Re: [bolger] winter tarps

Uh, Florida? <g>
John Boy
 

 

 

."It's the tides, man.  They can either work for you or they can work against you...
Confidentially, I've had this problem with the tides before."
--Captain Ron


From:dnjost <davidjost@...>
To:bolger@yahoogroups.com
Sent:Mon, January 17, 2011 6:53:08 AM
Subject:[bolger] winter tarps

 

Came home yesterday to see my winter tarp set up collapsing under the 20" of snow that fell last week. grommets on the tarp were pulling out, and I was perilously close to having all that snow pile up inside the Work Skiff. That would be a LOT of interior space to clean up.

I would love to see some photos of how other folks have accomplished this without resorting to fixed structures. I know our Bolger boats would appreciate it.

David Jost


 
 
Oh, I forgot one additional clever detail.
 
If the tarp goes past the ends of the top board, the board will rub/poke a hole in the tarp. Take a plastic bottle, cut off the top part, then slide the bottom part over the end of the board. Both ends of course.  Problem solved.




-----Original Message-----
From: BllFs6 <BllFs6@...>
To: bolger <bolger@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Mon, Jan 17, 2011 8:43 am
Subject: Re: [bolger] winter tarps

 
 
I was at Prince of Wales Island in Alaska. Very neat place. Wonderful people. I helped prep a boat for winter storage and saw how many others did it too. Also interesting was we were doing the prep work in August. The next week I was in Naples, Florida. Talk about going from cold to hot!
 
Anyhow, here is how they generally did it. They had a 2 by 4 (or 6 or 8) that ran the length of the boat and sometimes and extra foot or two on either end. It was level. This board was held high up in the air by homebuilt wooden tripods. Typically one in/on the back of the boat and one up on the bow. These were then secured by various lines. Its kinda of important how you do that, because there are ways of tying things down that lock them in place, and ways that only look like thats what they do (basically you want your lines to be forming triangles from multiple directions in all 3 dimensions).
 
A tarp is drapped over that top level board. You've now basically formed an A shaped tent over your boat. The bottom edges of the tarp should hang down over the sides at a level not quit as low as the bottom of the boat. Then, at each grommet hole you hang a container filled with water (but only about 3/4 full because you expect it to freeze). Then you run lines under the boat from one grommet to the corresponding one on the other side. You just snugg em up a bit, you don't pull them real tight. The hanging jugs of water are whats doing the pulling thats needed.
If you make your "A tent" high, the sides will be steep and snow can't build up. You also want lines running from various places on the top board to various points on the side of the boat to support the tarp from underneath so snow can't form a "bucket" in the tarp. Also if you have made the tarp high, you can get into the boat, and even do some work on it after the season if need be. I'll leave it to your imagination as to how to seal up the front and back ends of the tent. But keep in mind, leaving it a bit open on the ends will allow moisture to escape much easier when the weather allows. And, IMO this system is much better in that regard than the sometimes seen wrap the boat up like a big blue burrito for the winter. About the only downside is its big/tall.
 
Also, most folks set ups just consisted of mostly 2 by 4's cut to the right length and connected by long drywall like screws. And they are dissasembled/reassembled for each season. Most boats stored this way on trailers were also expected to be moved about while still stored/covered this way, so this method can be pretty secure if you do it right it appears.
 
Hope that helps.


-----Original Message-----
From: Rex White <rnwhitejr@...>
To: bolger <bolger@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Mon, Jan 17, 2011 7:37 am
Subject: Re: [bolger] winter tarps

 
I just use a white tarp from Amazon but reading your post got me thinking about something stronger and lasting that folds for storage. An exciting design challenge. Thanks. Rex

--- OnMon, 1/17/11, dnjost<davidjost@...>wrote:

From: dnjost <davidjost@...>
Subject: [bolger] winter tarps
To:bolger@yahoogroups.com
Date: Monday, January 17, 2011, 7:53 AM

 
Came home yesterday to see my winter tarp set up collapsing under the 20" of snow that fell last week. grommets on the tarp were pulling out, and I was perilously close to having all that snow pile up inside the Work Skiff. That would be a LOT of interior space to clean up.

