So my new H23 is on the side of the house and because of the slope is just about level. Now I can't afford to shrink wrap the boat and I may want access during the winter months, so any thoughts? I would like to know what works as far as tarping is concerned. Most of my purchases are done at Lowes or Walmart.
Winterizing on a budget
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I have always used the silver tarps from Lowes. One year I covered the entire boat. Mostly I just cover the cabin trunk and the cockpit. I don't like water freezing in the portlights nor snow sitting in the cockpit. Many boats, even expensive ones, sit through our Lake Erie winters with no covering at all.
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If your sails, battery and motor are inside, tarping is about all thats left. I'd block up the tires just enough to support some of the weight. Probably overkill but thats just me. That way you wont have a flat ruin the tire. But since its on the side of your house you can check on it often. I tarp my hatch on my 23 even when its at the slip. This is my first winter to pull my boat. :cry:.
By any means, cover the boat. There are way too many small cracks, seams and other tiny crevices in which water will get, freeze and crack whatever it finds. If the boat leaks as many do, that's all the more reason to cover it.
There are as many cover materials as there are opinions so I won't add mine. Don't use stanchions as a tie down point. If you don't have a slotted toe rail, use non-abrasive weighted objects to hold it down so as to not abrade the topsides or simply tie it together under the boat.
Ensure good ventilation inside the boat to minimize the damage from condensation under a colored cover which will heat up and create humidity inside.
If you do use a tarp, most of them have useless grommets which you will either need to replace or watch carefully throughout the winter.
There are as many cover materials as there are opinions so I won't add mine. Don't use stanchions as a tie down point. If you don't have a slotted toe rail, use non-abrasive weighted objects to hold it down so as to not abrade the topsides or simply tie it together under the boat.
Ensure good ventilation inside the boat to minimize the damage from condensation under a colored cover which will heat up and create humidity inside.
If you do use a tarp, most of them have useless grommets which you will either need to replace or watch carefully throughout the winter.
I happened to get a 15 by 30 heavy canvas tarp from the prev owner for $30. I was reluctant to drape it over the cabin roof and lifelines, as other posts here had warned that snow weight can crush the stanchions, and also if your mast is down (as I assume), people have had snow bend the mast if it is supported only at the ends.
I ended up building a frame from 1 1/2 inch PVC pipe from Home Depot, with 7 "A-frames" supporting a ridge pole. Each frame has vertical legs that go up from the toe rail to about the height of the lifeline, then a 45 degree fitting, and a length of pipe at 45 deg up to the ridge pole. To enable disassembly the tops of the 45 deg "roof rafters" are attached to blocks of wood with screws. Fixing the bottoms of the vertical legs was a tough challenge, as my 23 lacks a metal toerail with holes. I ended up glueing T fittings to the bottoms, and cut out an approx 1 inch slot in what would be the top of the T (which is against the toerail since these are inverted). That slot straddles the fiberglass toerail, and each is tied down to the trailer frame. The whole tarp (which was tough to drag up over the frame, since I did it alone) is then tied tightly down at each grommet to the frame or else under the boat to the other side. I can get in at the stern.
Low cost? The tarp was a bargain, as it is very heavy and much stronger than plastic tarps. The pipes, wood and glue (and misc) prob cost me around 100 to 120 - cheaper than one shrink wrap. It did take a lot of work, measuring and cutting to get the right orientation of the frames.
One warning - the scupper drain at the rear of the cockpit tends to accumulate debris and leaves if near any trees. The leaves flatten and effectively block the drain. The cockpit then fills, and if enough will flood the lazarrette and maybe interior. I believe this happened before I bought mine, and I think the cockpit water incurred through the round access port in the area where you put your gas tank under the seat. Easy for you to monitor since it sits at your house.
I ended up building a frame from 1 1/2 inch PVC pipe from Home Depot, with 7 "A-frames" supporting a ridge pole. Each frame has vertical legs that go up from the toe rail to about the height of the lifeline, then a 45 degree fitting, and a length of pipe at 45 deg up to the ridge pole. To enable disassembly the tops of the 45 deg "roof rafters" are attached to blocks of wood with screws. Fixing the bottoms of the vertical legs was a tough challenge, as my 23 lacks a metal toerail with holes. I ended up glueing T fittings to the bottoms, and cut out an approx 1 inch slot in what would be the top of the T (which is against the toerail since these are inverted). That slot straddles the fiberglass toerail, and each is tied down to the trailer frame. The whole tarp (which was tough to drag up over the frame, since I did it alone) is then tied tightly down at each grommet to the frame or else under the boat to the other side. I can get in at the stern.
Low cost? The tarp was a bargain, as it is very heavy and much stronger than plastic tarps. The pipes, wood and glue (and misc) prob cost me around 100 to 120 - cheaper than one shrink wrap. It did take a lot of work, measuring and cutting to get the right orientation of the frames.
One warning - the scupper drain at the rear of the cockpit tends to accumulate debris and leaves if near any trees. The leaves flatten and effectively block the drain. The cockpit then fills, and if enough will flood the lazarrette and maybe interior. I believe this happened before I bought mine, and I think the cockpit water incurred through the round access port in the area where you put your gas tank under the seat. Easy for you to monitor since it sits at your house.
So I was going through the boat on what has been a warm day for NJ and noticed there is a small amount of water in the boat. The previous owner said that the windows leaked and he needed to cover it with a tarp so I am not too worried however now that its frozen do I need to work on getting it out? I had thoughts of using a space heater and opening the rear compartment hatch. Should I not be too concerned, or can it expand and crack the fiberglass??
cheap? this my wife would tell you I know all about. I went to local carpet stores and collected 20-25 carpet tubes few rolls of duct tape at the depot and a tarp. fashioned these tubes into triangles and got them onto the boat then ran straight cp tube down each of the three inside corners , so was more or less a pitched roof, then tarped it and it shed the snow with no problem. tarp I had , duct tape $30 , tubes free
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