boat cover?
 

How do you guys deal with putting a cover on your boat, and not having a big
pool of water settle in it right in the seat area after it comes down from
the windshield to the back of the boat?

I was thinking of making some special pieces of wood to install that go from
the windshield to the back of the boat that would keep the cover high enough
that water couldn't gather.

C.

"Chris" wrote in message
.. .
How do you guys deal with putting a cover on your boat, and not having a
big pool of water settle in it right in the seat area after it comes down
from the windshield to the back of the boat?

I was thinking of making some special pieces of wood to install that go
from the windshield to the back of the boat that would keep the cover high
enough that water couldn't gather.

C.



http://tinyurl.com/ajrqq

that pole would be upright? or across?

I know the newer tarps have reinforced areas where this would work
upright..... but this old tarp doesn't...

"*JimH*" wrote in message
...

"Chris" wrote in message
.. .
How do you guys deal with putting a cover on your boat, and not having a
big pool of water settle in it right in the seat area after it comes down
from the windshield to the back of the boat?

I was thinking of making some special pieces of wood to install that go
from the windshield to the back of the boat that would keep the cover
high enough that water couldn't gather.

C.



http://tinyurl.com/ajrqq

I run a length of old ski tow line from the bow cleat over the windshield to
the original ski tow ring on the transom. I've also used two mooring lines
joined with a sheet bend to do the same thing. Then, I put the boat cover
on. The line holds the center length of the boat cover up enough for most
water to drain.
"Chris" wrote in message
.. .
How do you guys deal with putting a cover on your boat, and not having a
big pool of water settle in it right in the seat area after it comes down
from the windshield to the back of the boat?

I was thinking of making some special pieces of wood to install that go
from the windshield to the back of the boat that would keep the cover high
enough that water couldn't gather.

C.

Upright. You can also buy a flexible plastic or wood piece that arches once
fits into slotted hardware, running port to starboard.


"Chris" wrote in message
.. .
that pole would be upright? or across?

I know the newer tarps have reinforced areas where this would work
upright..... but this old tarp doesn't...

"*JimH*" wrote in message
...

"Chris" wrote in message
.. .
How do you guys deal with putting a cover on your boat, and not having a
big pool of water settle in it right in the seat area after it comes
down from the windshield to the back of the boat?

I was thinking of making some special pieces of wood to install that go
from the windshield to the back of the boat that would keep the cover
high enough that water couldn't gather.

C.



http://tinyurl.com/ajrqq

"Chris" wrote
How do you guys deal with putting a cover on your boat, and not having a
big pool of water settle in it right in the seat area after it comes down
from the windshield to the back of the boat?

I was thinking of making some special pieces of wood to install that go
from the windshield to the back of the boat that would keep the cover high
enough that water couldn't gather.

Most people I've seen around here use support poles like those in *JimH*'s
link. They work and they're easy, but personally, I don't like the way they
tend to stretch the fabric into sort of a circus tent kind of appearance. I
use battens under my cover to keep it taut. All you need is to make sure
that the fabric is taut and there aren't any low spots for water to pool in.
Here's a picture of my boat under cover:
http://users.adelphia.net/~blizzard3...ges/cover8.jpg

I purchased batten sockets like the ones in the center of this image:
http://www.boatus-store.com/images/full/428429.jpg and attached them to the
sides after eyeballing it to decide where I needed support. The battens
themselves are 1-1/2 by 1/4" lattice boards from Home Depot. It took a
little cut and fit to get them short enough for the cover to fit and long
enough that the bows won't collapse.

These are made to fit in the sockets. The fiberglass variety will be
stronger, of course.

http://tinyurl.com/a8p8p

The "sockets" are also available to fit the rails so they won't need to
be permanently installed.

Dan


Joe Blizzard wrote:
"Chris" wrote

How do you guys deal with putting a cover on your boat, and not having a
big pool of water settle in it right in the seat area after it comes down
from the windshield to the back of the boat?

I was thinking of making some special pieces of wood to install that go
from the windshield to the back of the boat that would keep the cover high
enough that water couldn't gather.


Most people I've seen around here use support poles like those in *JimH*'s
link. They work and they're easy, but personally, I don't like the way they
tend to stretch the fabric into sort of a circus tent kind of appearance. I
use battens under my cover to keep it taut. All you need is to make sure
that the fabric is taut and there aren't any low spots for water to pool in.
Here's a picture of my boat under cover:
http://users.adelphia.net/~blizzard3...ges/cover8.jpg

I purchased batten sockets like the ones in the center of this image:
http://www.boatus-store.com/images/full/428429.jpg and attached them to the
sides after eyeballing it to decide where I needed support. The battens
themselves are 1-1/2 by 1/4" lattice boards from Home Depot. It took a
little cut and fit to get them short enough for the cover to fit and long
enough that the bows won't collapse.

"Dan Krueger" wrote in message
nk.net...
These are made to fit in the sockets. The fiberglass variety will be
stronger, of course.

http://tinyurl.com/a8p8p

The "sockets" are also available to fit the rails so they won't need to be
permanently installed.

Dan


Joe Blizzard wrote:
"Chris" wrote

How do you guys deal with putting a cover on your boat, and not having a
big pool of water settle in it right in the seat area after it comes down
from the windshield to the back of the boat?

I was thinking of making some special pieces of wood to install that go
from the windshield to the back of the boat that would keep the cover
high enough that water couldn't gather.


