One in the front, one in the back. The front one is supported by a 2x4, the back one goes over the boom. Use lines where necessary to add structure underneath. Some people build some pretty nifty PVC frames, but I found this to work great. Sorry I don't have a better picture but you get an idea of the front end. It's definitely not rocket science.

 

Im in Upstate NY, and thank you for the pictures!! That is exactly what i was thinking. But would the snow on the deck of the boat be an issue?? if i use two tarps one on the bow, one on the stern... there is a space near the mast.. is that an issue?

 

Where the two tarps came together at the mast, I used short lengths of twine to tie the gromets together. There is a little space around the mast, I guess, but I had it pretty tight.

There are openings at both the back and front, a good thing in my view to let air flow through. The only idea is to keep snow/rain/ice/leaves from dropping directly down onto the boat and building up around the hardware, etc. Snow/rain slid right off my tarps all winter. Let's not forget these are boats, not some antique furniture, a little weather will not hurt them.

Also, I am in Vermont (this is in the Islands, actually, between VT and NY). Probably similar to your winters.

 

Thank you for the advice!! Time to Winterize, Tarp and wait........Spring can't come soon enough!

 

Here's one other picture which shows the beginning of installing the front tarp. You may be able to see how I rigged the 2x4. I basically went up with a couple pieces of wood, some twine, some duct tape, 2 tarps, and had at it....

 

It makes me cringe when someone near me on dry dock does their own tarp. 9 times out of 10 there will be more damage to their own boats and adjacent boats then it is worth, if you don't know what you are doing. Most of those tarps, the grommets are useless and will rip out, and the string I have seen used. Any movement of the tarp can cause wear and tear.

 

9 out of 10? Is that a scientific study?

What kind of specialized knowledge do you need to tarp your boat? Is there a degree, trade school, certification?

Mine looked the same in spring as it did in fall, and I'm certainly no boat-tarp expert.

 

The only downside of tarps is there hell on a hull with a good finish as the flapping during a winter blow can beat the carp out of the shine





Never under estimate the weight of one good snow storm when building the frame as we had 36" last winter on long Island in about 19 hours and even with that much pitch it was hard to stay ahead

 

Tom, I'm confused. Did you tarp over shrinkwrap?

 

I have done both on the same boat BUT NOT at the same time

The LARGE flair in the J24 hull let me get away with NO tarp damage

The FLAT topsides Cal 29 would get the carp smacked out of it as a normal winter here will have several storms with LONG periods of time with 60 MPH winds

 

Not exactly what you are looking for, I know, but these photos may give you some ideas.

These awnings were not designed for winter. We had them made in Hawaii and are typical of the set ups you find there to keep the sun and rain off and make a live-aboard more comfortable. But we now find ourselves in our fourth winter in snow conditions; our second winter in Alaska, and have learned they work very well in snow too.

The set consists of five pieces: one over the bow cut like a narrow triangle with the tip cut off, one large piece abaft the mast, and two smaller pieces enclosing the stern. We have had them up in winds over 40kts and with 18 inches of snow on the docks with no problem. They are made of Sunbrella secured with 3/16 polyester rope.

To be ideal for storage, they should be much lower and have some additional support for the main section but the cut would be similar. This set is fifteen years old (Photos taken Nov 2012) and is still in excellent condition.

Made to set lower, with the bottom flush with the deck instead of the lifelines and with a wooden frame with battens nailed on the outside, this arrangement would be about as bomb proof as you could hope for. Added benefit is that you could still easily get aboard to work in the cabin.

 

Dropping the mast allows you to use inexpensive tarps instead of custom covers. Very easy with a gin pole on a 25 foot boat. May not be so simple on a 30 footer, especially if you have dual pairs of spreaders.

I get extra heavy duty tarps (9-11 mils thick), they're worth the extra premium and still inexpensive. They have a bolt rope to reinforce the grommets. I've gotten 3 winters out of them so far - might get a fourth, depending on how they look when I inspect them in a couple weeks.

