Coachroof / cockpit cover

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gregcope

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Hi all

Boat lives on a mooring. Presently ashore.

I saw a boat outside Northney marina that had a coachroof/cockpit cover that looked like a multipurpose cover that could be used for;

- Protection on the mooring;
- Winter protection.

Thoughts?

Should I go for just a cockpit cover AND a winter cover (prob better but allot more expensive)?
 
A cover that is up over the winter will suffer a lot of damage and have a short life, Certainly a well-made heavy cover will last a lot longer than a tarpaulin but I have given up covering the boat between lay-up in autumn and February, as I found that the tarpaulin that I put on in autumn was on its last legs by Christmas. That was quite a good quality one as well, so I now use cheap ones and replace as necessary.
 
I have a cockpit cover for summer - useful because cockpit is not self draining! and a two piece cover for the winter that uses the boom as a ridge aft of the mast and spinnaker pole forward. Comes down to the lifelines. Best investment I ever made, but it is a wooden boat.
 
Whops... Not sure what the iPhone did there.

Would a well made heavy cover not have quite a long life? As in 5yrs plus
 
My boat came with tight fitting cockpit cover and I was not too sure about it. Now I would not have a small boat without one.

It fits over the cockpit and forward to cover the instruments over the companionway and the stowed sprayhood. I have a smart summer one, which I made a couple of seasons ago, and slightly raffish winter number which used to be the number one. Acyrilic canvas will last for 10 years, or more, as long as it is protected from chafe.

Because it is protected from UV my sprayhood has lasted over 15 years, brightwork in the cockpit also lasts well and is kept clean. It helps security and also contributes to keeping wet out of the boat.
 
We have a cover up all the time.

In winter we have one that just zips into the sprayhood. No windows. Just a cover like this.



In summer we have a full tent that makes an extra room and so that sides or the back can be opened for ventilation or a view.

Like this.



If you make them out of proper acrylic canvas and seal them with properly with a non silicon based sealer like High Tech Fabric Guard they will last for years.
 
The problem with winter covers is you have to have them as tight as possible and usually this requires straps reaching under the hull. On a swinging mooring you will find this particularly hard to do. You will also want the cover to cover the entire deck and drop about a foot down the hull. With no areas where water can lay on the canvas and make is sag.

A proper winter cover will last for 15 years tops before its in need of repairs and reinforcing.

Obviously when storing a boat inside a shed a winter cover is easy to fit for both designer and owner and prevent hundreds of pigeon dirt destroying your boat while you think its being protected in a shed.

Cockpit covers are great for using when on the boat. As a winter cover I would say no...

Would you put up a tent in your back garden all winter and expect it to last.

What you need is to take your sprayhood off and get a wheel cover, hatch cover combo or a tonneau cover something from the hatch or where your sprayhood starts and around the back using the same fittings your cockpit cover is using or would be using.
 
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Cockpit covers

We have a real problem with UV damage of halyards etc. Despite this I have concluded that a tight cover wrapped around the main sail is the best answer. The cost of good polyester UV proof canvass is crazy and the risk of storm damage so great that I am better off taking the hit from the sun damage on ropes wood work etc than trying to cover. I do a lot of short sails so am not prepared to spend a lot of time replacing covers. Just the one over the main sail. olewill
 
Our heavy duty PVC Winter cover is a plain rectangle used with the mast down. It cost £192.50 +VAT in Dec. 2006 for a 29 ft. boat and still looks fine. Does a good job keeping the boat dry and clean from November to April.
 
JClarkes said:
The problem with winter covers is you have to have them as tight as possible and usually this requires straps reaching under the hull. On a swinging mooring you will find this particularly hard to do. You will also want the cover to cover the entire deck and drop about a foot down the hull. With no areas where water can lay on the canvas and make is sag.
Click to expand...

I was not thinking about a full cover - although I have seen these and they look great for Winter. Nice site BTW.

As per the duff picture above what I was considering was a long tonneau that goes from the back of the cockpit coaming, over the coach roof, round the mast and ended just forward of the Coach roof front end.

Attachment would be by tight line to the stanchions/lower life lines and with over the boom straps to create a peak. I want to cover the boat form bird poo/water/sun, but still allow ventilation. With an easy install/remove process.

Mast would remain up.

@Ex-SolentBoy - A cockpit tent/cover that attaches to the spray hood is under consideration, but I thought this would work more like one doug748 describes to protect all the brightwork and Spray hood when we are away from the boat.
 
Get your local canopy designer to have a look and talk through what he could do, a visit and talk through should be free, if you don't like the price you may get a lot of ideas from him.

What you are suggesting is very do-able and effective.
 
gregcope said:
.....

@Ex-SolentBoy - A cockpit tent/cover that attaches to the spray hood is under consideration, but I thought this would work more like one doug748 describes to protect all the brightwork and Spray hood when we are away from the boat.
Click to expand...

Here is my winter cover - the smart one comes out in the summertime:

8237030481_145913d528.jpg
[/url][/IMG]

It is nearly 20 years old. Acrylic has very poor chafe resistance so it needs canvas, or even better leather, at points of stress. There are "lift a dot" fasteners at the forward edge. lines to the backstay and boom hold it up, to help it drain.

A snap of the side:

8238102376_03a02840e1.jpg
[/url][/IMG]

Drilling the deck is a very poor idea. It could have been attached to the bulwarks. The thing rolls up very small, for day sailing It lives bundled just forward of the backstay.
 
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doug748 said:
Here is my winter cover
Click to expand...

Is that a CO32? If so... Snap!

I though something very similar bar;

a) Goes further forward, round the mast and end forward of the forepeak Coachroof;
b) Not drilling the deck! (or adding bits to get snagged on) - I though to use the lower guard rail/stanchions point with hooks on the bungees.

Thanks for the pictures.
 
That is what I was trying to explain. lol
Looks like it has great water run off. reinforced where it should be and has lasted because of this reason.

Going around the mast and forward more can be done but you will struggle to make the canvas around the mast water tight, it will always run down the mast but then you are protecting the coachroof so you have a good idea Greg
 
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