DaySailer.org Forum

I'm looking for some ideas on covering up my boat while it's on the trailer. I used a blue tarp over the mast for last winter but am looking for something that is more pleasing to the eye when it's at my house during the sailing season. Let me know what you're using be it tarp or custom fit cover. I spent to much time cleaning this boat, and don't want to have to do it again. Wish I could park it in the garage but the wife say NO!!!

I bought a canvas tarp from the Home Depot that was relatively cheap (around $30) and is, in my opinion, nicer than a blue tarp. It's a dark greenish color so it blends in well. It is mildew resistant so thus far it has held up well. I prop it up like a boom tent. My only warning would be is that it bleads color for a little while so you might want to hose it off or let it sit out in a few rain storms before actually using it on the boat.

I posted my cover solution on another site, but it may be helpful for your (larger) Day Sailers. (Mine's a 14' Sailstar Meteor - similar to a Javelin).

I bought a generic boat cover at wal-mart made for 14-16' boats. They had larger ones for your 17' footers. It was only $50, and with some minor shoring up by using the mast on the carrier and some added doo-dads, I have a nice setup.

Pics on my homepage at:

http://www.geocities.com/davefromainetoo/Sailstar3.html

Dave Whitney
Poland, Maine

Thanks for the input sofar. And Dave you have a nice looking boat. How does the Walmart cover do in the water proof department?

Before I shored it up, it held water and sagged into the boat until I dumped it. I've had puddles for over a week. Now that it's tight, it keeps the interior completely dry. It's going into its second year - not sure how long it'll last. I'm lucky enough to have a barn to store the boat inside for the winter - the cover just keeps dust off.

Dave

I highly recommend a boat cover from the Sailor's Tailor [url]http://www.sailorstailor.com/[/url]. You'll spend $400 to $500, but you will be really happy with it. My boat stays outside all the time, and it has protected it through all kinds of weather, from heavy snow and rain to wind, both sitting and on the road. There's never been any appreciable water in the boat with the cover on it. And the boat stays a lot cleaner as well.

The covers are fitted perfectly for your boat. They aren't some generic cover like you would get at West Marine. My opinion is that it's worth every penny.

Some of the guys in my fleet found old vinyl banners that they tie down over the cockpit. It seems to work for them.

Good luck!

Dan

I got a custom cover from mightycovers.com. I do not have a picture of the one that I have, but you can see some examples on their website. They do stock and custom covers so I am sure that they can make exactly what you are looking for. It was reasonable priced and I have been extremely happy with the finished product.

http://www.mightycovers.com/boat-cover.htm

I use a silver " heavy-duty contractor's" tarp (10'x12', though I could probably have gotten away with 8'x10')from a big-box hardware store and bungee cords. It is pitched like a boom tent with bungees leading to eye bolts on the dock (my moorage is on dock), around the mast and over the keel roller I use for launching/retrieving the boat. Cost under $30 as the eye bolts were already installed and the bungees came with the boat. Works very well, but has a definite low-class look to it. I covet one of the nice custom covers from Sailor's Taylor or similar maker, but at the costs there are a host of other boat improvements ahead of the new cover.

You guys realize that Adam asked his question nearly three years ago!

And there've been some other discussions on the same topic. But, as this thread has now come back from the dead, here goes..

Click on the thumbnail below to see what I do with a 20' x 12' tarp while the boat is on the trailer.



(I get the beefiest of the standard tarps and usually they last more than one season. I chose white as the camouflage color in winter and to keep things cool in summer).

LOL! A 3 year old post back from the dead.

Anyone else notice that the person bringing the post back to life today, also joined today? Perhaps someone has a vested interest in a particular type of "mighty" cover, eh?

Actually, it happens all the time.

Someone reads the forum, finds something interesting to comment on, signs up.

Given the way the date is shown in a smaller type, anyone not very familiar with this site or forums in general might not realize they are digging up the past.

So, let's welcome a new contributor.

A welcome to the new participant!

As to the tarp, I had one odd experience with a silver/blue tarp from a big box store. I happened to put the silver side down and when I took it off this spring, it looked like it had "tarnished" the while hull of my DS1. Took quite a bit of scrubbing to get the brown stains off where the tarp had apparently flapped around some in the wind against the hull.

So happens I bought two tarps at the same time and had the blue side down on another boat (also white hull). That tarp came loose too in places over the winter and flapped around, but no marks at all appeared on the hull. For such tarps, my advice is blue side down.

Tarps are great. Much like GreenLake's picture I cover mine with a tarp and then about 18" of snow. That keeps her nice and cozy for the winter.

Summer time I keep her tarped to keep the weather and dust out.

Caution: Remove the tarp before sailing