Note that the pictures below were taken before I finished tying up the bow area:

 

Do you guys take out your batteries?

 

I just read this article by Maine Sail: Effect of Winter on Battery Self Discharge Photo Gallery by Compass Marine at pbase.com

The gist seems to be that if a battery is 100% charged, just unhook it and leave it.

 

OK - no expert here, no advance PhT degree, but this is the way I have done it on three different boats (T22, T28 and Irwin 34) for more than fifteen years. We live where it can get to more than -20 C and lots of snow and wind can happen: (masts for all our boats come down)

1 - we build a frame and put carpet or something where the tarp will rub

2 - we wrap it up and tie it down.

And, we check it on a regular basis.

Batteries stay in, cushions, sails, dodger etc come off.

Rik

 

I covered my Mirage 24 for the first time last year (about to do it again).
Having looked online I used a variation of the mast down system.
I made 3 braces to support the mast above the deck (level and high enough for airflow)
Then I bought a bunch of inexpensive PVC electrical conduit - zip tied it to the toe rail on one side bowed it over the mast and zip tied to the opposite toe rail (drilled holes through the conduit).
Then I loosely tied a good quality tarp over the boat, followed by a large section of fish net. The netting was pulled tight, kept the tarp in place and didnt wear. Protected the tarp with carpet sections where it would chafe.

Worked great. I'm in Nova Scotia and it shed snow well, withstood some serious windstorms. Boat was great in the spring.

I used an inexpensive plastic shipping wrap to hold thing together - keep carpet in place, secure shrouds etc.
Sorry - no handy pics.

Mark

 

I see that the vast majority of people don't take their lifelines down. In the pictures anyways. The marina i used to store at everyone took their lifelines down. I always do. I moved my boat down the canal this year away from the snowbelt (250" yr). I know you would never shrink wrap a boat with lifelines up. I've seen what happens; can snap them right off. With the mast down on tall crutches what do you guys think about going over the lifelines with a tarp??
I always tarp so far. I finally bought a thick vinyl tarp 20 x 46 and custom cut and glued it myself. I got tired of buying a new HD poly tarp every year. The wind was ripping them apart. They were tied well by the way. I watched shrink wrap blown off as well. My old storage yard was wide open to the northwest winds. 60 miles of fetch.

 

By the way; if i tied my boat in my previous marina as loose as some of the tarps i see in these pictures it would be gone in a week. You guys most have some protected storage areas.

 

I've tarped mast up and mast down. It's a hell of a lot easier down.

When the mast was up I used two tarps with sawhorses out of 2x4's as necessary.

Build the frame high to shed the snow. Don't trust the grommets. Wrap the tarp around. Golf ball and wrap a slip knot around that.

 

With our previous boat (Grampian 34 centre cockpit) we tarped every year. We get real winters up here on the north shore of Lake Superior, so our tarp had to keep the snow out while standing up to severe winter storms.

After a few versions I settled on making a frame of flexible plastic conduit (1" perhaps 1 1/2"). I tied the arches to a 3/8" line that I used as a ridge pole/backbone. The conduit was secured to the toe rail and tie-wrapped to the spine. The tarp was then draped over and secured down to the cradle.

The benefit of this system is that it flexes with the wind. Using this we never ripped the tarp, and always kept the snows out. It's also easy to set up and store.

 

Take a walk through the yard. You are bound to see plenty of them.

 

I store mast up. My system consists of using the boom and whisker pole as the centerline supports and them have hoops using 1 inch PVC conduit (like Mike above) that attach to the boom or whisker pole and the toerail. Without the hoops, snow and water will collect. I use two tarps, a bit oversized and slit at necessary points to get around shrouds etc. and reinforced with Gorilla tape. I strongly recommend buying a heavy duty tarp (silver) not the light blue or green ones. MUCH more durable, don't flap nearly as much due to the additional weight, and twice as many grommets that don't pull out. I'm on my fourth season with mine. Buy them online and they are about the same as the cheap blue ones at the local hardware store.

