PVC Pipe Frame for Winter Cover

[pmyatt]

Anyone constructed a semi-circular frame from PVC pipe for a winter cover; any advice, what are pitfalls? Boat is Freedom 38. Planning to have a full length cover with standing height and zipped door at guard wire entry gate.
EDIT:
I forgot to add - we plan to stay in our marina berth with the tent on.

 

[Topcat47]

You will find it increasingly difficult to hold the shape required as the boat reduces in width. I made one from 25mm white plastic pipe and plumbing fixtures (elbows and tee pieces a couple of years ago but it wasn't very effective. I gave up trying to make an arch over the boat. Of course it was covered with three 3m wide tarps, 2 square and one 5m long ( I have a 26'er ), not a custom made cover and it was "cheap". Predictably is was far from watertight, but it did keep dust off. A fellow club member has a scaffold company erect a frame and cover over his 36' Westerly while he did a new deck and coachroof refinishing which was more effective and much more expensive.

 

[Tranona]

for several years I had one i made out of blue water piping in a hoop attached to stanchions. The hoops ran through holes in a 4" drain pipe to provide a ridge pole. Solid wooden supports at bow, mast step and stern for the ridge. Was reasonably successful with plastic tarps as covers, tied under the boat.

However, doubt you could make similar rigid enough for your size boat, particularly if you want any sort of headroom under the cover. You will also have problems shaping the ends. If you want to have one substantial enough to fit a door, rather than just undoing part of the cover, then a wooden framework with proper ridges is the way to go and attach your covering to this, fitting a door in one bay. Lot of work but if you design it well you can dismantle it and re-use it many times.

 

[rogerthebodger]

Anyone constructed a semi-circular frame from PVC pipe for a winter cover; any advice, what are pitfalls? Boat is Freedom 38. Planning to have a full length cover with standing height and zipped door at guard wire entry gate.
EDIT:
I forgot to add - we plan to stay in our marina berth with the tent on.

You will find that the 20 25mm PVC pipe is not rigid enough. What I did was to insert 15mm O/D aluminium inside 20mm PVC conduit using PVC conduit bends and tee's.

To have standing room you will need to cross brace the verticals otherwise it will just blow over with the side covered.

50mm O/D PVC drain pipe will give better rigidity.

 

[Poignard]

If you send me a PM with your email address, I'll send you some photos of one I constructed. It used large diameter (40mm, I think it was) MDPE pipe for the hoops but they were supported on a strong frame made from scaffolding tube and fittings.

 

[alahol2]

I have seen a few larger boats using 50mm MDPE pipe for the hoops. 'Stringers' seem to wood or aluminium scaffold.