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I have a winter storage question also

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Larry
1st Mate

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USA
37 Posts

Initially Posted - 12/29/2005 : 09:49:45

I too am late getting this done. We have already had snow in New York (Long Island). I have a friend who does shrink wrapping and he has offered to wrap the boat. But since he can't get to it until this weekend I went and bought a waterproof canvas tarp and placed it over the boat. I have removed the exterior wood and rain was predicted (and it's raining as I type). Now I am thinking the tarp may be the way to go - easily removeable if I want to do work and I won't have to pay for shrink wrapping every year or inconvenience my friend. So my question: to shrink wrap or tarp?
This is a great site and I really appreciate the help.

Larry
"Kate Caroline" 1985
Great South Bay, Long Island, NY

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 12/29/2005 : 10:09:16

tarp good
shrink wrap bad... traps moisture, causes blisters above the waterline

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Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5902 Posts

Response Posted - 12/29/2005 : 10:49:39

I've done it both ways. Shrink wrapping is much easier. You just pay the man at the boatyard and he does it. There should be some well-placed vents to permit ventilation. Blisters above the waterline are pretty rare, but they can happen in pre-1989 boats, especially from about 1984-1989. My 1981 boat only had a couple of very small ones below the waterline. Shrink wrapping material is very strong, and I removed mine carefully and re-used it for 2-3 more years. By re-using it, you can amortize the cost over 2-3 years.

If you cover it yourself, you should elevate your mast, so that the tarp will create a steeper slope, and snow and ice will slide off rather than accumulate. I used scrap wood to cobble together a wooden support for the bow and stern, to raise the mast about an extra 15". Remove the spreaders by pulling the cotter pins at the spreader base. (Always replace the old ones with new ss cotter pins in the spring.) Cover the spreader bases with old rags to keep them from punching holes in the tarp.

Cover the boat with 2 layers of tarps. The blue or silver plastic tarps that are typically used are too weak to withstand strong, gusty winter winds and rains. It tends to tear the grommets out of them. If you put one over the other, then the lower one helps take some of the load off of the top one, and helps prevent the grommets from tearing out.

I used two stepladders to cover the boat, so I wouldn't have to be constantly moving one ladder back and forth from one side of the boat to the other.

I tied the tarps on with slipknots, and they rarely came loose. That made them easy to remove in the spring.

Edited by - on

Downbucket
Navigator

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USA
188 Posts

Response Posted - 12/29/2005 : 13:37:27

Hi Larry:

If money is not a problem, have it shrink wrapped or you could have someone build a frame and cover it for you or have Faircloth Sailmakers make a custom frame and cover. If money is an issue, like it probably is for most of us, build a frame and buy a heavy duty tarp. The tarp I've used is probably in its last season. The next one I purchase will be heavy duty and see through. I've seen this on a boat and it looks extremely durable. I'm not sure where these can be purchased but will investigate. I also used bungee cords to secure the tarp and $.99 spring clips to secure the bow and stern openings.

You may want to get a copy of the Nov./Dec. 2004 Good Old Boat magazine and read "Winter Boat Enclosure" by Tom Young. I used his plan with some modifications. We've had a couple of snow storms here in Maine and I am very happy with it so far. Snow just rolled off. I will try to borrow a digital camera and post some pictures. If you can't find the article, send me your address and I will send you a copy.

Will

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Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 12/29/2005 : 15:15:30

As long as they put in the vents, shrink Wrap

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At Ease
Admiral

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672 Posts

Response Posted - 12/29/2005 : 19:06:20

Frame and a tarp...or drape the tarp over the mast (if down) or boom (if mast is up). Shrink wrap...expensive, too air tight (even with vents), you can only use it one season, and, most important, can't get to boat to work on it if there is a nice day.

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Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 12/29/2005 : 22:29:08

Bert -

Around here you are only going to get one season out of a tarp. Albeit shrink wrap is expensive, you don't have to continually readjust it. The vents will help to keep things breathing; if its dry when you wrap it and aren't any animals in there, it should remain that way. You can also get a zippered entrance for winter work.

Larry - - If you do wrap it, crack your forward hatch and leave at least one hatchboard open, or better yet, slide the entire hatch open.

