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Winter under a tarp

11K views 33 replies 27 participants last post by  deltaten 
#1 ·
Hey All,

I'm looking for opinions about wintering under a tarp rather than shrinkwrap. We are in Maine and it seems like atleast 90% of the sailboats I see are shrinkwrapped in the winter (and that is what we did last winter too).

But why is that? It seems like a lot of work and then an awful lot of waste to throw the plastic away each spring. It seems to me that a good big tarp would be cheaper and re-usable. so why not?

If I build a decent frame for the tarp and secure it well, what is the downside? Is it less weather proof? more prone to blowing away?

We'll be on the hard (it is Maine, after all) and I'll probably keep the boat in the yard so I'll be able to check on it every day or so.

Thanks for your thoughts.

~Fortunat
1969 30 ft Dufour Arpege
 
#10 ·
It all depends on how well you do the tarp. I've done tarps two years and it's fine and a lot cheaper. I'll say I liked it last winter when I had the mast down. Then I had one 30' (32 or 24 would have been better for my 26) over a high wood frame. It was perfectly dry although I had a problem with a large storm disrupting the frame.

With the mast up the year before that I had 3 tarps. That was more difficult and less sealed off.

Use a combination of tying the tarp down and weights. I mostly used milk cartons and coke bottles although I definitely have a problem with them puncturing and leaking. Personally I like the idea of the weights because it seems a little like a release valve. If wind gets under the tarp they can lift up and spill it out.

The trick for anchoring lines to the tarp is to wrap the tarp around a golf ball and string a slipped knot around that. It's far more secure than the grommets and you can add them anywhere. Never tape the tarp with any load and expect it to hold. I watched the boat next to me try that and it was shredded shortly ("Oh we live nearby and will check it all the time" - didn't happen).
 
#4 ·
Had our boat shrink wrapped one winter. I wasn't all that happy about the waste of materials and I found that the shrink wrap held as much water inside the wrap as it kept on the outside. If the job of shrink wrapping is not done properly with adequate ventilation then your boat can become a mold palace.
I've used tarps ever since. Cheaper, reusable and much better ventilation. Gotta' check on it though.
 
#7 ·
It is a 20ft boat, not a lot of tarp to hold snow, if snow load is a concern tie to base of stanchions. The intent is to minimize snow in cockpit that may melt and re-freeze to block scuppers.
 
#9 · (Edited)
I built a frame much the same as trusses on a house that I covered with 5/8" OSB then placed a tarpaulin over everything and secured it. Not only did it keep everything dry but the height of the peak allowed me access to to cockpit and cabin when I needed. One of my neighbors called it 'The Ark ' when I was building it. Plan on doing the same this winter.
 
#11 · (Edited)
We've used heavy canvas tarps for the past 15 years, trying a variety of different support systems on our J/36. The most durable setup, we find, is galvanized electrical conduit bent into frames. We made short sets of bent legs all the same, and then fitted the upper arches. They are joined by the standard conduit joints, so the pieces all fit into the trunk of my car. We connect the pieces on the ground, so that each frame is straight. We then strap the leg sections to stanchions with nylon ties. 1x4 wood stringers are then taped fore & aft to hold everything upright & parallel. They're longer, so they go on the roof rack of the car, unless I leave the hatchback open. The tarps (three) go over the frame. One covers the bow forward of the mast, one aft of the mast, and one closes off the stern. We've had to relpace one tarp so far. Though the initial cost is a bit more than a shrink-wrap job, we laugh each year when we save$500 by using the same tarps as last year. We experimented with an all-wood frame and also with PCV pipe, but the conduit holds up better, is easier to assemble, dismantle, transport and store.
Two years ago we had about five feet of snow, all told, and it held up. We've also had major windstorms. Periodic checks are a good idea, but a boat needs patting from time to time anyway. Use heavy, waterproof canvas --NOT the blue poly junk that disintegrates in the sun.
 
#12 · (Edited)
I've tarped for several years now and am very satisfied. Tarped in October . . . Didn't see the boat again till June. Looked just like when I left it.

The secret:
1) Use the heavier (more expensive) silver tarps rather than the blue ones.
2) I use my bimini frame, boom, and whisker pole (from forward part of mast to bow) as main supports.
3) I make spiderweb of cheap rope from these structures directly to my (slotted) toerail (not over the stanchions) to support the tarp.
4) I attach the long edge of the tarps to the toerail with cable ties and go up and over the center using tarps that go just past the center peak (boom or whisker pole) and then bungee that edge to the toerail on the other side. I repeat the process with another overlapping tarp from the other side cable tied to the toerail and tenting over the middle then bungied to the opposite toerail.
5) Use the bimini frame to continue from what is essentially a boom tent to a cockpit enclosure with a long tarp centered lengthwise.
6) Throw another spiderweb of cheap rope and bungees over the top to keep the tarp from blowing (very important)

90%+ of my materials are reusable for at least several seasons

Holds up to snowloads and winter winds on the waterfront in Duluth/Superior harbor basin.

Good protection but isn't sealed so tight the boat can't breathe. No odors, no mold.

Bungees give the whole setup some needed "give".

I can access almost all parts of my deck and all of my cockpit if I want or need to. I can even open all my hatches for ventilation if working on the boat in the spring.

Actually looks halfway decent when finished.

Takes a long afternoon to rig and a short afternoon to undo. Will never do shrinkwrap. Might go for a custom canvas cover someday.