Most people I've seen around here use support poles like those in
*JimH*'s link. They work and they're easy, but personally, I don't like
the way they tend to stretch the fabric into sort of a circus tent kind
of appearance. I use battens under my cover to keep it taut. All you need
is to make sure that the fabric is taut and there aren't any low spots
for water to pool in. Here's a picture of my boat under cover:
http://users.adelphia.net/~blizzard3...ges/cover8.jpg

I purchased batten sockets like the ones in the center of this image:
http://www.boatus-store.com/images/full/428429.jpg and attached them to
the sides after eyeballing it to decide where I needed support. The
battens themselves are 1-1/2 by 1/4" lattice boards from Home Depot. It
took a little cut and fit to get them short enough for the cover to fit
and long enough that the bows won't collapse.

We used that system when we had a 21 footer many years back. The problem
with it was that the *battens* (I now understand that is what they are
called) are in direct contact with the canvas and promote leakage because of
that.

The pole type support is good because it does indeed create a tent like
canvas structure, allowing water to shed away from all sides. We had this
system on both our 27 and 32 footers. We used the pointy end (the ends are
either blunt or pointy, with the pole having both options by pulling out the
end and changing it to what you want) to stick through a grommet installed
on the canvas. You can easily install that grommet yourself.

Yes, the pole may stretch the canvas, but I would guess battens do also.

At least you now have 2 options to consider, both of which are cheap and
take minimal effort to install and use.

"Chris" wrote in message
.. .
How do you guys deal with putting a cover on your boat, and not having a
big
pool of water settle in it right in the seat area after it comes down from
the windshield to the back of the boat?

I was thinking of making some special pieces of wood to install that go
from
the windshield to the back of the boat that would keep the cover high
enough
that water couldn't gather.


G.I. Joes has a "strap kit" that makes a tee-pee like
frame with a pole with these straps that run down to
the bow. Its cool. $20, made by Wolf Power Sports
G.I. Joes Sku: 5481-502. Its called: Delux Boat Cover
Pole kit.



C.

So any solution here that is in contact with the canvas could really cause
leakage... whether a rope, or other object?


"*JimH*" wrote in message
...
"Dan Krueger" wrote in message
nk.net...
These are made to fit in the sockets. The fiberglass variety will be
stronger, of course.

http://tinyurl.com/a8p8p

The "sockets" are also available to fit the rails so they won't need to
be permanently installed.

Dan


Joe Blizzard wrote:
"Chris" wrote

How do you guys deal with putting a cover on your boat, and not having a
big pool of water settle in it right in the seat area after it comes
down from the windshield to the back of the boat?

I was thinking of making some special pieces of wood to install that go
from the windshield to the back of the boat that would keep the cover
high enough that water couldn't gather.


Most people I've seen around here use support poles like those in
*JimH*'s link. They work and they're easy, but personally, I don't like
the way they tend to stretch the fabric into sort of a circus tent kind
of appearance. I use battens under my cover to keep it taut. All you
need is to make sure that the fabric is taut and there aren't any low
spots for water to pool in. Here's a picture of my boat under cover:
http://users.adelphia.net/~blizzard3...ges/cover8.jpg

I purchased batten sockets like the ones in the center of this image:
http://www.boatus-store.com/images/full/428429.jpg and attached them to
the sides after eyeballing it to decide where I needed support. The
battens themselves are 1-1/2 by 1/4" lattice boards from Home Depot. It
took a little cut and fit to get them short enough for the cover to fit
and long enough that the bows won't collapse.

We used that system when we had a 21 footer many years back. The problem
with it was that the *battens* (I now understand that is what they are
called) are in direct contact with the canvas and promote leakage because
of that.

The pole type support is good because it does indeed create a tent like
canvas structure, allowing water to shed away from all sides. We had this
system on both our 27 and 32 footers. We used the pointy end (the ends
are either blunt or pointy, with the pole having both options by pulling
out the end and changing it to what you want) to stick through a grommet
installed on the canvas. You can easily install that grommet yourself.

Yes, the pole may stretch the canvas, but I would guess battens do also.

At least you now have 2 options to consider, both of which are cheap and
take minimal effort to install and use.

"Chris" wrote in message
. ..
So any solution here that is in contact with the canvas could really cause
leakage... whether a rope, or other object?



Could they cause leakage by being in constant contact with the
canvas.....yes. Will they definitely....I don't know. After my
experience with battens I always used support poles running through grommets
in the canvas.

Around 7/8/2005 12:00 PM, Chris wrote:

"*JimH*" wrote in message
...

We used that system when we had a 21 footer many years back. The problem
with it was that the *battens* (I now understand that is what they are
called) are in direct contact with the canvas and promote leakage because
of that.

So any solution here that is in contact with the canvas could really cause
leakage... whether a rope, or other object?

If it's real canvas and not vinyl or some kind of plastic, yeah. Real
canvas acts like a wick, and gravity will channel excess water downward.
Interrupt that flow by giving the water an easier path, and it'll take it.

We used to have that problem with our Chris' worn aft deck canvas on
really rainy days. Most of the time any water that leeched through at
the aluminum support poles would run down the sides of the supports and
out the cockpit drains, but if you bumped your head on the canvas, you'd
get a wet head.


Back in my Scouting days, we were always told if it was raining to never
touch the canvas of the summer camp's big lodge tents. There was always
some kid who didn't listen or wasn't careful enough and would get his
sleeping bag right up against the wall, and all the water would leech
through and fill his bag like a sponge.




--
~/Garth - 1966 Glastron V-142 Skiflite: "Blue-Boat"
"There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing
as simply messing about in boats."
-Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows

My latest cover came with a reinforcement in the middle and a snap, where an
adjustable support pole snaps into place to hod the top while the bottom
rests on the deck. Works great! Is a custom snap on cover.

"*JimH*" wrote in message
...

"Chris" wrote in message
. ..
So any solution here that is in contact with the canvas could really
cause leakage... whether a rope, or other object?



Could they cause leakage by being in constant contact with the
canvas.....yes. Will they definitely....I don't know. After my
experience with battens I always used support poles running through
grommets in the canvas.