Winter storage

[brettportzer]

I usually shrinkwrap the boat for the winter, but, it is not ideal. It is fairly expensive, usually not well done, and I am more or less at the mercy of the yard in terms of who is doing / allowed to do the work.

However, I can do whatever I want to do myself.

In a forum search I came across a few images of interesting winter cover / work coverage solutions that forum members had come up with over the years for winter weather protection for working on the boat in the off season.

One of these pictures was interesting to me, and I pm'd the person who had posted it and asked about it.

He informed me that that was a structure built to accommodate the work that particular year, and that he usually does not cover it.

He is in Long Island area, I am south of Albany, NY on the Hudson River.

Anyhow, we talked about it a bit, but, he suggested I make a forum post and see if there are any other opinions on the topic subject of covered vs uncovered for the winter.

Traditional shrinkwrap vs other methods, etc?

 

[Dreamboat]

This is what I do for mine.

 

[warrenw]

Gary,

Is that a Genco cover? The fit looks great, I assume you reuse the framing. While I like shrink wrapping it is wasteful and the cost adds up over the years. My biggest concern with the reusable winter cover option is where to store it while not in use. How do you find yours for folding and storage?

 

[jim rosenthal]

I am on my second cloth winter cover.

I started with a cover and frame made for me by a friend here in MD. While the cloth cover was done very well, he used ordinary pine lumber for the wooden frame, so over the years it rotted. I got about 15+ years out of the cloth, and then it began to deteriorate- it had small tears, you could see light through it.

We replaced the frame first, IIRC, using the old one as a pattern and building the new frame in my driveway, and doing the final fit on the boat. My friend then made me a new cloth cover out of a heavier material, which I am now about to use for, I think, the third or fourth season. The new frame was built of pressure-treated lumber, and although it requires maintenance, it is holding up rather well.

Advantages of cloth covers:
-not wasteful. There is nothing to recycle. It all gets re-used.
-a cloth cover breathes. Shrink wrap doesn't. Especially for boats painted with AwlGrip, which doesn't like water or wet materials lying on it, cloth seems better. I have heard that AwlGrip will blister if wet plastic lies on it, but I have not seen this myself.
-my cloth cover reaches all the way to the chine and ties securely under the boat. It stays put.

Disadvantages of cloth covers:
-initial expense is MUCH higher. Like maybe tenfold. However, based on my prior experience, I will get more than 10x the life out of the cloth cover. Ie, it will be good for more than ten winters.
-dust leaks in. I think some dust is able to get through the cloth. But I'm not sure on this. It's been so long since my boat was wrapped that it's hard to compare.
-heavier. I have never seen any ill effects from the additional weight of the heavier frame and cloth cover, but it ought to be mentioned.
-installation is work. No one I know shrink-wraps their own boat. So the yard does it, and they do all the work. My cloth cover weight 150+ pounds, may be closer to 200. Putting the frame up is work, but putting the cover itself, which is in three sections, is REAL work. At 71 years old, the guys who I hire add up to about 3/5 of my age. Fortunately, we've done it several times and have it pretty well down now.
-storage- the frame has a lot of sticks to it, but since it's pressure-treated I can keep it outdoors, although not on the ground. The cloth cover has gone to ground in a variety of places- my basement, up off the floor, my garage, and currently in the back of my Land Cruiser.

Cvering your boat during the winter is a big advantage in that the paint and varnish etc, will all last longer if the boat is not exposed during cold weather.

 

[Dreamboat]

Gary,

Is that a Genco cover? The fit looks great, I assume you reuse the framing. While I like shrink wrapping it is wasteful and the cost adds up over the years. My biggest concern with the reusable winter cover option is where to store it while not in use. How do you find yours for folding and storage?

Warren

Yes, it's a Genco cover and I do reuse the framing. It's put together with custom connectors (also by Genco) The sections are made of regular 2x4's, but I store them indoors with the cover during the summer time, so they're not exposed to the weather. I'm on my 9th year now with the cover and very happy with it. Over this time span, it's been much cheaper than the combined cost of the annual shrink-wrap.
I also agree with the pro's and con's that Jim mentioned, although up to now, I haven't had any issues installing it by myself, but I'm getting slower, lol.