I would love to see some photos of how other folks have accomplished this without resorting to fixed structures. I know our Bolger boats would appreciate it.

David Jost



Sounds good. Thanks.

--- OnMon, 1/17/11, BllFs6@...<BllFs6@...>wrote:

From: BllFs6@... <BllFs6@...>
Subject: Re: [bolger] winter tarps
To: bolger@yahoogroups.com
Date: Monday, January 17, 2011, 9:43 AM

 

 
I was at Prince of Wales Island in Alaska. Very neat place. Wonderful people. I helped prep a boat for winter storage and saw how many others did it too. Also interesting was we were doing the prep work in August. The next week I was in Naples, Florida. Talk about going from cold to hot!
 
Anyhow, here is how they generally did it. They had a 2 by 4 (or 6 or 8) that ran the length of the boat and sometimes and extra foot or two on either end. It was level. This board was held high up in the air by homebuilt wooden tripods. Typically one in/on the back of the boat and one up on the bow. These were then secured by various lines. Its kinda of important how you do that, because there are ways of tying things down that lock them in place, and ways that only look like thats what they do (basically you want your lines to be forming triangles from multiple directions in all 3 dimensions).
 
A tarp is drapped over that top level board. You've now basically formed an A shaped tent over your boat. The bottom edges of the tarp should hang down over the sides at a level not quit as low as the bottom of the boat. Then, at each grommet hole you hang a container filled with water (but only about 3/4 full because you expect it to freeze). Then you run lines under the boat from one grommet to the corresponding one on the other side. You just snugg em up a bit, you don't pull them real tight. The hanging jugs of water are whats doing the pulling thats needed.
If you make your "A tent" high, the sides will be steep and snow can't build up. You also want lines running from various places on the top board to various points on the side of the boat to support the tarp from underneath so snow can't form a "bucket" in the tarp. Also if you have made the tarp high, you can get into the boat, and even do some work on it after the season if need be. I'll leave it to your imagination as to how to seal up the front and back ends of the tent. But keep in mind, leaving it a bit open on the ends will allow moisture to escape much easier when the weather allows. And, IMO this system is much better in that regard than the sometimes seen wrap the boat up like a big blue burrito for the winter. About the only downside is its big/tall.
 
Also, most folks set ups just consisted of mostly 2 by 4's cut to the right length and connected by long drywall like screws. And they are dissasembled/reassembled for each season. Most boats stored this way on trailers were also expected to be moved about while still stored/covered this way, so this method can be pretty secure if you do it right it appears.
 
Hope that helps.


-----Original Message-----
From: Rex White <rnwhitejr@...>
To: bolger <bolger@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Mon, Jan 17, 2011 7:37 am
Subject: Re: [bolger] winter tarps

 
I just use a white tarp from Amazon but reading your post got me thinking about something stronger and lasting that folds for storage. An exciting design challenge. Thanks. Rex

--- OnMon, 1/17/11, dnjost<davidjost@...>wrote:

From: dnjost <davidjost@...>
Subject: [bolger] winter tarps
To:bolger@yahoogroups.com
Date: Monday, January 17, 2011, 7:53 AM

 
Came home yesterday to see my winter tarp set up collapsing under the 20" of snow that fell last week. grommets on the tarp were pulling out, and I was perilously close to having all that snow pile up inside the Work Skiff. That would be a LOT of interior space to clean up.

I would love to see some photos of how other folks have accomplished this without resorting to fixed structures. I know our Bolger boats would appreciate it.

David Jost


 
I was at Prince of Wales Island in Alaska. Very neat place. Wonderful people. I helped prep a boat for winter storage and saw how many others did it too. Also interesting was we were doing the prep work in August. The next week I was in Naples, Florida. Talk about going from cold to hot!
 