Edited by - Champipple on 12/29/2005 22:30:43

At Ease
Admiral

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672 Posts

Response Posted - 12/30/2005 : 18:23:47

Duane...You live in a tough part of the country...I have gotten as many as four seasons out of a WalMart tarp. The key is getting it fixed so it does not flap itself to death or have big standing puddles of water (that can freeze).

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Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5902 Posts

Response Posted - 12/30/2005 : 18:50:07

I never got two years out of an ordinary, blue plastic tarp either. I did find some extra strong silver ones at Meijers that lasted 2-3 years, but the Meijers in my area doesn't often have the really heavy duty ones in stock.

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Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 12/30/2005 : 18:59:47

My boat is on the hard less than 50 yards from the lake. When the January wind whips on through it doesn't matter how you secure it. It will flap and it will acquire puddles that freeze.

As a matter of fact, we've been checking the drain's in the cockpit for any stoppage this season and are going SANS tarp this winter.

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dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 12/30/2005 : 19:14:02

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Duane Wolff
 ...As a matter of fact, we've been checking the drain's in the cockpit for any stoppage this season and are going SANS tarp this winter.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

After the first few seasons of methodically tarping my entire boat, for the last couple of seasons, I've simply just layed a smaller tarp right on the cabintop roof from the mast to a couple of feet past the hatchboards which covers all of my teak and windows. The rest of the boat is exposed to the snow, which is only hard rain.

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Alan Clark
Captain

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406 Posts

Response Posted - 12/30/2005 : 21:53:03

Better Yet... Indoor storage?..even under an overhang such as fairgrounds or barn? Is that an option? I used to tarp and also did the barn thing..Barn thing is MUCH BETTER.. Best of luck...

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existentialsailor
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1180 Posts

Response Posted - 12/30/2005 : 21:56:00

Tarps didn't work out for me last year. By March I could rip the tarp with my bare hands it had weathered so poorly. I had quite a bit of PPL24 left over from another project, so this year I built a frame that goes from the mast back over the cockpit and used the PPL24 as the cover material. We'll see how it holds up in this application. Not exactly what it is intended for.
http://www.bendtarp.com/html/faq.html

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tinob
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1883 Posts

Response Posted - 12/31/2005 : 14:20:00

Larry, I've done it all except shrink wrapping. They all were less than satisfactory and usually more work than they were worth while. Then I found an ad in our Swap column for a practically new Fairclough custom enclosure for the C-25. What a buy $ 300 for a cover costing $ 1200 new. This is the third winter using it and if it ever wears out I'd get a new one in a heart beat, price of not. You can't beat them, IMHO.

Val on the hard DAGNABIT # 3936 Patchogue

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 12/31/2005 : 23:09:05

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by dlucier
 <blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Duane Wolff
 ...As a matter of fact, we've been checking the drain's in the cockpit for any stoppage this season and are going SANS tarp this winter.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
The rest of the boat is exposed to the snow, which is only hard rain.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Tell that to rocks that ice split. I fear ice intrusion in small places and the expansion and splitting that must follow.

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dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 12/31/2005 : 23:47:35

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by fhopper@mac.com
 <blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by dlucier
 <blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Duane Wolff
 ...As a matter of fact, we've been checking the drain's in the cockpit for any stoppage this season and are going SANS tarp this winter.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
The rest of the boat is exposed to the snow, which is only hard rain.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Tell that to rocks that ice split. I fear ice intrusion in small places and the expansion and splitting that must follow.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I fear nothing!

Edited by - on

panhead1948
Captain

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345 Posts

Response Posted - 01/02/2006 : 16:42:55

I usually get 3 to 4 seasons out a tarp. I purchased some 1 1/2 black pvc felxible tubing and made bows that slide over my stanchions. The boat looks like a big covered wagon but it seems to work well. Also you can take milk jugs fill them with sand or whatever and hang them from the tarp. They keep it tight but also let it move some.

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Larry
1st Mate

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USA
37 Posts

Response Posted - 01/03/2006 : 09:53:01

Well, thanks all for your responses. My friend came over this weekend and we shrink-wrapped the boat. I realy wanted to use my new tarp though, it is a treated canvas which I think would have lasted - it's pretty heavy duty. Now it is covering outdoor furniture and BBQ grills. I put in two vents, hatchboards are out, forward hatch cracked and the cockpit drains are not covered. At some point I am going to put in a zipper door for access to do work.
Thanks again.

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