tarpaulins for covers

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ray275

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Erected scaffold around Prescilla K to try and keep off the fresh water(rain) have constructed a rectangular box with scaffold top, fixing heavy quality sheeting to sides. Purchased largest tarp and fixed this on the top. We have serious wind! ripped top but not the sides. Any suggestions please. The idea is to enable work during the winter months. Dont mind the cold, but wet and windy, no thank you. I have made planking walk ways at deck level but the roof is a problem
The tarp was white and this was to help with light. All ideas appreciated.
 
Not got quite the same set up as you but I had similar problem until I decided to fix tarps with with elastic luggage tie-downs (the type with a hook at each end sold in auto store, market stalls etc) rather than fixing rigidly. Have got far more life out of them ever since. Also make sure your tarps are a heavy enough grade, some are very flimsy.

John
 
Do you know anyone in the haulage business?

The heavy tarps used on curtain siders are excellent. Failing that, the canvass (?) tarps used on flat beds are very good too - they both withstand winds of approx 60mph so are fine for boat covers.

I've got an old wooden boat in the garden at home, been there for about 6 years with a canvass lorry tarp over an 'A' frame & it's never needed any repair, nor does it leak and more impotantly, it allows the old girl to breathe.
 
Get the kind known as "builders tarps" - they are miles tougher than the ordinary thin woven kind. The cheap kind are very susceptible to fraying if they touch anything. Once they get even a small hole they start to disintegrate as the wind thrashes them around. Builders tarpaulins will take a ton of bricks being dropped on them, and still stay together even after years of abuse.
 
Just a thought; How about an old curtain from a truck/trailer? There are plenty of breakers yards about.
 
This year I purchased a Party tent from E bay and to prevent condensation strung up a large white tarp inside as a second skin, it works, all is as dry as a bone. Party tent has a good well shaped top and fits to frame with elastic toggles. The whole tent is guyed and withstood all our recent gales. Hope this helps
 
I would buy 2 identical cheap blue tarps. They will let the sun through but keep out the wind and rain. Fasten them together so you end up with a double thickness and seal the edges with gaffer tape. These will last you a winter season and will not cost much, around £10 each.
 
I have used their Topgrade which is heading into it's 3rd winter and doing well. If you want something even tougher and with super light transmission get the translucent Monotex, that's what I'll get when I finally have to replace the current one.
 
I have a forty foot "project" boat that's lived under tarpaulin's for the last three years and the one thing I can tell you about tarpaulins is get a decent, heavy one and don't rely on the eyelets!

I've got a pair from Jewson's at the moment and they seem to be pretty good. I've been using cheap, thinner tarpulins from places like Wickes, and they generally last about three months before they're shredded. The eyelets are the things that let the cheaper ones down - the solution I found was just to wrap a stone in the tarpaulin and loop the rope around that rather than even try and use the eyelets. I have to say (no disrespect to Mariposa) that duct-tape is no good on a tarpaulin that's out in the wind and the rain - it pretty much disintegrates in around two to three months.

The main thing is getting what ever's supporting your tarpaulin right - avoid edges and bits that stick out. Also, avoid large horizontal sections - these fill with immense amounts of rain and end up ripping the tarpaulin due to the weight - on one occasion, I managed to gther about forty gallons of rainwater on my tarpaulin which then bulged through the supporting framework almost to the deck - in trying to force it back out, the whole thing collapsed on my brother (a sensation, he decided, not unlike being attacked by a giant amoeba).

An idea we had recently was to tie a fishing net down over the tarpaulin in an effort to avoid it flapping too much, which tends to cause much of the tearing. I've not tried this, but it might be worth a go.

Good luck with it - go for the most over-engineered, bomb-proof solution you can think of...you'll regret it if you don't /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Paul
 
How do you think the ones from Bradshaws compare to splashing out for a cotton canvas one?

One from Bradshaws in the size I require will be £36, one from AAASK in Canvas cotton is about £100 (thus following the rule that anything for the boat is a hundred quid) and one in Jute about £50.

What do we think?
 
I normally wait my tarpaulin down using plastic milk bottles full of water, it also helps to keep enough tension to stop water settling in the tarp
 
Sorry not to have responded before now.

I can only tell you of my experience which has been that the Bradshaws tarp has done sterling service and given me 3 winters so far. I think if you are careful about the way you set things up it should be fine and is big saving over the cotton one. I use the mast as a ridge pole suitably supported of course and pad over any fittings which might rub on the tarp. This is then tied down in such a way as to minimise the flapping. If yo can throw some ropes over the whole shebang (or cargo/fishing net) then so much the better.

Hope this helps.

Howard
 
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