Anyhow, here is how they generally did it. They had a 2 by 4 (or 6 or 8) that ran the length of the boat and sometimes and extra foot or two on either end. It was level. This board was held high up in the air by homebuilt wooden tripods. Typically one in/on the back of the boat and one up on the bow. These were then secured by various lines. Its kinda of important how you do that, because there are ways of tying things down that lock them in place, and ways that only look like thats what they do (basically you want your lines to be forming triangles from multiple directions in all 3 dimensions).
 
A tarp is drapped over that top level board. You've now basically formed an A shaped tent over your boat. The bottom edges of the tarp should hang down over the sides at a level not quit as low as the bottom of the boat. Then, at each grommet hole you hang a container filled with water (but only about 3/4 full because you expect it to freeze). Then you run lines under the boat from one grommet to the corresponding one on the other side. You just snugg em up a bit, you don't pull them real tight. The hanging jugs of water are whats doing the pulling thats needed.
If you make your "A tent" high, the sides will be steep and snow can't build up. You also want lines running from various places on the top board to various points on the side of the boat to support the tarp from underneath so snow can't form a "bucket" in the tarp. Also if you have made the tarp high, you can get into the boat, and even do some work on it after the season if need be. I'll leave it to your imagination as to how to seal up the front and back ends of the tent. But keep in mind, leaving it a bit open on the ends will allow moisture to escape much easier when the weather allows. And, IMO this system is much better in that regard than the sometimes seen wrap the boat up like a big blue burrito for the winter. About the only downside is its big/tall.
 
Also, most folks set ups just consisted of mostly 2 by 4's cut to the right length and connected by long drywall like screws. And they are dissasembled/reassembled for each season. Most boats stored this way on trailers were also expected to be moved about while still stored/covered this way, so this method can be pretty secure if you do it right it appears.
 
Hope that helps.


-----Original Message-----
From: Rex White <rnwhitejr@...>
To: bolger <bolger@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Mon, Jan 17, 2011 7:37 am
Subject: Re: [bolger] winter tarps

 
I just use a white tarp from Amazon but reading your post got me thinking about something stronger and lasting that folds for storage. An exciting design challenge. Thanks. Rex

--- OnMon, 1/17/11, dnjost<davidjost@...>wrote:

From: dnjost <davidjost@...>
Subject: [bolger] winter tarps
To:bolger@yahoogroups.com
Date: Monday, January 17, 2011, 7:53 AM

 
Came home yesterday to see my winter tarp set up collapsing under the 20" of snow that fell last week. grommets on the tarp were pulling out, and I was perilously close to having all that snow pile up inside the Work Skiff. That would be a LOT of interior space to clean up.

I would love to see some photos of how other folks have accomplished this without resorting to fixed structures. I know our Bolger boats would appreciate it.

David Jost


I just use a white tarp from Amazon but reading your post got me thinking about something stronger and lasting that folds for storage. An exciting design challenge. Thanks. Rex

--- OnMon, 1/17/11, dnjost<davidjost@...>wrote:

From: dnjost <davidjost@...>
Subject: [bolger] winter tarps
To: bolger@yahoogroups.com
Date: Monday, January 17, 2011, 7:53 AM

 

Came home yesterday to see my winter tarp set up collapsing under the 20" of snow that fell last week. grommets on the tarp were pulling out, and I was perilously close to having all that snow pile up inside the Work Skiff. That would be a LOT of interior space to clean up.

I would love to see some photos of how other folks have accomplished this without resorting to fixed structures. I know our Bolger boats would appreciate it.

David Jost


Came home yesterday to see my winter tarp set up collapsing under the 20" of snow that fell last week. grommets on the tarp were pulling out, and I was perilously close to having all that snow pile up inside the Work Skiff. That would be a LOT of interior space to clean up.

I would love to see some photos of how other folks have accomplished this without resorting to fixed structures. I know our Bolger boats would appreciate it.

David Jost