of Long Island but he does covers all over the country. Mine goes over boom and over side full cover. No frame. Cost over $2,000 but now has paid for itself over shrink wrap.....

North Shore Canvas, Northport, NY, 631-456-9083, nscanvas@optonline.net

We are a full service marine canvas shop and designer of the Nor'easter Sailboat Winter Cover system. Our facility is located on the north shore of Long Island, NY

www.northshorecanvas.net

Good luck!

We purchased a cover from North Shore Canvas about half way through an off season (coincidentally that qualified us for an additional discount). I think this will be our 10th/11th season with it and have been happy so far. It's not as refined a product as a Fairclough cover and that's reflected in the cost. Keep in mind that North Shore's covers are not intended to be waterproof, but when installed correctly will keep the snow load and debris off the boat. The cover is 3 pieces, very manageable to put up/take down and easy to store in the off season (about the size of 2 couch cushions when folded up). It's convenient to be able to cover/uncover the boat on our schedule and not rely on a yard for shrink wrap while mitigating the plastic being tossed every season. Both the Ship Shape and North Shore covers appear to be similar designs.

In regards to cost, the ROI was less than 4 seasons. Where we store our boat shrink wrap is ~$20/ft plus ancillaries (mast up, door, etc). If you want the yard to take off the wrap in the Spring it's about $2 - $2.50/ft plus a $75 disposal fee. You could also purchase the materials to shrink wrap yourself or with a few other local owners. That becomes a much more cost effective solution but takes some time to learn the process.

Winters are no joke up where you are, I can't imagine not covering a boat there during the off season.

 

[Rich Stidger]

<snip> I much prefer Fairclough covers. For a boat your size, have them split the cover into two pieces with a zipper in the middle. Those suckers are heavy!

I have a Fairclough cover for my h40.5 and I am going on my 23rd year. I have re-stitched the cover and replaced some zippers myself. I have also added cutouts for a wind generator and a radar pole. Self-repair requires a heavy duty sewing machine like the SailRite Ultra. Whatever cover you get I would recommend having it made in THREE pieces, not two. The aft piece from the mast to the stern is very heavy. Two 70 year-old people can just barely manage it. This year I have bought a couple zippers and I will split my aft piece before installation.

I second the plan of a full cover for all of the advantages mentioned.

 

[Steve L22188]

Did you get canvas or a lighter weight material? We had a full canvas cover when we bought the boat. It was in 3 pieces and utterly unmanageable. I pride myself on putting together anything but the frame was impossible to figure out! We gave it away. I am leaning towards something of lighter weight.

ShipShape offers a couple of fabrics as I recall - I got the standard plastic type material. It's reinforced and has some sort of coating. It has held up very well.
There is no frame with this system. You use the boom for the aft half of the boat. For the fore part, you attach a 2x6 board from the mast to the bow (I use pvc pipe instead of a 2x6. The ShipShape owner - a terrific guy to work with - was skeptical of pvc pipe, but it's worked well. I store the short lengths of pipe under the dock.) So the "frame" for my system is idiot proof. KISS is always good.

 

[Sailfanatic]

We bought a deck tent cover from ShipShape and I ditto the recommendation of that style cover and of buying from ShipShape. I am not sure what coated fabric they use, but it is lighter than canvas and I have no trouble installing and removing the two piece cover on our 31' by myself. IMHO, covering the topsides of the boat is wasted money, and obviously to be avoided if the boat is painted. We paid $2000 for our cover and after three seasons of use, it shows not wear at all.

We added some stanchion braces two years ago, and we able to send the aft cover section back to ShipShape who adjusted it as needed and returned it to us within two weeks for a minor charge. Very delightful people and easy to work with.

I consider this cover the best boat item purchase I've ever made, for two boat bucks its a steal.

