All over cover

Mukes

Mukes

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30 Sep 2005
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Pin Mill
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I am considering investing in a cover that will protect my P & J from the elements while on her mooring. I am assuming she will have to be measured so can anyone recommend someone local to Pin Mill that can make such a thing?
 
Maybe.

I'm not sure about all over covers whilst afloat. They can be a pig to rig and stow and take up a lot of room on the boat. I cautiously suggest a cockpit cover and a forehatch cover.

The cover makers at Woolverstone used to be run by Mike Bamford, who is OK, but I did hear that he has sold up.
 
I have an all over cover (in two parts, aft and forward of the mast) and highly recommend it. what time it takes me to fit, I save in not having to varnish every year. The decks stay mostly free of fresh water, and don't get dried out by the occaisional sun, and the boat remains cooler all year round. Mine stop about 10 inches short of the toerail, so that I get fresh air over the boat at all times.
 
can't recommend a supplier but i can suggest a design tip for bigger covers:

Instead of having someone sew a single large cover, get them use more material, with individual lateral sheets overlapped (but not sewn) and only sewn together (strongly) along the edges.

The advantage of this are that high winds simply blow through the cover, rather that get fully behind it and use it as a sail. And overlap of about a foot is fine to keep rain off. I have seen one or two covers like this, all seem to be in good condition. I have also seen very large sunshades in continental restaurants use the same overlapping-but-not-sewn sheets technique, presumably for the same reason of denying the wind treating the item as a single "sail".

hope this helps
 
I had an all over cover made by a farm tarpaulin supplier. It is as good as new after 10 years! Its made from heavy farm tarp material. Unfortunately they went bust, but maybe you should consider an inland agricultural tarpaulin supplier as it will be bound to be cheaper than any sailmaker/cover maker.

As my yacht is only 22ft long its managable to fit and take off - and worth the effort as it does work. I have not had to revarnish in a long time. The cover has velcro'd slot for the mast and I use an old shroud to tension a ridge in the middle of the cover a foot above the deck. Water rarely collects.
 
Thakns all for your responses. Re fastening - no idea I am afraid - this is one of the issues I would want to discuss with the supplier if I have one made as it needs to be secure but quick and easy to take on/off. Any bright ideas or first hand experience would be welcome on this point.

Mirelle - I initially looked at additional hatch covers as I already have a cockpit cover but my decks are also varnished not teak or painted and so wanted to offer them some protection. (And I think Mike is still at Woolverstone but is part of Blue Baker Sails so I will chat to him thanks.)
 
As for securing the cover, I use lacing. My yacht has a 6" mahogany king plank that is varnished. To offer protection to this my cover extends down from the toe rail to cover this. Below that is my rubbing strake and under the strake I have fitted bronze lacing eyes. It is quite a simple job of getting in the dinghy and lacing the cover up. To make sure it does not fly off in a gale I tie either edge of the cover to the other side of the cover at the bow. I do the same, but through and under the rudder pintle, at the stern. Sometimes in a real blow (and I mean a real blow) the lacing has jumped off, but the cover has never come off. I believe that since the cover has the extra material to cover the king plank it is very hard for the wind to catch and pick it up from underneath; what happens with most covers - I would recommend this feature. I also found it very useful when laid-up. Insead of lacing the cover I tie guys down to the ground and attach them with old breeze blocks. By leading the guys out, the flap around the yacht can be tensioned not to touch the hull, proving handy protection when one is repainting the hull or revarnishing the king plank in showery weather. Hope this helps.
 
Oh yes, forgot. I used to lace using bungy style cord, but this eventually suffered from UV damage and it would always jump of the lacing eyes - too elastic. I now use 4mm white multibraid from B&Q. It's much more secure and cheap.
 
Hm. The trouble is that a winter gale wil occur during a "we often use the boat in the winter" break - in the same way as it will occur in a "we won't be back till late march" sort of cover. Big wind is the enemy, not big rain, imho.
 
Maybe its worth considering those flaps. Like I say it stops the cover being lifted by the wind from underneath. You cant underestimate rain. My last cover came apart because rainwater pooled in a depression over the cockpit. The whole cockpit filled up like a swimming pool eventually splitting the cover open.
 
You're right. Our harbourmaster recommends orrible brown or green very heavy canvas for boat covers, not that gay coloured acrylic stuff.
 
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