Winter cover

[Diverted Income]

Anyone have good luck tarping their boats for the winter or do most shrink wrap? Ours is inside for this winter but not sure if it will always be there. Also considering a custom made storage cover. Just wondering what the thoughts are.
Thanks!

[K4282]

ive never had any big issues tarping, the tarps tend to wear after a few season if you dont watch chaffing on sharp edges, im actually looking into a winter cover thats listed at a local consignment shop for short money withen the next few weeks as im hauling for the season soon

[The Dog House]

I would tarp my 1998 Four Winns but I shrink wrap my 1971 Trojan F26. By putting a door in the shrink wrap I can work on her all Winter long. I couldn't do that with a tarp, but the Four Winns didn't need the work that the Trojan does.

[prowlersfish]

But how will you Four winns be doing when its 42 years old ?

[captainmaniac]

I know a few F32 owners that go with shrink wrap - works for them. I store indoors so just go with very simple frame (to protect mast light) and light blue poly tarp to keep the dirt and dust off.

Some day when I store outdoors I will probably investigate costs of getting custom cover made. You can use shrink a few seasons before having to replace it if you remove it and re-apply very carefully, but generally all hullsides are exposed to the elements. With a custom cover you could have it made to allow for coverage to the waterline, reducing UV damage to the hull.

Also with shrink you have more of a temperature swing under the cover (below freezing point in the night and possibly 60+F during the day if the sun is bright enough), so vents, moisture control, and mold / mildew become a bigger concern. I have friends who winter aboard a 43 Viking, they shrink wrap the superstructure (no vents, but they are coming in and out daily through a makeshift door). By late March they are often cutting holes in the shrink because they are cooking under it during the day. One year I went to look at a '39 Sea Ray sedan and it was just above freezing outside - under the shrink it was 80+.

[LandVF36]

I cover our F36 with a tarp outside. I have an 1-frame that sits on the bow deck just ahead of the head and bunk room sky lights. These are on 2 x 4 x 8's using a sawhorse bracket. Then a 2 x 4 x 4' frame sitting on the flybridge front seat. A ridge 2 x 4 runs from teh bow pulpit up and over the two frames and then all the way down to the transom. I tie ropes xcross from the railings to the frame and then tarp with 30' x 60' silver tarp from the local farm store. I save the wood and ropes from year to year but buy a new tarp every season (about $120). I used to get 3 yrs out of a tarp, but the quality has gone down greatly over the years. Here in MN, quotes to shrink the F36 have been over $1000 so I don't even think about that.

[The Dog House]

But how will you Four winns be doing when its 42 years old ?

I'm not even sure it will make 42 years. The guy I sold it to already ran it into a buoy. He runs it hard and puts it away wet.

[Cmount]

I tarped it my first year and plan on sticking to tarping. I worked on it under the tarp all winter and plan to do the same this year. Here in Norwalk, the cost to shrink is 19 bucks a foot, so tarping not only save the environment by reusing the cover year to year, but keeps more $$ in my pocket for the gas. I use 2by 4's and plastic piping for the frame...the cover is a 40*60 white to cover the whole thing with the new radar arch on. Should be covered by next weekend and then let the winter projects begin.

[lawyerdave71]

I am a tarper - although the quality of tarps has diminished in the past few years!!!

Shrink wrapping is too expensive here. $600 to $800 dollars which equals a lot of summer time gas!!

[boatsnbars]

I have my F-36 shrink wrapped. I tarped my Chris Craft 281 once, but our yard is right on the water and the wind tore it apart by spring. I have been paying some one to shrink wrap, it's $13 per foot. It's the only maintenance and repairs that I pay for during the year, I do everything else myself. I don't feel too bad about the cost. The boat is in the water until the end of October and it's cold when I finish winterizing the boat. I could buy the material and do it myself for less then half the price but that would mean another day working out in the cold.

[Oxblood]

Does anyone have some suggestions as to how to effectively tarp the Tri Cabin? Keep in mind that I do also live aboard, so access and light are important.

[lawyerdave71]

Just got the tarping all done. . . and now my father a/k/a the admiral is talking about starting winter projects - it never ends!!!

[297Elegante]

This is our first season using a custom winter cover. Did a tarp over the cockpit/flybridge year one, shrink wrap last season, and the custom cover this year. No idea how it will work, but it looks like it should do well.

[297Elegante]

We will see how it holds up.

[Cmount]

http://s814.photobucket.com/user/CJMOUN ... t=3&page=1

Not as pretty as the cover above, but all buttoned up for the winter projects