Winter Cover Frame

Jim Cornwell · Post by **Jim Cornwell** » Nov 3rd, '09, 18:21

I suspect this subject comes up regularly on a seasonal basis as boat owners in cold climates contemplate the dreary business of winter storage. But here goes. I'm contemplating construction of a frame to support a handsome custom-made canvas cover in the long term future and an economical silver tarp cover in the immediate (until-the-economy-improves) future. With distressingly little work in my architectural office, my drawing board is littered with doodles of wood frames, PVC pipe frames, and EMT (metal conduit) frames. Some of them have gotten pretty elaborate on paper and it's time for a reality check. I've read past threads on this subject and I know that many of you out there have come up with practical solutions to this problem over the years, some of them elegant ones, I'll bet. But I'm a visual sort of person and I'm calling for photos to illustrate some of these ideas. Any takers? Jim.

Ldybg · Post by **Ldybg** » Nov 4th, '09, 21:43

I'd have to dig around for photo's but I've followed the directions shown by Tom Young (a former Cape Dory 28 owner I believe) in Good Old Boat Nov/Dec 2004.

It's all 1x3 furring strips. The ridge being double thickness. The key is the ridge supports are 1/2 the beam +20%, spaced approx. every 8 ft. This gives a constant slope and a steep pitch to shed snow/rain.

If interested, I can give more details.

I am trying a modification this year as the ridge & side bands were difficult to store.

Dennis

Mike Raehl · Post by **Mike Raehl** » Nov 5th, '09, 01:10

Here is a pix of my pvc frame partially assembled. Not yet installed are the ridge pole which is three ten foot 2 1/2 inch black plastic pipes attached with screws to the top of each of the 1 inch pvc tees; and, one inch pvc vatical supports from each pvc tee and resting on the horizontal mast. Plastic tarp covers the frame and is secured with line and bungee cord to the cradle. The frame provides adequate headroom, relatively clear decks and is easily dissembled / stored.

Jim Cornwell · Post by **Jim Cornwell** » Nov 5th, '09, 10:37

Yes, Dennis, Please provide any details you have at hand! I'm hoping my collection of Good Old Boat back issues goes back that far so I can get particulars on the furring strip frame. Mike, do you ever store your boat with the mast up? Does the frame have to sustain a heavy snow load in your location? A plus for PVC is that the wide variety of available fittings, including four and five-way tees, elbows in increments of 11-1/4 degrees and other odd-ball shapes offer ready-made joints to greatly speed fabrication and can be pinned together for ease of disassembly. Also, it's light as a feather. A wooden frame has the virtue that it's stiffer than PVC and not as brittle when extremely cold. Also, clean up of construction debris in the boatyard wouldn't need to be as thorough with wood as it would be with PVC (I'm talking sawdust here). But more work to build, even for a gifted-amateur carpenter. This weekend, between stripping sails and rigging and other tasks, I'll be snooping around boatyards in Rock Hall to see what other do-it-yourselfers have contrived. Please keep the ideas coming!

bhartley · Post by **bhartley** » Nov 5th, '09, 14:15

Pyxis is currently covered (she's been on the hard for 11 months

) with a PVC pipe frame and very large silver tarp. The backbone is supported in five places with verticals to the deck/cockpit. The verticals are lagged to the stanchions with zip ties. They will likely need to be rebedded before launch due to the stresses on them.

The frame had actually been built a bit taller originally in hope of being able to have access for work, but there was just too much windage. I reduced the vertical by a foot.

That said, this March 1st when we were hit with a freak snow/ice storm here in Georgia I was out every hour on the hour up on the boat knocking the snow off. The pitch is pretty steep, but not enough to deal with 6 inches snow in six hours with little wind.

Miranda (our old Ty) used to be covered with PVC hoops (no corners) with the mast as the backbone. This system worked very well in Massachusetts for several years, but there were no flat spots and the mast was the backbone.

The very long tarp helps on Pyxis as it doesn't catch the wind and "sail". In spite of all of the bracing, the PVC frame really moves, flexes and bends when Mother Nature gets involved. Other than the snow (which is almost unheard of down here), the cover has been satisfactory. It is, however, impossible to work under. Although I made it large enough to move around under, it is very DARK!!!

By the way, www.tarpsonline.com has great tarps at good prices. Their heavy duty tarp is VERY heavy duty. The cover has held up much better than other tarps we have used over the years.

Paul D. · Post by **Paul D.** » Nov 6th, '09, 23:43

Jim,

I have three verticle 2x4's one forward two aft the mast with strapping tied between them at the top and either taped or stapled there. At the base of the 2x4 is a 12" flat two by four to give some stability.The strapping then becomes the peak and it is stabilized by athwartships strapping tied to the tops of each stantion.

This is for shrink wrap which I do every year DIY. But it may work if you have a good tarp. It is important to pad the tops of the stantions which I do with extra shrink film and tape. This system, with the shrink wrap has done well for eight seasons in a northern climate. This year, I reused the shrink film, so we will see what happens. Cheap bastard that I am, aye.

All the best,
Paul

John Danicic · Post by **John Danicic** » Nov 7th, '09, 12:50

Here is a photo of the stayed post system used to support the shrink wrap that my brother described. The little red boat to the left is a pristine CD 25 on a trailer ready to be moved to its heated storage building. Lucky boat!

This is what it looks like after the cover goes on and the material is heat shrunk. My CD 36 has 6 posts

The plastic wrap after the shrinking process, lends a stiffness that has little need for the perpendicular side support straps. If I were to use this stayed system with a normal tarp, I would add twice as many side support straps. The tarp itself would need to be stretched as tight as possible to avoid sagging where snow could collect. As to my brother; I can attest that he is both of which he speaks.

