Been following this thread and learning.
I wanted to add that here in the northeast, we suffer some storms in the winter where snow accumulates on the tarp, and during the day, the sun melts it and creates a heavy concentrated load on the material. If the material stretches at all, like tarps from the box stores, the snow forms a puddle of ice that further strecthes it and it either rips the material or it breaks the frame somewhere. High winds can also damage the deck if a frame is tied to stanchions. One of mine tore a hole in the deck and I had to replace the fiberglass and fair and paint. A friend braces his stanchions with wood 1 x 4s braced against the cabin sides.
The shrink wrap material doesn't stretch as much as nylon tarps, but it's so expensive and fills up the landfill. Canvas covers seem much better, but take up storage space in the off season.
Not the best idea, but I protect my boat with a smaller tarp over the cabintop that rests on cockpit cushions and fenders to add pitch. That covers the cabintop and genoa tracks but leaves the side decks clear, and gets pulled tight to the toerails using sashcord. It keeps the snow and ice from getting into the nooks and crannies, but doesn't protect the whole boat.
Whatever protection you choose, visit the boat regularly once or twice a month through the winter, to charge the batteries and check the tarp and lines. I pick a nice day and drive to the boat, plug in the charger, adjust the tarp, check the boat for mold, etc, then meet up with friends for lunch. After lunch, I go back to the boat and disconnect the power line before driving home. I never leave power connected when I'm away from the boat for extended periods. I don't like to see other boats with chargers and heaters and dehumidifiers powered all winter. It's too risky for me. I prefer boatyards that require owners to disconnect power whenever you're away from the boat. It's much safer.
Chuck Scheaffer, Resolute 1989 C&C 34R, Annapolis
I used the Kover Klamp system during Calypso's 10 year restoration project. (
www.koverklampframes.com). The cover material was up all year and would last 4 years before I needed to renew it. Kover Klamp's tie down fittings worked great with C&C's "holey rail". The system survived steady winds into the mid 40's and gusts to the mid 50's.
I built the frame similar to Don's. PVC and spinnaker pole. I also second the suggestion to make frame with enough pitch to allow snow to slide off. It's best to prevent water from pooling as the weight can cause problems.
Martin DeYoung
ex Calypso, 1971 C&C 43
ex Windsong, 1980 C&C 36
now
1956 Matthews 42 classic power boat
Port Ludlow, WA
Being an old Yankee, a shrink wrap cover is used instead of a fabric cover, and it has remained in good condition for seven years. Made for snowy environments, the cover sheds snow effectively. My boat is a C&C 35-2. For height, a 3” PVC pipe is mounted from the mast step to roughly 40” above the cabin top mast partners, with the spinnaker pole lashed to the bow pulpit and then to the pseudo mast. From there a ¾” galvanized link fence rail tubing extends to approximately 24” above the aft pulpit. This setup allows for easy access over the transom and adequate stand-up space in the cockpit. To prevent the cover from sagging, ¾” fiberglass tape is run diagonally from port to starboard stanchions over the peak. The entire process typically requires about half a day for two people to set up and secure.
Don Kern
C&C 35-2, Fireball
Bristol. RI
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