Winter boat cover...Nice to work on boat over the winter !!!

[dmscarp]

Hello everyone. I have searched for an alternative to shrink wrap, and through many hours of research, I have combined ideas and came up with this for a winter cover. This PVC setup with a tarp cover works great and is a cheap way to cover your boat. I used 2 - 2x4's, 3/4"I.D. PVC tubing 10' long, hose clamps, 1/2" braided rope 100' long and a 20 x 30 tarp. I have attached a couple pics so you get the idea. You will be surprised on how strong this temporary cover is and it can be reused from year to year. No glue used, just tension holds everything in place. I have a small electric heater I used inside and it warms up just enough in 30deg. temps to work over the winter as I am doing a complete renovation on a 1981 - 26' Searay Weekender. The hose clamps are used to hold the rope in place. I drilled 1-1/8" holes, 24" o.c. at 2" deep into the 2x4's. This alone makes the PVC pretty sturdy as the bow tension holds them in place. Just had a strong wind/rain storm and it held up fine. The snow will just slide right off by keeping the tarp as tight and smooth as possible. In the pic you will see I need to get the ripples out of the tarp...lol...Good Luck....$100, 2hrs and 3 beers later I was done.

 

[dmscarp]

Re: Winter boat cover...Nice to work on boat over the winter !!!

I left the stern loose so I can get in and out easily with materials and tools. I will post more pics later.

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: Winter boat cover...Nice to work on boat over the winter !!!

very nice I do more or less the same thing

 

[superbenk]

Re: Winter boat cover...Nice to work on boat over the winter !!!

Nice idea! Lot cheaper than the Westland Sunbrella cover I bought

 

[Volphin]

Re: Winter boat cover...Nice to work on boat over the winter !!!

That's a cool setup! I would have applied more beer however.

 

[ricohman]

Re: Winter boat cover...Nice to work on boat over the winter !!!

That would work if you live somewhere warm and calm.
It wouldn't last 3 days here. And at -35 you could never heat it.

 

[dmscarp]

Re: Winter boat cover...Nice to work on boat over the winter !!!

Located in South Eastern Massachusetts....most snow storms here are 2 - 6" which will slide right off. Heavier storms I will shake off from inside to prevent too much build-up. Its bone dry in heavy rain so far. I would imagine in Saskatchewan Canada it would last 3hrs...lol... I think this would work fine from Massachusetts to points south.

 

[dmscarp]

Re: Winter boat cover...Nice to work on boat over the winter !!!

Located in South Eastern Massachusetts....most snow storms here are 2 - 6" which will slide right off. Heavier storms I will shake off from inside to prevent too much build-up. Its bone dry in heavy rain so far. I would imagine in Saskatchewan Canada it would last 3hrs...lol... I think this would work fine from Massachusetts to points south.

 

[jc55]

Re: Winter boat cover...Nice to work on boat over the winter !!!

I like it! What are your thoughts on using it indoors for smaller boats? Using couplers to extend the PVC for larger hoops. I like your idea of using wood runners with holes drilled in them. Or even nailing a predrilled runner on the wall(pole barn) the height needed, then making a "quarter round" enclosure using one wall of the existing building? Wow, I think you just solved my soon to be cold storage problem! Thanks!

 

[theBrownskull]

Re: Winter boat cover...Nice to work on boat over the winter !!!

Nice work. The beer sounds good too.

 

[dmscarp]

Re: Winter boat cover...Nice to work on boat over the winter !!!

I would think the general idea would have to be modified to each use. The nail to pole/barn idea never occurred to me but why not??? This is not a fixed structure of any means but serves boat storage pretty good. I would probably look at using 1.5" PVC for a quarter round structure against a barn....double the 2x4 on the flat to receive the 1.5" hole at 2" deep....glad it helped out...I think I will have another beer now...

 

[ricohman]

Re: Winter boat cover...Nice to work on boat over the winter !!!

Located in South Eastern Massachusetts....most snow storms here are 2 - 6" which will slide right off. Heavier storms I will shake off from inside to prevent too much build-up. Its bone dry in heavy rain so far. I would imagine in Saskatchewan Canada it would last 3hrs...lol... I think this would work fine from Massachusetts to points south.

I am jealous! If I could wrap my boat and heat it I would. Imagine, tinkering away in the winter.
I was outside last night for about 10 minutes and froze my face and ears. With the wind chill it was -40 or so. Only 5 months of it left.

 

[dmscarp]

Re: Winter boat cover...Nice to work on boat over the winter !!!

Here is a quick view on my winter project which is the reason for this setup...starting to get very cold here and will have to start picking my days. I just thought I had a few soft spots in the floor....guess again...lol...1981 Searay Weekender. I like the lines on this boat so here I go.

