Tarpaulin as a Winter Cover

[Old Bumbulum]

What are the pros and cons of using a rectangular tarp to cover a sailing yacht from the mast back?
Assuming you can rig it inside the shrouds and backstay and the topping lift is removed it would lie over the boom and be tied down to rails/safety wires/cleats etc.
Does the open end catch the wind too badly for this to work? Is it better with both ends open like a simple bivvy?
Is it a sensible way to go to avoid spending big on a (doubtless far more weatherproof) fitted cover?

 

[Halo]

Unless you have a very localised leak I cant see the point. Tarps usually end up flapping around and keeping the wet in a much as out. Ask yourself what good will it do and is it worth the potential damage caused by the tarp.

 

[neilf39]

I have that setup. I rig it tight with thickish bungy cord so there are no shock loads in gusts. Has stood up to 70mph so far. Last year it was over the boom and this year over the mast as I have the mast down. The tarpaulin is sized so it does not touch anything other than the boom/mast when in place. If you have it rubbing anywhere it will soon wear through.

 

[Quandary]

I used to rig mine like that, it was heavy blue lorry curtainside reinforced pvc in two pieces, before and after the mast. Now I use hoops of water pipe with two sheets of much cheaper (£70 compared to £450) white reinforced 'tarp'. Obviously neither are real tarpaulin. Both arrangements had openings front and rear to let air circulate and the hatches were cracked open. I board the boat at the stern.
The latter arrangement is much better for me, both gave the same degree of rain and frost protection but the white sheets are translucent allowing a good level of natural light through, this together with sitting headroom on deck allows a lot more maintenance tasks to be dealt with and another benefit is that the white sheets do not seem to hold condensation on the underside in frosty weather. The white 'tarps. are much less resistant to abrasion, I would guess the curtainside life at around ten years while the 'tarp' is much more vulnerable to abrasion and even with duck tape where it rubs on the lifeline will only last for about 4 years, then I will do what the others around me do and add a second layer. With the heavy curtainside I found that the lifelines and stanchions needed to come out because with a melting freezing cycle snow could bend them. An important factor if like me you are doing this on your own is weight, I would struggle to lift the curtainside let alone deploy it single handed, with the much lighter 'tarp' I fan fold them from each side to the centre line across their width until about a metre wide on the ground, roll up the strip, take it up the ladder and unroll it along the ridge of my igloo and pull it down to either side, bunjee cord in the tie downs discourages the eyelets from pulling through. The white 'tarp' I use now is made in India and bought on line from Devon, I am well pleased with it, even in a Scottish winter the decks are dry and warm so I can start work up there much earlier.

 

[mogmog2]

As neilf said, take care to prevent it from touching, or protect corners well - polyethylene is surprisingly abrasive despite being flexible and will scuff gelcoat readily as well as destroying itself in the process. Also, if you're tempted to go for a woven one, try not to. Or at least, if it starts to unravel/shred, get it off sharpish, or you'll spend a day picking up blue stuff from the boatyard (happened to me with my first boat and I'm now wary of 'em). My father used to buy monotarps, which seem a reasonable compromise.

 

[Kelpie]

My boat is currently hiding under a 'Monotex' tarp- cost £40. Mast and stanchions are all off, and hoops of 50mm blue water pipe set up as a tent frame.
It was working really well for a few months but we had some really fierce winds one night and it blew out the eyelets along one side (the leeward side, funnily enough). I re-hemmed it using a length of 6mm rope rolled into the edge, with contact spray adhesive to help hold it together, and new tie-down points punched through.
This has worked much better than I expected- the monotex tarps have good ripstop properties, so individual small holes aren't a big problem. Unfortunately during the one night that the tarp was flogging, it developed a lot of tiny holes and has become a bit porous, so despite all my effort to save it I think I will buy another one- but this time I will reinforce the hem from day one.

 

[PetiteFleur]

I've used a translucent tarp, medium weight, over a slightly raised boom. I modified the edges where it followed the toe rail, giving about 3 - 4" gap approx. to the deck shape, reinforced at the edge with eyelets approx. every 18", tied down to the toe rail, using 8 or 10mm shackles so no sharp edges for the rope. Reinforced where the tarp touches the winches. Goes from the mast to the backstay. Each end is laced together to stop it flapping. The tarp usually lasts about 6 or 7 years. Always used rope, never bungee cord. I get it from Tarpaulins Direct - Topgrade quality. Being translucent it's easy to work underneath.

 

[Kelpie]

I've used a translucent tarp, medium weight, over a slightly raised boom. I modified the edges where it followed the toe rail, giving about 3 - 4" gap approx. to the deck shape, reinforced at the edge with eyelets approx. every 18", tied down to the toe rail, using 8 or 10mm shackles so no sharp edges for the rope. Reinforced where the tarp touches the winches. Goes from the mast to the backstay. Each end is laced together to stop it flapping. The tarp usually lasts about 6 or 7 years. Always used rope, never bungee cord. I get it from Tarpaulins Direct - Topgrade quality. Being translucent it's easy to work underneath.

I can't see a translucent topgrade tarpaulin on that website- just black or blue. 6 or 7 years is excellent I have to say.

 

[V1701]

I used to rig mine like that, it was heavy blue lorry curtainside reinforced pvc in two pieces, before and after the mast. Now I use hoops of water pipe with two sheets of much cheaper (£70 compared to £450) white reinforced 'tarp'. Obviously neither are real tarpaulin. Both arrangements had openings front and rear to let air circulate and the hatches were cracked open.

There's a hoops of blue waterpipe with tarp draped over with open ends cover near me that's stood up fine to some very heavy weather...

 

[Impaler]

I wonder if there is any real benefit from winter covers. I have a shiny new gel coat and am worried that even a gentle breeze will cause the cover to move and thus scuff the topsides. My boat is in a barn at the moment and liable to bird muck, maybe next winter she’ll be out in the open. I had a tailor made canvas one on a previous boat and it really did mark the sides.

 

[Kelpie]

My boat sits in close proximity to some trees, without the cover it would be inches deep in rotting leaves by now.

 

[PetiteFleur]

I can't see a translucent topgrade tarpaulin on that website- just black or blue. 6 or 7 years is excellent I have to say.

Hmm - just checked and they don't seem to have any in stock - actually it was white not translucent I got, maybe 2 yrs ago. You may find it with other suppliers, make sure it's 200gsm or heavier, the 'budget' range is useless.
When fitting I make sure it touches nothing except the boom, tied to the toe rail, never over the stanchions. Years ag I did do it over the stanchions, with a length of 2"x1" nicely rounded rail tied to the stanchions - but found that it was too much wind resistance and one of my stanchions broke... I renewed all the stanchions that year(they had all corroded where the stainless wire went through the aluminium post) but did add short nylon tubes tied to the wire to prevent it happening again.
Tarpaflex seem to do the 200gsm white tarpaulins.

 

[yerffoeg]

I have heavy duty tarp which I put on the boat over winter. It covers the boat from stem to the front of the cockpit. It is undamaged after 12 years. Beforehand I get the mast into the mast store in the yard, take the stanchions off, and attach the tarp with four ties going under the hull. I also put padding over any sharp deck fitting which could damage the tarp. It sometimes needs a bit of readjustment over the winter because of the weather.