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Winter Covers for Catalina 25

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EAbrams
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USA
130 Posts

Initially Posted - 10/11/2008 : 08:36:03

In the “Know-How” section of SAIL October 2008 there is an article on “Winter Cover Ups”

I was wondering what does everyone use to cover up our boats during the winter. Tarps, shrink wrap, canvas covers?

Also anyone know the optimum dimensions a single tarp would be? I used two tarps last winter and leaves got into the cockpit. What a mess this spring.

Ed & Michele
Spirit #5644
1987 Catalina 25 WK/SR
Peconic Bay, Long Island NY &
Oriental, NC

Edited by - on

tinob
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1883 Posts

Response Posted - 10/11/2008 : 09:57:16

Hi Ed/Michelle,

I've been covering Calista on L.I. the past 16 years using every conceivable concoction, with little success, until I found a Fairclough cover on our Swap Meet forum. It was a $1000+ canvass cover custom fit for the C25, that I picked up for $350. I've used it for the past 4 years and should it ever give up the ghost, I'd replace it in wink of the eye. The newer covers from Fairclough are made of a lighter material and are easier to handle. I spoke with the folks at Fairclough a while back and they said they still make it in canvass. I think I'd opt for the lighter cover in the future. At 78 yrs.of age it's becoming a chore to cover the boat and any lighter material would be the way to go.

Val on Calista #3936, Patchogue, N.Y.

Edited by - on

Renzo
Admiral

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USA
621 Posts

Response Posted - 10/11/2008 : 10:55:41

Here's a link to a thread from last year about my cover that might be helpful.

http://www.catalina-capri-25s.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=17396

The tarp is a grey poly tarp about 30'x20' that I have been using for the past 3 yrs.

Edited by - on

Jefffriday
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USA
198 Posts

Response Posted - 10/11/2008 : 14:35:03

I have used one of the silver poly-tarps from Northern Tool (20X30) for the last two years, I will get a third season out of it but I am going to put a new one under it this year and use the old one to keep the sun off the new one for the next few years. It is a good fit, except for about 2' of mast sticking out. I cove that with an old motorcycle cover. I lace up the ends, use clothes line back and forth over the mast from the lifelines to keep puddling down. I store it downvalley in a more arid area where the snow loads do not get as high as our club storage area (they got up to about 8 feet last year)So far, so good

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OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3440 Posts

Response Posted - 10/12/2008 : 22:23:38

I still have two 20X25 tarps (reinforced plastic) that I used years ago when I stored my ODay 23 for the winter. I used to build a frame of wood but then purchased tube fittings and used conduit tubing to erect a frame and that was re-usable each year.

My Cat 25 I keep in the water year-round. When more than 1-2" of snow is predicted, I then put on a sunbrella custom-made cover (3/4 coverage area) that the PO had made. After snow stops and good weather returns, I take the cover off and I am back out sailing. Only the Potomac River freezing, mid 30s or below keeps me from sailing in the winter. This past year, it did not freeze. The year before it was frozen for at least a month.

Edited by - OLarryR on 10/12/2008 22:25:18

tbosch
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163 Posts

Response Posted - 10/13/2008 : 11:56:00

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Renzo
 Here's a link to a thread from last year about my cover that might be helpful.

http://www.catalina-capri-25s.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=17396

The tarp is a grey poly tarp about 30'x20' that I have been using for the past 3 yrs.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Renzo,

Could you repost with some larger pictures? I can't see much detail in the thumbnails and the images don't enlarge well. I'd love mimic what you've done. I just can't see enough to answer some of the questions that I have.

Thanks!

Edited by - on

Ben
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1234 Posts

Response Posted - 10/14/2008 : 12:07:38

I use a gray tarp that others have described here. I think I get the 20' x 30' version; cost me about $60.00 from Andersons General Store.

Problems I've had in the past with tarping is that it's almost impossible to eliminate puddling. I'd come check on the boat and find either snow and/or ice pooled and putting stress on the tarp and boat stanchions.

What I've since devized and used with good success the past few years is this. I lower the mast so it is resting on the bow and stern pulpits, in the cockpit actually I have it in a crutch about five feet off the cockpit floor with a brace in the center of the mast. Then I take about a dozen plastic strips (8 or 10 feet long I think) that are used for vinyl siding and tie one end down at the port lifeline, bend it over top of the mast, then tie the other end down to the opposite spot on the starboard lifeline. I do this from bow to stern. So it sort of makes a semi-rigid ribcage over which the tarp goes.

I don't know what the plastic strips are called, but I got mine from either Home Depot or Lowes and they cost a couple dollars each. They are flexible, but rigid enough to give decent support to the tarp.

I'd still go to the boat after a snow/rain storm and check things out, and usually the tarp was completely unencumbered by precipitation, and if there was any, it was minimal and restricted to a small spot at the aft pulpit, which may have been because I didn't use enough plastic strips.

Edited by - on

Renzo
Admiral

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USA
621 Posts

Response Posted - 10/14/2008 : 12:18:49

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Renzo,

Could you repost with some larger pictures? I can't see much detail in the thumbnails and the images don't enlarge well. I'd love mimic what you've done. I just can't see enough to answer some of the questions that I have.

Thanks!<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Here you go Todd.

Edited by - on

tbosch
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163 Posts

Response Posted - 10/14/2008 : 12:37:50

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Renzo

Here you go Todd.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Thanks! Very helpful.

Edited by - on

tbosch
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163 Posts

Response Posted - 10/22/2008 : 12:06:25

Last winter I used the mast as the ridgeline for a tarp and clothesline between the mast and lifelines for stringers. This did not work well. I had significant pooling and narrowly avoided damage to both the mast and lifelines.

I did something different this year using input from others (see posts above). I spent about $40 on 3/4 and 1 inch pvc and came up with this:

Rib locations also have a vertical support. Vertical support between ribs as well.

I made good use of wire ties to anchor the ribs to the stantion bases and top. I also released the lifelines to stop them from creating areas where water can pool. I'm relying on the tarp tension and natural valleys between the ribs to let water and snow drain.

I used 1 inch pvc for the taller vertical supports in the cockpit. I connected these verticals at the bottom and also wedged them between the seats to keep them from sliding fore/aft or side to side.

The bow support is anchored using wire ties to keep it vertical. I also ran a line through the horizontal ridge line all the way from the bow to the stern and tied it tight so that all of the ridge pieces can't pull apart. You can see a scrap piece of pvc and a line tied to it sticking out the front.

All covered up and hopefully sucure for the long winter.

Edited by - on

Renzo
Admiral

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USA
621 Posts

Response Posted - 10/22/2008 : 13:07:31

Nice job Todd! Let us know in the spring how it held-up over the winter.

Edited by - on

Prospector
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
3159 Posts

Response Posted - 10/22/2008 : 13:36:12

Todd, your steup is similar to mine, however, I use a 4 X 4 Post in the mast step, and then leave a clear span to the cockpit. Doing this allows you to open the pop-top in the winter so you have headroom for projects etc.

I suppose you could make supports that would clear the pop-top and still have some ribs in thta zone. What I would be interested to know is the size of tarps folks are using. Ours last year was way to big.

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