Heavy-Duty Silver Poly Tarps at Tarp & Cover Superstore

 

Thanks for the link. They are $20 cheaper than Tarps Plus (for 20'x30') where I went last time so I'm giving them a try

I used the same silver tarp and I was happy with it although I only got two years from it. That's because I had a wooden frame and it chafed pretty badly on the wood. This year I'll wrap the wood in pieces of the old tarp for protection.

 

Where I live, boats stay in the water. I've only seen two or three boats that have actually been hauled and shrink wrapped. When my boat was on its trailer, I used tarps to cover most of the deck. I'm looking at making a boat cover someday out of sunbrella hoping that it would last longer than the tarps.

 

I never have had the plastic type tarps make it though the winter they always tear apart. The yard this year has banned them from boats due to the damage they do to the boats once they start flapping all over.

So I thinking in spending some cash this year for a good canvas tarp. But just to keep the snow out of the cockpit so I can get onto the boat in early spring.

My boat doesn't leak

 

I never have had the plastic type tarps make it though the winter they always tear apart. The yard this year has banned them from boats due to the damage they do to the boats once they start flapping all over.

So I thinking in spending some cash this year for a good canvas tarp. But just to keep the snow out of the cockpit so I can get onto the boat in early spring.

My boat doesn't leak

You are correct that many yards have banned them because they can and often do damage other boats in the process. A flapping grommet in 25 knots can do a number on a 15K Awlgrip job......

A well done home made tarp can be fine, but they are often not "well made"...

Fail:

Fail:

Fail:

Fail:

The key design criteria up here is PITCH, PITCH, PITCH. These covers MUST be able to SHED snow or they very often fail........

Personally I build my own framing and a buddy with the tools shows up helps me shrink it. I would get my own guns but he is so reasonable it would be too long of a pay back...

Our cover design has never held snow nor does any part of the cover or frame every touch our painted topsides.

Getting ready to frame her up:

Framing in progress:

My latest cross tie design can be removed for winter work and replaced from inside the cover.

Another design I came up with is to build into my winter cover a "vestibule"... No opening a cheesy zip door or fighting to get on-board I simply walk out the barn and up the ladder.... The barn also has its own shore power outlet on the second floor...

Sleek, slippery, easy winter access and does not touch the painted hull. Most importantly it never holds or retains any snow. The minute it gets to 1/4" to 1/2" it avalanches and comes off in sheets...

 

Old Indian trick

Believe it or not, buffalo hides for tipis did NOT come with grommets. So here is a genuine "old Indian trick".

Place a smooth roundish object, a small marble or smooth pebble, behind the fabric and push it towards you and tie around it so it's in a tight pocket. You should see the shape of the pebble/marble on your side with the tie rope on your side and behind the pebble. This is much stronger than a grommet, and you can do it wherever you need a tie, but where possible do it on the hem or a seam for strength. Be aware that it's heavier than a grommet, it's up to you to make sure it won't flap and flail around. Mine don't sit against the boat.

As Maine Sail says, steep pitch is everything. I also like the ridge high so I can get in there comfortably. And I like some opening at the ends for ventilation.

I have one tarp that's been on continuously for three years (stored), it just split a few days ago at the ridge. It's still dry and pleasant in the boat.

 

This isn't quite the right thread for this but what are thoughts about leaving batteries in over winter?

Now that I have a proper solar panel and controller I was considering leaving the batteries on-board over the winter with the panel (on the stern rail) exposed.

I'm guessing that with the silver tarp enough light won't get through for the solar right? I've heard that shrink wrap lets in enough light normally to keep batteries topped off.

This saves me lugging them in and out and gives me lights and power over winter.

 

No need to remove the batts. as long as you have a full charge on them and disconnect them. Batts will lose like 2% a month. I would not keep the solar hooked up unless you are going to check water levels. Assuming you have non sealed wet batts.