 

[ricohman]

Re: Winter boat cover...Nice to work on boat over the winter !!!

Rot and rust always go a lot farther then you think. Its a nice looking hull, and the trailer looks solid as well.
Are you pulling the engine?

 

[Cap'n Cruiser]

Re: Winter boat cover...Nice to work on boat over the winter !!!

Great minds think alike! I also used pvc conduit but I needed to cover all the way around so my setup is slightly different. Cruiser pics

Sure beats the money for shrink covering hey! Lookin good....

 

[dmscarp]

Re: Winter boat cover...Nice to work on boat over the winter !!!

Great minds think alike! I also used pvc conduit but I needed to cover all the way around so my setup is slightly different. Cruiser pics

Sure beats the money for shrink covering hey! Lookin good....

now your setup is a engineering wonder....nice to have it all the way to the ground...great job and nice boat.

 

[wrench 3]

Re: Winter boat cover...Nice to work on boat over the winter !!!

I guess I don't have a great mind. I built mine when we first got our present boat and had a lot of work to do on it. I can't get it warm enough to do work in the middle of the winter, but it lets me get an earlier start in the spring. The first winter I'd take parts off and take them into the warm to work on. It's put together with deck screws. I have to take the ridge poles and side braces off to store it for the summer. The trusses sit on the side decks of the boat.
I never thought of using PVC. It might have worked OK if I kept the snow off of it, and would have been a lot easier to assemble.

 

[dmscarp]

Re: Winter boat cover...Nice to work on boat over the winter !!!

Wood was my first choice of material that I was going to use to build the cover, definitely strong enough for snow load. Pvc frames will need to be cleaned off during a snow storm but I wanted something easily stored, with as little space needed to store it during summer months. As for heating I use a propane radiant heater, 14000 btu and it takes the chill out, ventilation needed. Cant fiberglass but good enough for other tasks. Below 30deg. and I'm done. I think I am going to try using a more clear cover to try to get some solar gain for heat during those nice sunny freezing days....any thoughts on that idea?

 

[Cap'n Cruiser]

Re: Winter boat cover...Nice to work on boat over the winter !!!

Wood was my first choice of material that I was going to use to build the cover, definitely strong enough for snow load. Pvc frames will need to be cleaned off during a snow storm but I wanted something easily stored, with as little space needed to store it during summer months. As for heating I use a propane radiant heater, 14000 btu and it takes the chill out, ventilation needed. Cant fiberglass but good enough for other tasks. Below 30deg. and I'm done. I think I am going to try using a more clear cover to try to get some solar gain for heat during those nice sunny freezing days....any thoughts on that idea?

I guess I don't have a great mind. View attachment 219064 I built mine when we first got our present boat and had a lot of work to do on it. I can't get it warm enough to do work in the middle of the winter, but it lets me get an earlier start in the spring. The first winter I'd take parts off and take them into the warm to work on. It's put together with deck screws. I have to take the ridge poles and side braces off to store it for the summer. The trusses sit on the side decks of the boat.
I never thought of using PVC. It might have worked OK if I kept the snow off of it, and would have been a lot easier to assemble.

Hey guys- If you use pvc, you're right that you'd have to keep it relatively cleaned off, but you don't have to clean quite as often if you use a couple of vertical supports inside for when you're not working. Just simply move them out when you're in there cuz of course the frame is completely strong on its own; that just saves some worry if you dont get out there right away. And the storage is awesome because I just numbered all the poles (especially at each joint and crossing) with a sharpie and bundled them up to throw in my garage attic. Wrap up the plastic and it all doesn't take much space. Not sure if you can see in the pics, but at every crossing I have a 3/16 machine bolt going down through with a wingnut underneath; makes disassembly a snap. For the plastic, yes definitely go with clear so you get the solar gain and the light. I got mine free from an old greenhouse- maybe you can do the same? But it has to be at least 6 or 8 mil to be tough enough. It'll still have some opacity but lets in tons of light.

And don't knock it too much Wrench- looks like a nice solid frame! I would have built a whole darn garage over the thing if it wasn't cost prohibitive! And maybe a 125,000btu salamander for more heat? Theyre around $100. I go through a 20# cylinder about every 12 hours, so I can get a couple of 6 hour days in for about $20. Takes about two hours to get up to temp though. And I definitely wait til its 20+ outside anyway otherwise its too much fuel to get it warm enough to be comfortable.

 

[dmscarp]

Re: Winter boat cover...Nice to work on boat over the winter !!!

That's a great idea, I will definitely use the removable vertical supports when I am not working in there for snow load support. Looks like it will be snow load tested this weekend, have small storm moving thru sat night...look like 1-3" in this area but that rain/snow line is always right over our head here. Tough to forecast.