 

[Tally Ho]

(canvas is way to heavy to manage). Thoughts?

first, a full cover, especially in the snowy climates is important to protect the boat...not only ice and snow, freeze and thaw, but also UV damage over the winter.

second, a canvas cover can be made in sections...so it is much more manageable. My cover is in 3 sections, that zip together with HD zippers. i can get each section up on deck easy enough, and then zip them together as I put them in place.

my cover uses the boom as a support, and a halyard to hold up the “tent“ in front of the mast. Works well and keeps rain, ice and snow off the deck.

importantly, this design does not go over the lifelines, so no frame is needed, and no damage tomthe stanchions results from a heavy snow load.

my first year, I used tarps, a wood frame...swore I would not do it again!

Good luck.

Greg

 

[Jan11]

We've got a 2004 Hunter 41 and cover it with a mishmash of tarps. It is time consuming and they often do not survive upstate New York winters. We are considering a nylon or polyester winter cover for next year (canvas is way to heavy to manage). Does anyone have any recommendations for how much of the boat really needs to be covered? We are considering an over the boom cockpit cover instead of a full cover. We have never had any leakage from the hatches and feel a full cover is overkill. Thoughts?

Having spent a hell of a lot of winters on Vermont's Lk Champlain I have a few comments. Prepare for some heresy.

Snow on the deck is your friend. It prevents the freeze/thaw cycle that can cause problems. UV is not much of a problem in the summer in northern NY, it is certainly not a problem in the winter. Usually in the winter when the sun shines the weather is very cold, and it is at such a low angle it's just not a problem.

If deck hatches don't leak in the summer in heavy thunderstorms they won't leak in the winter. I have always leave mine in the vent position to get ventilation when there is no snow.

Some people cover to protect wood, particularly veneer covered plywood, but you don't have any. I never covered my Cetol covered wood and it held up well as long as it was well maintained each year.

On a previous boat with weathered teak veneer on a cockpit sail locker I covered the cockpit to the mast. To keep the cheap blue tarps from wearing through I covered all of the hard points with pieces of carpeting held in place with electric tape. To support the tarp I used 2x4s from the boom to stanchions. Plumbers strap over the boom to the 2x4s and holes bored for the tops of the stanchions to keep them from bending. Cheap, easy to build and install. The tarps usually lasted 2 - 4 years.

If the cheap covers cause a loss of sleep have you ever tried a sip of wine in the evening?

 

[dlochner]

Up here in the NY snowbelt, where snowfall is measured in feet, there are those who go to great lengths to cover their boats, those that like flying blue tarps in the winter, and some who like bare naked decks.

The winter concerns that haven't been mentioned are cockpit and deck drains. These need to be kept clear of crud and ice or they may spilt open. The spring rains will then flood the bilge. For the past few winters my boat was stored just downwind of a tall tree that shed leaves and branches all winter. If it wasn't for the full cover, the drains would be plugged and frozen.

As for covers that reach the waterline the one big advantage is preserving the wax job. A quick waxing after haul out and then covered for the winter means one less job in the spring.

 

[h2o_snow]

Great thread.

Interested in a cover for our H260. It has been in covered winter storage but will now be outside. Don't see much snow here in the Valley but wind and dirt are issues. Had not considered covering the hull.

Any other lofts I should check out?

 

[Sailfanatic]

...

The winter concerns that haven't been mentioned are cockpit and deck drains. These need to be kept clear of crud and ice or they may spilt open. The spring rains will then flood the bilge. For the past few winters my boat was stored just downwind of a tall tree that shed leaves and branches all winter. If it wasn't for the full cover, the drains would be plugged and frozen.
..

I agree that the big issue requiring a winter cover for snowy climes, is preventing the accumulating of ice in places where it can do damage. When you have a snowfall, melt, freeze cycle you can end up with an accumulation of ice in the cavities of the deck, thruhulls or cockpit. This can result in scuppers and drain hoses becoming filled with ice. Repeat the cycle a few times without an extended thaw and you can have a cockpit filled with ice, a circumstance that I have seen.

To have a volume of rain/melt water accumulate in the bilge due to a spit drain hose would be an inconvenience - even worse is to not accumulate any water from rainfall, but instead after launch, to come down the next day and find the boat sank due to the split drain hose.