Sail on

John Danicic
CD36 - Mariah - #124
Lake Superior - The Apostle Islands
CDSOA # 655

Thomas Kyasky · Post by **Thomas Kyasky** » Nov 7th, '09, 21:49

I had Fairclough Sailmakers of New Haven, Ct. make a canvas cover and frame for my CD31. They have measured plans for the CD31 so measurements of your boat are not needed. You might be able to get plans for their frame and have they make a cover at a later date.

Chris Reinke · Post by **Chris Reinke** » Nov 9th, '09, 13:05

Fairclough makes a great product and we have been happy with the quality on our 330. We had several versions of custom canvas tarp over a heavy PVC frame which we "improved" over the years as various aspects would fail. The biggest problem was the old cover was VERY heavy and we didn't want it contacting the awlgrip, and awlgrip advises against a plastic tarp which could trap moisture between the hull and the cover.

Even if you don't purchase the fairclough cover system I would suggest you review their online installation video...I am more of a visual guy. They use conduit for the ridgeline and vertical legs, then wooden horizontals to tie it all together. The system is completely self-supporting and the ridgeline can support my weight so I have no concerns with snow loads in New England. What I really like is that the cover does not attach to the stanchions so no concern with stressing the stanchions and requiring rebedding.

http://www.fairclough.com/

Jim Cornwell · Post by **Jim Cornwell** » Nov 11th, '09, 12:45

Oh yes, a Fairclough cover would be just the ticket. I've noticed that many of the best-dressed boats are wearing them! Fairclough seems to have a great system and superior quality of construction. It appears some are years old, yet still going strong. Their installation video is tempting, indeed: complete assembly in under an hour! But, alas, circumstances dictate a DIY solution this year. I'm leaning toward a hybrid wood and PVC frame that will work with or without the mast and boom in place and that can support a professionally crafted canvas cover in the not-too-distant future. When I build it, I'll post the results. Until then, inspiration still needed and all suggestions appreciated!

Bill Goldsmith · Post by **Bill Goldsmith** » Nov 11th, '09, 14:02

I essentially do the same thing as John D. Same system, and it works great.

I priced out a Faircough cover and it costs about as much as 10 shrink-wrap jobs. Fairclough told me that the cover's life expectancy was about 10 years. Therefore, it's a wash cost-wise, although the time value of money favors not paying it all up front. It's even less costly if you do the shrink-wrapping yourself.

I used to loathe the idea of shrink-wrapping until I learned of recycling options. My guess is, overall, a Fairclough cover imposes much less of a carbon footprint!!

John Danicic · Post by **John Danicic** » Nov 11th, '09, 15:44

I agree with Bill.

Shrink wrapping with out recycling is just plain wrong. I order UPS prepaid shipping labels from Dr. Shrink. (about $15.00) After removing all the vents and cutting off the imbedded straps in the skirt, I can get it all in one bag if I roll it nice and tight. I give it to the marina manager and the UPS driver takes it on her regular scheduled pick-up. The stuff is then recycled into those plastic deck planks.

My marina manager likes that I don't fill his dumpster with a huge amount of crap which is one of the reasons that he lets me shrink wrap. Not every marina allow owners to do it themselves because of the fire danger. A friend at another marina priced out the cost to have his 37 foot sloop, with mast up "professionally" shrunk and it was $900.00! I can do mine for less then $100.00; re-using vents, straps, posts and zipper doors. From frame to finish, it takes a helper and me a good day with no or little wind or rain/snow which can be hard to schedule some years. A white shrunk boat with a good steep pitch gives you plenty of room to work under and supplies good daylight. To date, I have never had a problem with snow, rain or critters getting into the boat and have avoided setting the marina on fire.

Shrink wrapping your boat is not for everyone. If done correctly, it makes an excellent shelter. You can change it yearly depending on if your mast is up/down or if you add a radar arch or wind gen, remove stays, expose solar panels or what ever. Recycling the material is a must. As far as I know, that is not an option for "permanent" tarps but we all do what we do because we have always done it that way which is why we are sailors. I'll stop here.

Sail on

John Danicic
CD36 - Mariah - #124
Lake Superior - The Apostle Islands
CDSOA # 655

mahalocd36 · Post by **mahalocd36** » Nov 11th, '09, 16:29

Chris Reinke wrote: The system is completely self-supporting and the ridgeline can support my weight so I have no concerns with snow loads in New England.

I would just caution you here. 2 years ago our Fairclough cover collapsed. It was while we were not always where the boat was (between 2 houses) and ice/snow built up on it. Until then, and since then, we were pretty religious about cleaning it off with either a snow rake or pushing it off from the inside. Especially if it's a wet snow. What had happened was we got about a foot of wet snow, then rain, then it froze, all within a few days.
Just a warning that the Fairclough frame will *not* hold that weight. And it is NO fun to clean that all off, try to get that weight off the top of the collapsed cover without falling off the boat and killing yourself, and building a new frame underneath it all, in the dead of winter.

Old thread is below.
http://www.capedory.org/board/viewtopic ... clough+ice

mahalocd36 · Post by **mahalocd36** » Nov 11th, '09, 16:36

Bill Goldsmith wrote: Fairclough told me that the cover's life expectancy was about 10 years.

My warning about the frame aside, FYI we are on the 7th year with Mahalo's fairclough cover and it still looks bascially brand new. Just FYI. I would expect more than 3 years more worth of use from it. I've seen some in boatyards 15 years old. {They stamp the date on them by the bow}.

We store it inside when not in use.

Dalton · Post by **Dalton** » Nov 11th, '09, 19:10

I bought my Fairclough for $2,600.00. It's getting a little threadbare but it's still in one piece. I also store it indoors.

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