Best way of keeping a tarpaulin in place?

[Poignard]

What's the best way of keeping a tarpaulin covering a boat in place ?

Blue polypropylene rope, shockcord, milk bottles filled with water, or what?

What works best?

 

[malcp]

In my experience the best way is a large netting (such as used to be supplied to keep plastic covering on newly delivered Fairlines some years ago). I tie the edges of the netting to the tarp cringles and from there under the boat using the blue poly rope. Otherwise the tarp cringles tend to pull out in strong winds. Obtaining the net is the difficult bit. Mine came out of the marina skip after a new motor boat had been delivered.

 

[rob2]

No one single answer (like most things in life). We used to wrap up a T24 in a really heavy lorry tarpaulin and found the best way for us was to use cheap polyprop line from the grommets down to the frame of the cradle. When we needed to get it up tighter to the hull, there was a problem in that the rope would vibrate against the hull, rubbing off antifouling and spreading it all over the topsides. It didn't matter so long as the tarp was big enough to come right down to the waterline , but you still get some rubbing of the topsides.

The idea of hanging weights from the grommets didn't work well for me as the boat was fairly exposed in the yard - it was a method advocated for use in mud berths which would usually be well protected. Either individual weights or a chain lace along the edge was used.

I have never found shockcord to be man enough for the job ad by the end of a winter ashore it has lost its elasticity as the wind gets under the tarp and puts a lot of strain on it.

Rob.

 

[Neil]

What's the best way of keeping a tarpaulin covering a boat in place ?

Blue polypropylene rope, shockcord, milk bottles filled with water, or what?

What works best?

My trailered boat has a generic tarpaulin covering it to save the pukah cover, and came with cringles around the perimeter. I found hooked bungee cords going under the boat the best solution, though at the stern, I bought a couple of 'eyes' that that have a locking ring that clamps them in place from the underside of the tarp', in order to have the stern bungees in the best place.

 

[Zagato]

Nylon rope supplied by tarpaulin people, through eyelets in tarp. Mine is on a trailer and is tied down to ground level underneath that not to tight, survived two winters/gales fine.

 

[FlyingDutchman]

I have good experience with a cheap tarpaulin (like in Zagato's picture) with eyelets. Then I take rope (cheap thickish sisal type) and attach it to the first eyelet. Then i take the rope under the keel to the other side and attach a rubber elastic (the sort you use on a roof rack with the funny colours and hooks) to the rope and the mating eyelet. Apply some tension and fix with a knot. Then the next pair of eyelets and so on.
The front and rear can be attached with the combination of rope and elastic as wel. The advantage is that the whole lot is somewhat flexible and self adjusting. And it won't work loose as with fixed ropes all around.
In the spring I keep the elastics and throw away the rest. The tarpaulin will be dirty and it will probably not last another winter anyway.

 

[steve_l]

This is my winter boat covering regime...

Mast unstepped and supported on cradles on boat. Genoa roller is still attached at the mast head and is strapped to the mast in several places to support it.
Mast ends and roller covered and old folded tarp laid on top to protect the cover from the mast's sharp bits (spreader attachment brackets etc)
Thin lines criss-crossed over the mast and down to convenient points (chain-plates, genoa cars, pushpit, pullpit). Stantion bases etc are covered with pipe insulation (not seen here).


Big tarp spread over everything.


Tarp tied down to the cradle and heavier rope criss-crossed over the top. Where the rope passes over the gun'les it's protected by pipe insulation to prevent chafing.


The bow faces north which is very exposed here so the bow is wrapped up quite tight so that it can't flap. The stern is left relatively loose to allow ventilation.

The extra lines and ropes under/over the tarp stop it billowing which reduces the stresses considerably. I've done it this way for many years already and not had problems even through the winter storms. Takes one person a couple of hours to set up, 26ft boat.

 

[JClarkes]

Back in the days of making winter covers I always used webbing straps under the hull and tightened using webbing buckles. Rubber blocks were used against the hull to prevent chafing. Check out chok a blok etc....

 

[Amulet]

Plenty eyelets. Replace any that pull out, it's pretty easy. Tie to cradle. I take the anchor and chain out in the winter, so can tie down the chain to the anchor. Every tie tight - it must not START to flap.

In my experience it is much better to have short lengths of line for each eyelet, because then you can tighten any part that works loose without having to feed slack gained through lots of eyelets.

 

[Lakesailor]

Nylon rope supplied by tarpaulin people, through eyelets in tarp. Mine is on a trailer and is tied down to ground level underneath that not to tight, survived two winters/gales fine.

You're a lot younger than I imagined.

 

[BlueLancer]

I have used Ratchet straps with great success, the type used by lorry drivers to strap down load. The important thing I have found is to make sure the tarp is very tort to stop any flogging as this will rip any cover to shreds in a strong wind.

 

[onesea]

Better the covers rip apart than lift the boat and damage it, it has happened...

 

[Zagato]

You're a lot younger than I imagined.

Lol, and I still fit a dress nicely

Agree with Steve, always good to have a bit of ventilation around the rear...

 

[fluffc]

flaggons (5litre plastic containers) filled with water.