 

[rsmith]

My dad bought a full canvas cover for the 34. He actually bought it from Hatteras who had them made for boats that were being shipped overseas. It was perfectly fitted and required only a support in the cockpit and on the trunk cabin. I was a kid then but I remember he and three other guys struggling with it. Had to be unfolded a certain way bec there was no way it could be dragged up over the boat. Left a bunch of rub marks on the paint when he took it off in the spring. Never got put back on again. I learned a bunch of new cuss words watching them put it on.

I am on my second cloth winter cover.

I started with a cover and frame made for me by a friend here in MD. While the cloth cover was done very well, he used ordinary pine lumber for the wooden frame, so over the years it rotted. I got about 15+ years out of the cloth, and then it began to deteriorate- it had small tears, you could see light through it.

We replaced the frame first, IIRC, using the old one as a pattern and building the new frame in my driveway, and doing the final fit on the boat. My friend then made me a new cloth cover out of a heavier material, which I am now about to use for, I think, the third or fourth season. The new frame was built of pressure-treated lumber, and although it requires maintenance, it is holding up rather well.

Advantages of cloth covers:
-not wasteful. There is nothing to recycle. It all gets re-used.
-a cloth cover breathes. Shrink wrap doesn't. Especially for boats painted with AwlGrip, which doesn't like water or wet materials lying on it, cloth seems better. I have heard that AwlGrip will blister if wet plastic lies on it, but I have not seen this myself.
-my cloth cover reaches all the way to the chine and ties securely under the boat. It stays put.

Disadvantages of cloth covers:
-initial expense is MUCH higher. Like maybe tenfold. However, based on my prior experience, I will get more than 10x the life out of the cloth cover. Ie, it will be good for more than ten winters.
-dust leaks in. I think some dust is able to get through the cloth. But I'm not sure on this. It's been so long since my boat was wrapped that it's hard to compare.
-heavier. I have never seen any ill effects from the additional weight of the heavier frame and cloth cover, but it ought to be mentioned.
-installation is work. No one I know shrink-wraps their own boat. So the yard does it, and they do all the work. My cloth cover weight 150+ pounds, may be closer to 200. Putting the frame up is work, but putting the cover itself, which is in three sections, is REAL work. At 71 years old, the guys who I hire add up to about 3/5 of my age. Fortunately, we've done it several times and have it pretty well down now.
-storage- the frame has a lot of sticks to it, but since it's pressure-treated I can keep it outdoors, although not on the ground. The cloth cover has gone to ground in a variety of places- my basement, up off the floor, my garage, and currently in the back of my Land Cruiser.

Cvering your boat during the winter is a big advantage in that the paint and varnish etc, will all last longer if the boat is not exposed during cold weather.

 

[jim rosenthal]

That's true; there are a lot of opportunities to screw things up whilst putting it on the boat. Fortunately we have dodged them so far.

Every year there are a few frame repairs, and sometimes some to the canvas, but so far she's holding up nicely.

I forgot to mention that the cover is in three sections, which makes it manageable. In one piece, it would not be.

 

[Chasemmc]

I have a cloth cover for my 56 MY. Don't use it as the boat is in the water all year under a shed. If u would like to see it, look in my profile and there are some pictures. It's free to any HOF who thinks they can use it. It fits on a pallet and I would ship that way,. Its located in north atlanta.

 

[warrenw]

Jim - thanks for the detailed response regarding your cover.

Gary - thanks for filling me in on the details of the Genco setup, I didn't know that they had special built connectors for dimensional lumber framing. I was at Krates yesterday (we dropped the Caterpillars into my 47 Commander) and from a distance watched a couple install a 3 piece cover on a 41' Carver and the installation seemed reasonable. I also noticed your boat coming in, I appreciate the improved view from my boat.

Warren

Yes, it's a Genco cover and I do reuse the framing. It's put together with custom connectors (also by Genco) The sections are made of regular 2x4's, but I store them indoors with the cover during the summer time, so they're not exposed to the weather. I'm on my 9th year now with the cover and very happy with it. Over this time span, it's been much cheaper than the combined cost of the annual shrink-wrap.
I also agree with the pro's and con's that Jim mentioned, although up to now, I haven't had any issues installing it by myself, but I'm getting slower, lol.

 

[Dreamboat]

Warren

My boat is getting lifted out next week, after which I'll be starting on the frame and cover. Come over for a look anytime.

Nice pic by the way. I'll add it to my album.

 

[brettportzer]

Well, I went ahead and had it shrinkwrapped as usual.

Check out what I found when I got there today!