What should I use for a good winter boat cover

[djn]

Hi All, I talked my sister into sewing up a form fitting winter boat cover for me. She has the machine to do it. I have a design in mind but don't know what the best material is to use. I'd like it to last years of course. Cheers.

[rbgarr]

Top Gun or Odyssey (?) for your area, but unless your sister is real good and has an industrial sewing machine for those cloths, that's a hell of a big job for a boat the size of yours. MOO, of course. You may also want to search the Forum for this topic as discussed before.

Todd Bradshaw may be able to put you on to someone nearby who could do a good job if you don't know anyone.

[mike hanyi]

try building a barn- great for the summer to start other projects under

[Dan McCosh]

We use a traditional canvas cover. It was made by Blanco canvas (on Michigan Ave. near the old stadium). Still going strong after 10 years or so. They are impossible to beat for cost, as their main business is truck covers---usually the cost of the material plus 20% or so. There are some good reinforced plastic alternatives, which are lighter, shed snow better, and last a couple of years.

[djn]

Thanks Dan, I'll talk to them.

Hi Mike, if I only had the room, there would have been a 40x60 barn up 14 years ago when we first moved in. However, we where going for the school system vs. the land back then. Cheers.

[Ian McColgin]

Canvass is great. Sunbrella lasts longer and being a bit lighter than most available canvassas is easier to make and deploy.

I'm a great believer in PVC pipes for hoops with the cover over that. Put a lont PVC pipe down the centerline on top of the hoops, taping or tying in place, to keep them stabile and to provide a ridge that breaks the snow line.

If you can bring the canvass down near ground level, the boat will lose less moisture content.

G'luck

[Todd Bradshaw]

I'd vote for Sunbrella with small truck-tarp (vinyl-coated nylon) patches sewn inside at high abrasion spots where something sharp is poking it from below. Top Gun is coated and doesn't breathe, Odyssey breathes better, but is only about half as heavy and half as strong, which strikes me as maybe a bit light for a boat that size. The best cotton canvas is Sunforger, which is good stuff, but canvas does tend to shrink, which can make getting a good fit and planning ahead for shrinkage tricky if it's a complex shape (figure about 3% shrinkage - doesn't sound like much until you find that your 20' seam or panel has shrunken 7"). Sunforger has pretty good resistance to UV, but can suffer the same mold/rot problems that any cotton could if it has spots where water collects.

Most of the sewing isn't too bad since you're not going through a lot of layers (anywhere that you find yourself sewing through more than 3-4 layers tops, you probably have a design problem that needs to be fixed. In any case. it's a fair chunk of money from any fabric and a pretty big hunk of stuff to be fighting with as you send it through the sewing machine. If your sister will sew it for free, you owe her big-time.

[kc8pql]

Most of the sewing isn't too bad... a pretty big hunk of stuff to be fighting with as you send it through the sewing machine. If your sister will sew it for free, you owe her big-time.

I'll second that!

[djn]

Here is a video link to KoverKlamp boat cover frame system. It is pretty cool. Thanks Allan. Cheers.

http://www.koverklampframes.com/powersail_video.html

[rbgarr]

A koverclamp/pipe frame with shrinkwrap cover, permanently mounted on a trailer has potential for long distance trailering, camping out in and winter-storing an open boat. :D

[ssor]

When I was working on mine I set a pole fore and aft and rigged a 3/4inch line between the tops of the poles about four feet above the deck and hauled it tight with dead eyes and a lanyard. A few props along the length and several rather small tarps anchored to sand bags worked well for me

[David W Pratt]

Here in RI, I have a canvas one made by Fairclough. It works wonderfully. No mildew smell in the spring.
Good luck.

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

My current one is Sunbrella; it is certainly easier to manage than the treated cotton one that came with the boat, and does not sweat, so it can go right down to the waterline and protect the topsides against sun and wind.