26X winter cover

[dlandersson]

This is my first winter storage. I can pay $395 to have my 26X shrink-wrapped, or I do do it myself.

Anyone care to share what they use for winter covers?

[March]

I use the largest tarp I could get--something around $40. Takes a while to attach it through the grommet holes, but the boat stays well protected until spring. The tarp lasts for something like 5 years before it gets to fray.
I also use adhesive tape around the companionway hatch--field mice had gotten in in the past and chewed through the cushion covers. They also chewed through the biodegradable toilet paper supply -- Make sure all edible stuff is stored elsewhere, empty all water recipients, disconnect the batteries. Shrink wrapping seems like an expensive overkill, but to each his own

[Phantom]

We will be getting our ready today for the winter after pulling it from the lake yesterday. I live in Spokane, WA.
We get quite a bit of snow here. Last year we covered ours up with 3 different size tarps so that the whole thing was totally covered from bow to stern. We used zip ties to connect the tarps together. We also bungee corded the tarps to the trailer. Make sure you get rid of all the gas in your tanks, fog your engine, check the bilge areas to make sure everything is dry and remove the batteries. Empty the porta potty. We also will make sure that we have a few dehumidifiers such as dry z air. Last year we put a couple dehumidifiers in there before we sealed it all up and in the spring when we opened up the boat a lot of moisture had been sucked up. Whenever it would snow quite a bit I would climb up on a ladder and knock the snow off of the tarps. I am not entirely sure how necessary this was but I didn't want too much weight on the mast. Personally I wouldn't waste my money on the shrink wrap. The tarps I bought last year are still usable this year. Any holes that may be in them I can just patch up with a piece of duct tape.

[bradhill]

Like many others, my 26X is in an outdoor storage lot. After fogging the engine and replacing the lube in the lower unit for winter, I cover BadHabitz with a Harbor Freight tarp. I have found that I get too much wear, on the tarp, if I keep the tarp over the mast. The tarp is tied flat. I am not in a heavy snow zone.

The engine gets it's own black plastic trash bag.

My Nicro solar vent operates all winter to move air throughout. I do open all doors and storage compartments to insure any lingering moisture can evaporate. No foul odors in the Spring.

I do leave the batteries in with a solar charger keeping them topped off.

After eight years of this practice, I have the normal scrub and re-wax and she is ready for another summer on Payette Lake.

[mastreb]

This is my first winter storage. I can pay $395 to have my 26X shrink-wrapped, or I do do it myself.

Anyone care to share what they use for winter covers?

We use a single 30' x 20' tarp and bungee cords. The tarp drapes over the mast, and we bungee the bottom grommets to the trailer and tie the end grommets together. Shrink wrap would be way overkill IMHO. The cover comes off and goes on in about five minutes, and we can roll it up and leave it in the cockpit for trailering. Piece of cake, does the job, costs about $50 at any hardware store.

[Wind Chime]

I built a frame out of white plastic pipe.
1) I put on a sunbrella boat cover over the frame
2) next is a 20x30 plastic tarp
3) then a grey 30 foot RV cover.
4) all tied down and snug as a bug for the winter.
5) I check and refill the 4 bowls of moisture crystals at least every 4 weeks.

[GaryMayo]

You get back in the boat to add moisture crystals?

Great thread, wonderful advice. My boat gets tucked into a horse barn (no horses). However, I will use some of these ideas as well.

[Catigale]

I've gotten 5 years out of the eastern trailer company tarps...they are white which is lot more attractive in the driveway.

The 15x30 fits the boat nice and they are roped through the grommets for easy attachment

I use the 10x20 version on the Harpoons and Island too.

They are 6 mil poly...pretty thick!

