To cover or not for Winter 2010

[AT Grimaldi]

OK. So with previous boats, I have done the tarp and hanging bottle thing to keep the sun and snow off until the spring.

It doesn't look that great, but seems to work.

I was thinking of having her shrink wrapped. That is expensive and thrown away at the end of the season.

Then it just occurred to me. What about stripping everything not bolted down and leaving her open?

All systems have been professionally winterized.
All electronics removed.

Do I need to cover her with a tarp?

- ATG

[BFThunter]

Ice can do some serious damage, especially if it is a self bailing cockpit with plumbing. A high frame, heavy duty tarp, and some 1/4" line will make quick work of the snow.

[Clint3240]

yup, that's all i do. my boat goes in between 2 trees, under a tight line and a draped tarp

[quakah]

I have been using the same shrinkwrap for a couple years now. Slips on and off and I just trim the engine down to tighten it up. Removing it carefully and storing it properly is the key.

Quakah

[KP161]

You can re-use the shrink wrap no problem. Certainly not as pretty the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th years but it is fine. Just peel it off easy, fold up and put away. I got 4 or 5 years out of my first shrink wrap and I'm on year #2 on this one. Sometimes have to hit a couple spots with tape year 3 or 4 but re-using really cuts the cost down. I don't think I'd want to try to re-use the shrink wrap on a 35 fter. Probably be a pain. But on smaller boats no big deal.

[Wayward Sun]

I use my boat when I can thru the winter so generly I just throw 1/2 sheet of ext plywood across the gunwales just to keep the snow out.

Mike A

[John from Madison CT]

I've covered and not covered, and both are good and bad.

If I don't cover, and we get some snow, of which we don't get that much along the shoreline of CT, I just go down and give it a quick shovel. Take about 60 seconds.

I've seen tarp do damage to boats, and shrink wrap done improperly so that the boat sweats like crazy in the early spring.

[Tuna Meltdown]

I never covered mine last winter. All I did was pull the drain plug, properly winterize the engines and pumps, and pour plenty of anti-freeze anywhere water might collect and hope for the best. In the spring it was fine. I think I am going to do that again this year too. Just got the quote to wrap it and they want $500. $500 for 3 months? I'll be ripping the stuff off again in April. I'm taking that 500 bucks, buying a new stella and winterizing the boat as I did last year but will not be covering it. Besides it's already full of snow from this past week.

[ElMar2530]

I do the tarp and frame method, the key is the frame. I am on my 3rd season with the green tarp and it will need to be replaced next year.

I don't like the idea of the freeze thaw cycle we get on the shorline. As we all know Ice expands so any little stress crack, broken bedding seal or void can be made larger and cause problems, plus I like to work on the boat in the winter.
New sound system for me this year.

I also keep the boat in the yard so I can tighten up anything that needs to be tended to.

My Frame



Covered.

[ElMar2530]

Someone PM'ed me asking for more pics of my winter frame so I'll post them here in case anyone else has similar questions.

The key is to keep as much of the frame off the gelcoat that you can, use your cleats.