Tarpaulins

[Joe_Cole]

This is such a naff question that I am a bit embarassed asking it, but.........

I like to cover the boat with a tarpaulin over the winter. It keeps the elements off and, when I am working on her I can open everything up without worrying about rain coming in through the hatches.

I use one of those woven plastic tarpaulins and, as the mast is down it acts as a ridge pole for the "tent". I tie every eyelet down. The trouble is that the things never seem to last more than a couple of months, something rips and it flogs itself to death. I've thought of using bungee so that there is some "give". I've tied it tight and I've tied it loose; no difference.

Whenever I see boats in a yard they always seem so snug and neat with their covers. I seem to spend more time with the cover than on maintanance! Am I missing something obvious?

 

[snowleopard]

they come in several grades. get the best, the cheap ones will shred in weeks. the toughest are the ones with netting sandwiched between 2 layers of polythene.

 

[mirabriani]

First off I tried tieing the tarp down.
Then I tried bungies....small improvement
Finally I tied weights on lines....success!
The current one is three years old
By the way B & Q and Depot have devices to
fix a rope anywhere on a tarp, so if you have
a servicable one with torn eylets you can still use it.

Regards Briani

 

[VicS]

All though well past its prime I'm still using a cover of reinforced PVC that I had made by Plastiweld in Godalming in 1979! Made of the same material as they were using to make covers for HGVs etc. They are still in Godalming but I don't know if they still do the same sort of work.
As it is very heavy and getting rather stiff with old age I tried puting on a lighter woven cover during the fitting out period but it only lasted a few weeks. More recently I've bought a couple of woven sheets of the heaviest grade available. They are very much better. I haven't tried the stuff with the layer of net between two sheets but I imagine that would be better still.

I buy the woven stuff from Bradshaws. The stuff in B&Q is very light compared with the heavier of the two grades from Bradshaws.

 

[aitchw]

Bradshaws is my supplier too. Good service and product range.

Bradshaws

I use the mid range one in the same way you do, over the mast and tied under via the eyelets. It's in it's second year now and standing up to the gales very well.

The cheap single ply ones don't last 5 minutes.

Hope this helps.

 

[Ardenfour]

have to agree re cheap ones - mine's shredded itself in two days and I'm still on the lookout for a better alternative, meanwhile pumping the boat out every few days as it's part dismantled and deck joints are open

 

[ianwright]

Two more solutions,
Ask for cotton/polyester 'Rick Covers' at your nearest Farmers supply. I use Central Wool Growers in Stamford.
Heavy, breathable woven non-flappy cloth, but not cheap.
See your sailmaker. Get a made to measure cover. Also not as cheap as blue poly tarp, but you get what you pay for,,,,,,,,, /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

IanW

 

[gjgm]

also get one that has a rope type binding along the edge-its helps stop the eyelets tearing through. But it only flaps about if it isnt secured that well to begin with. Big open gaps for the wind to blow into wont help!

 

[jerryat]

Hi! A very good solution used by many in our boatyard, is the use of plastic bottles filled with water. I was hugely sceptical about this when I first saw it, but it really does work. Instead of tying down the tarpaulin, fill some of those 4 pint plastic milk bottles with water, tie them to the rope points and hang them down each side of the boat. Gusts of wind will 'push/pull' against the weight, but the tarp. just slides back into position. Seems to act as a sort of shock absorber. Certainly the usual woven plastic tarps you describe last for years.

Some guys, but not all, do put a line at the bow and stern, just in case of a hurricane, but most do as above. As I say, works beautifully!!

CHeers
Jerry

 

[starboard]

I also use Bradshaws...check their web site. A good cover but buy extra plastic eyelet's as the more support the better. Mine has survived the last week of 50mph plus winds here on the west coast of Scotland

 

[aitchw]

I assume, like me you use their 'Topgrade' as they reckon you can't use the plastic eyelets on 'Monotex' because it is too thick.

 

[Joe_Cole]

And there I was thinking that this was too mundane for the forum!

Thanks everyone. I'll see what our local farm supplier has to offer, and SWMBO is now under orders to save the milk containers!

 

[sequena1]

I've been carrying out a major rebuild of a motor-sailer for nigh on 6 years now (Lord help me!) and have gone through more Bradshaw tarpaulins than I care to think of (Heaviest Guage). About a year ago I tried Compass Marine's Heavy-duty boat sheets and have been very impressed with them. They don't seem to go brittle in UV like others and they have lots of good solid brass eyelets. My other advice would be not to tie them down tightly but allow some slack in the lashings, or use elastic cord under only light tension. I suppose its a testimony to the system that they came through the recent heavy gales completely undamaged.

 

[asj1]

I have had the same problem and after two months took down Bradshaws "top grade !!" tarpaulin last Sunday. The wind had pulled about a third of the eyelets out and also worn through some of the tie-downs.
I I had tried to use the boom as the ridge pole of a tent which just went down to deck level. I think the whole arrangements was too "vertical" creating a lot of windage, and also teh wind could get in underneath and at each end.
Next winter I may try a different arrangement and something stronger than Brdashaws topgrade.

Andrew

 

[Lahara]

An invaluable rule I learnt about tarpaulins during my army service over 30 years ago may be of interest. This is to secure each eyelet of the tarpaulin in 3 dimensions so that the wind cannot move any secured point forward or back, or lift it up. The idea is to effectively make each eyelet, or at least to closely approximate, a fixed point in space. Though it requires a lot more cord to tie it down, it's still a lot cheaper than having to buy a new tarp. You will amazed at how long even a cheap tarp can survive in high winds when tied down like this because it simply does not flog.