Mobnets
1973 Paceship Chance 32/28 "Westwind"
 
#13 ·
I use two tarps. One over the boom with gallon jugs hanging from the tarp grommets to keep it on. The other goes from the mast to the bow over a simple frame I made of PVC pipe. Again, held on by gallon water jugs hanging from the tarp grommets. I check the boat once a month or after it snows. So far, no problems, and it is dirt cheap.
 
#14 ·
I am in Vermont, we get 10' of snow a year. Most people have tarps.

The basic difference is that that shrinkwrap is better. Its so slippery that the snow slides off. Tarps need a much stepper pitch.

Seems round here, all the boats 32' + have shrinkwrap, those smaller have tarps. There might be a moolah connection :)

Having said all that, tarps are fine IF you frame it well. Its very easy to have the tarp "puddle", end up with a 400 lb block of ice that buggers your deck hardware.

Make a ridge with timber (~ 6' high for snow pitch), then make a frame from 1" black water pipe to make a series of "ribs" down the boat. Water/milk jugs are best, and the golfball trick (I use tennis balls).
 
#16 ·
Been there done that mostly with tarps and no issues BUT on a larger Sailboat it becomes very hard to keep a tarp from damaging the topside finish in a windy area



My J24 pretty easy



My Cal 29 not so much



The white shrinkwarp allows huge amounts of light to work on the boat VS the tarp which turns it into a black hole as there objective is to BLOCK light



And there was no frreaking way after all that work i was gonna mar the topsides
 
#17 ·
Hi:

I too live in Southern Maine and have never shrinkwrapped. Waste of money! Tarp has always worked well and lasts about three years before it needs to be replaced. I then cut it up and use it for ground cover when bottom painting or to wrap the mast. Buy a heavy duty one. Hamilton sells them. The frame I built is similar to one I read about in Good Old Boat magazine about 5 years ago. I like it because when finished, it forms the shape of the boat so the tarp covers it exceptionally well. If I can find the issue, I'll let you know.

Good luck!

Will

P.S. Where do you keep your boat when in the water? I keep mine in Falmouth Harbor.
 
#19 ·
The thing that makes me cringe every year when I see all the shrink wrapped boats is knowing that in the spring all that plastic is going to be heaved into the dumpster! It just seems to be a colossal waste, and flies in the face of the relatively low environmental impact that makes sailboats great. Kudos to those of you who go for the re-usable option!
 
#21 ·
I've used tarps for years with no mat up on the hard, I use 2*6 pressure treaded wood and wrap the sides around the tarp making a sadwich, this rests on the deck on either side of the cabin then lash it down from port toerail to the starbort one the tarp does not get shreaded and it holds the contour of the topside. Works quite well
 
#22 ·
The worst thing about shrink wrap is poor ventilation. Even open toe rails and vents don't seem to change the fact that it gets pretty warm and moist under the things. Canvas is the best way to go.

Our Fairclough custom cover pays for itself this year and is still in great shape. I just don't get shrink wrap at all.
 
#23 ·
Never shrink wrapped

Tarped for the first 3 years of ownership. As others have said, the key is a good solid frame network and good tarps. Leasons learned:
  • High ridge line/pole to allow snow shed
  • Sufficient number of cross members to support the tarp so it does not sag and hold snow
  • Heavy duty tarps
  • Getting shrouds incorporated is key
  • Many smaller tarps are better than fewer larger tarps.

After three years of the tarp, and trying to get it installed in mid November, my wife demanded a better mousetrap and one that we could install in a few hours instead of a w/e. We bought a Fairclough cover for our boat and although $$, the time it saves and the quality and fit are amazing. We can unload our frame from the car, install it and the cover in about two hours. The most time consuming thing is getting the frame supports and slats up on the boat while it is in the stands on on the blocks. The frame takes about 1.5 h to assemble (with unloading from the car). 15 -20 minutes to install the actual cover pieces and 20 minutes to tighten and snug up. We get minimal water on the deck and the boat is well ventilated. The cover fits the boat like a glove. No flapping edges or sagging areas.

Each year I had to spend about $150 in tarp supplies as tarps ripped some, wood pieces split, etc. It also took at a good part of a day to assemble the frame as the support slats were all screwed in to the ridge pole. Then it was another few hours to put on the plastic tarps. If it was windy, it took a lot longer. I always was checking on the boat after a heavy snow as something always undone. Now install it and once in a while check on the boat if I am in the area.

The custom canvas cover - Some of the best money I have ever spent for the boat.
 
#27 · (Edited)
The shrinkwarp guy comes to my house and does the boat for 300 dollars over my well designed frame

A faircloth or other real nice cover is gonna have to last 20 years

AS i have used canvas in the past on other boats it was always IMHP more of a PITA dealing with BIG snows as it was harder to slide it off the canvas and always involved me and a pushbroom keeping the snow load in control

My friends cover already had to be re-stitched by that big company as a PO left in on over one summer voiding the warranty
 
#28 ·
My 22 footer, I used a tarp. I built a make-shift frame, and it lasted the winter fine.

Bought my 25 footer, and the gentleman used an elaborate PVC pipe frame he built (I have all the pvc)... Honestly it worked fine, but the boat was full of pieces of tarp, and was harder to clean than my 22 footer.

I am fortunate, that I may have indoor storage this year for my boat... my opinion is the shrinkwrap is more a set it and forget it... Tarps work fine, but you cannot drape over stanchions, and you have to bring the tarp's angle up to slide the snow easily off. I think if you do the tarp, you should step the mast as well (if you can), and throw the boom on, bring the boom way up, and drape the tarp over that. It's you're best bet. Then if you can run ribs across the boom to deck it'll better support the tarp.

Just my worthless $0.02.

I hope I don't need to deal with that again this year, always was sad to see her under cover.
 
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