[Divecoz]

I Tarped mine one year.. Northern Ill. can be a heavy snow and ice location.. I no longer do anything... Except....I leave My on board charger plugged into the " shore power" / garage GFI and I Plug the motor well drain.. SEEMSSSSSSSSSSS no worse for wear.. Southern boats ( Florida etc.) seldom tarp for the winter as many are used year round ( Lucky dogs)
UV is the killer.. not wind and rain.. Though I see a lot more Covered boat lifts down there now.. We don't have carpet or upholstery to take a beating like most/many power boats our size..
I can see in my minds eye where an open boat being properly covered, would Drastically reduce the "Spring Clean-up time" Our is so "bullet shaped" we have no real Areas of collection to be concerned with..Even the motor well, if you plug it, will eject its... Ice Cube so to speak, because of its design ..

[Trouts Dream]

I live in Calgary alberta and covered the boat for the first 3 years. Even with it covered, the boat needed a good power wash and wax in the spring.
After the tarp started to disintigrate I left it uncovered for a year and found I still had to clean it in the spring.

I no longer cover it and don't worry about a heavy snowfall building up and straining the mast. This may be speeding up the oxidization process but I'll wait and see. I plan on replacing the forward windows this spring as they are highly scratched/cracked. After I do this I will revisit the covering question.

As for stripping the boat, including batteries and outside cushions which are stored in a shed at home, I tend to agree with the other winterization comments posted.

[Russ]

The PVC tubes work great with a cheapo tarp. I'm going on year 4 now. I think this is the last year for it but I don't have much invested.

[Tomfoolery]

The PVC tubes work great with a cheapo tarp. I'm going on year 4 now. I think this is the last year for it but I don't have much invested.

How are the ends of the (I'm assuming 1/2" sch. 40) tubes supported, if at all? What you did there looks really good to me.

I have a 30 ft cheapo tarp (but not the cheapest - it's 'heavy duty', per the package description ) and was just going to use the mast to support it alone, with a short mid-span support for the mast at the tabernacle, but I like the concept and execution on yours. Seems to solve the issue of the lifeline stantions poking at the tarp, too.

[dlandersson]

Ditto - looks very practical.

How are the ends of the (I'm assuming 1/2" sch. 40) tubes supported, if at all? What you did there looks really good to me.

I have a 30 ft cheapo tarp (but not the cheapest - it's 'heavy duty', per the package description ) and was just going to use the mast to support it alone, with a short mid-span support for the mast at the tabernacle, but I like the concept and execution on yours. Seems to solve the issue of the lifeline stantions poking at the tarp, too.

[Russ]

The PVC tubes work great with a cheapo tarp. I'm going on year 4 now. I think this is the last year for it but I don't have much invested.

How are the ends of the (I'm assuming 1/2" sch. 40) tubes supported, if at all? What you did there looks really good to me.

I have a 30 ft cheapo tarp (but not the cheapest - it's 'heavy duty', per the package description ) and was just going to use the mast to support it alone, with a short mid-span support for the mast at the tabernacle, but I like the concept and execution on yours. Seems to solve the issue of the lifeline stantions poking at the tarp, too.

In the photo, I used wire ties to hold the 1/2 PVC to the stanchions. These tended to slip off, so now I go low tech. I wrap the stanchions with paper towels and strap the PVC pipe to them with duct tape. The paper towels keep the tape from sticking and easy removal in the Spring.
Then you have to be creative. On the bow where there are no stanchions, I pinch them on the deck "rails" and tape them to the lifelines to keep them from slipping. The spring of the PVC hold them in place for the most part. I think I may have also attached them to the mast in the center with some cord.

I stole this idea from someone on this board and it works extremely well. We get quite a bit of snow and it sheds most of it. The cover does wear through as evident on the top of the picture above, but it keeps most of the junk off and I'm too cheap to buy another $65 cover.

You could cover the mast crutch and any place contact is made with the cover with something soft to protect it.

Once covered, I lace the whole thing up under the trailer like a shoe. My roller furler sticks out the bow and I cover that with several garbage bags. In the photo above, I took it off, but I don't do that anymore.

[Russ]

Here's a thread about covers. Topic comes up this time every year.

http://www.macgregorsailors.com/forum/v ... ilit=cover

The concept is identical for the X as the M.