Winter Storage Covers

SimcoeRinker400

Hi @coverguy2 sent you an email for my Rinker 400.  I think its time for a real cover

Dream_Inn

SimcoeRinker400 said:

Hi @coverguy2 sent you an email for my Rinker 400.  I think its time for a real cover

I have the same boat as you.  My cover is working on it's 11th winter and is still like brand new.  It's made out of stamoid light material.

Cableguy Greg

The light material is the only way to go. My next cover will be made out of that instead of duck canvas 

YYZRC

Cableguy Greg said:

The light material is the only way to go. My next cover will be made out of that instead of duck canvas 

Agreed. The canvas is too heavy and not slippery enough to shed snow. In freeze/thaw cycles the canvas gets covered in ice and extremely heavy. 

coverguy

Sorry guys, I am here again. Oh boy, way to long. 

davidbrooks

What does everyone use for supports under your covers?  I have wrestled with a few designs.  Everything from 1x2's to 1"PVC to just rope and poles.  My PVC experiment was a failure as it was too brittle and didn't last through some storms.  I ended up with some tears i have to get repaired.

Dream_Inn

I've seen lots of things done over the years and a lot of them just didn't work.  You have to make a decent frame, not something that can't hold the weight.  My framework is the original from 2012 and has held up thru some decent snowstorms.  1" PVC isn't going to cut it.  I use 2" PVC down the center and 1.5" off of it to the rails.  You also need good support for the main backbone.  Again, build it once to last, and it will.  After the first time, it goes up very quickly. I also have small hand towels that I cover "T" that meets the rails, so there is nothing rough to tear the cover.  Here are a few pics of my cover that I used from 2006 to 2012 (my 310).  I'll have to see if I have any pics of the framework for my current cover.  So, I used 1" PVC off to the rails on my old boat, but the 400 has 1.5" inch which is much better.

YYZRC

I made my frame out of 2x4s, similar design to @Dream_Inn. We get a lot of snow here and even with a doubled up 2x4 ridge beam it still snapped. This happened because snow accumulated on the cover at the bow rails and then freeze/thaw cycles turned that snow to heavy ice. 

If you get a lot of snow I don’t think 2” PVC will work, especially with the low rise of a Fisher cover. 

Cableguy Greg

I use 2” pvc as well on my frame. I have had zero issues with it over the years. If we get a heavy snow, I head to the boat and brush as much off as possible. 

Dream_Inn

I agree with Greg.  I'll get to the boat after a large snow storm to try to brush it off (or get underneath and shake it off).  For those that don't think we get much snow, we did one year where it dumped over 20 inches twice within a week (I know, it's nothing compared to what you get up there on Georgian Bay).  The canvas I have now, it is almost always completely clean after a snow storm.  The slick "vinyl" type feel the stamoid light has doesn't allow the snow to stick on it very well.  The navy color also helps it stay warm the instant the sun comes out too.

I'll be creating something in the next month or so for my son's smaller 20' grady white.  If anyone has some neat ideas for that, I'd love to see it.  I'm thinking maybe a center pole out of PVC and then have 4 lines off it to each of the 4 corners.  I'd like to keep the weight off the windshield.

YYZRC

There’s a company up here called Genco that dominates the winter cover business. Their design has the ridge beam well above the arch/hardtop and it stays high bow to stern. They shed snow like a champ. 

Willhound

Similar to the Navigloo system I used for years.

Dream_Inn

@YYZRC That makes perfect sense.  It will definitely keep it from getting stuck at the bow rails. 

@Willhound I do like the looks of that, but I think I want something much simpler.  Although that does allow easy to work under.  But, this boat stays in my driveway and much easier to keep track of anything sitting on the cover.

davidbrooks

The other thing i do is that i have a dozen sandbags that look like canvas saddlebags that i hang around the bottom of the cover.  The weight on the sides helps to keep anything but ice from sticking.  The issue i have had is that with the frame any movement would snap connections...then the sharp edges become canvas destroyers.  I agree to plan for the weight down.  Don't forget about lifting up also.  Wind or rain storms will get under the cover and just keep shaking it up and down.

Cableguy Greg

davidbrooks said:
The issue i have had is that with the frame any movement would snap connections...then the sharp edges become canvas destroyers.  I agree to plan for the weight down.  Don't forget about lifting up also.  Wind or rain storms will get under the cover and just keep shaking it up and down.

I wrap all of my connections with microfiber cloths and duct tape. That protects the canvas from any sharp edges. 

YYZRC

Cableguy Greg said:

I use 2” pvc as well on my frame. I have had zero issues with it over the years. If we get a heavy snow, I head to the boat and brush as much off as possible. 

OT but really strange how Rinker did the non-skid there.

SimcoeRinker400

@Dream_Inn Where did your cover come from???

Dream_Inn

SimcoeRinker400 said:

@Dream_Inn Where did your cover come from???

I got from a guy in NJ.  He made two of them and then said never again.  He said it was just too big and a lot of work.