Big winds

goalie59

Big winds off Lake Erie this past week. Many damaged boats. I lost my cover and broke my 2 by 6 frame to pieces. 120 Kim hour winds. Sure wish there was inside storage in our area 

Liberty44140

goalie59 said:

Big winds off Lake Erie this past week. Many damaged boats. I lost my cover and broke my 2 by 6 frame to pieces. 120 Kim hour winds. Sure wish there was inside storage in our area 

Hi Goalie, I’m in Sandusky indoors. Where are you on Lake Erie? Yea the winds were crazy, blew the shrink wrap off of our marina tiki bar!!

goalie59

Hey Liberty, we are in Port Dover, lots of shrink wrap was peeled ,tarps gone, even some custom made canvas covers .Flooded the Main Street down town. I spent yesterday repairing my top. I have never seen winds like that before and they lasted for 48 hours. Crazy .

Liberty44140

Same here on the winds but you got all the water, we dropped a couple of feet, lowest I’ve seen in years. Crazy 

Cableguy Greg

We had 60 MPH winds here in Pittsburgh. I checked on my boat and my Fisher cover held up perfectly. We had a few blue tarps lost along with one shrink cover that the owner reuses every year. Fortunately that was it where I am stored at.

bella-vita

We only have 11 slips at are small private club 8 were destroyed by the ice we r in grand island on Niagara River 

LaRea

Why do people use tarps as boat covers.  We always get one or two hella wind storms every February, and most of the tarps end up in the river or stuck in trees.  

aero3113

If you use a tarp you need to take the time to secure it properly. I’ve been using a tarp for the last 6 seasons on my 242 and 5 seasons before that on my old 21 Regal. This is with snow storms and hurricanes, knock on wood no issues. I also think having the tarp tuck under the boat helps.

Dream_Inn

Yep, most people don't take the time to tuck it in nice and tight and tie it securely enough that 60+mph winds won't get under it.  I used a tarp for 6 or 7 winters on my first boat and custom covers for the last 14 winters.  Never an issue if done correctly.  It's also important to use the correct line to tie it down.  I had bought some new rope last year and we had severely strong winds for over 24 hours (like posted on this topic).  Well, about half of my lines that had gone from side to side underneath had rubbed on the boat bottom and were cut.  Luckily I had some of the old lines still on as well that kept it together (as well as a line integrated in the cover that goes around the boat from bow to stern).  I know have some of the key lines doubled up (& different type).

LaRea

You have some positive factors in your favor: an attentive owner, and a bit of wind protection.  And you're right, the way you wrap it is almost like shrink wrap.

Around here, I've been watching tarps take flight for 20+ years.  First, the owners tie down the tarps in November and go away for an out-of-sight, out-of-mind winter.  Then heavy snow and ice stretches out the tarps and loosens the fittings.  Then the heavy February wind takes them.  Doesn't matter what kind of contraption they build from 2x4s and PVC pipe.

Willhound

I use a system from a Canadian company called Navigloo. Uses a pvc frame system with an extra heavy tarp. Have never had an issue in 5 years of the  old boat and 2 with the Rinker. Cost about $500 CDN which doesn't even cover one year of shrink wrap. Shrink wrap is $20 to $25 a foot here. Waste of money in my opinion. My wrapping rakes about half a day if my time. About 4 beers!

Dream_Inn

@willhound - looks like an interesting setup with the PVC frame system.  How does it connect to the rails?  I like the holes in it allowing for different adjustments.

oh, and just a comment.  You may not want to connect the cover to your jackstand.  I have actually seen the wind pull enough that it pulled out the jackstand.  

Dude_Himself

I built a similar PVC frame for both a sailboat on the hard, and my old Stingray. The boatyard was afraid the boat would blow off the stands, but other boats on the stands had sails still mounted, and during storms the jibs would unfurl but that never knocked any boats over.

Dream_Inn

Note that what I'm talking about is not connecting/tying/strapping your cover to your jack stands.  If for some reason the cover itself comes loose, and it's connected to the stand, it can pull the stand out (I've seen it happen).  I'm all for covers, I hate the shrink wrap.  & most people that are on this forum would know the correct way to put a cover on

I agree Dude, a cover on a sailboat (or power) isn't going to cause it to blow off its stands.  It better be mounted on those stands better than that!

rasbury

I don't get those stands...look like it would fall off pretty easy!

Willhound

rasbury said:

I don't get those stands...look like it would fall off pretty easy!

The weight of the hull is supported by the solid wood blocking under the keel fore and aft. The stands are adjustable like a screw jack and keep the boat centered on the blocking and also bear weight from the sides of the hull. If they are adjusted properly they have enough weight on them that it's almost impossible to just jerk them out. Whenever I check my tarp I also give the stands a pull to make sure nothing's shifted. If it feels loose at all, a half a turn on the screw tightens it back up.

rasbury

I could not sleep at night.....I know it's common but geesh...looks like a lot could go wrong....what if someone knocks into it?

LaRea

I've never been concerned about my own blocking.  But I visit my boat every week or two to check the jacks, and I check my neighbors too.  Dominos ... it's a fact of life when the boat's too big for a trailer. 

Dude_Himself

I agree - the boat, set on the stands properly, doesn't move an inch. My cover was never touching the stands, but regardless the part-timer at this podunk marina in Southern Maryland swore up and down a breeze would bring it all down on him. I did the math - showing nearly hurricane force winds wouldn't do anything shy of ripping the plastic - but they just chuckled and spit their chew.

LaRea

Speaking of boats on stands, I say ... ENOUGH with the snow already!  This crap has to stop.  This is Virginia, not Ontario.  I have a hull to sand and paint, a trim actuator to replace, topsides to wax ... ENOUGH.  

reneechris14

We turn the clocks ahead this weekend so that's a sign spring is coming. No more snow No more snow.

Handymans342

LaRea said:

Speaking of boats on stands, I say ... ENOUGH with the snow already!  This crap has to stop.  This is Virginia, not Ontario.  I have a hull to sand and paint, a trim actuator to replace, topsides to wax ... ENOUGH.  

You could always move

LaRea

I like having four seasons, but this winter stuff has worn out its welcome.  I don't want this to be the year I launch after April 1st.

Cableguy Greg

LaRea said:

I like having four seasons, but this winter stuff has worn out its welcome.  I don't want this to be the year I launch after April 1st.

I can't agree more. Working outside this past winter has taken it's tool on me. We are going to get close to 50* today. I washed my wife's Benz for the first time in a while. Granted it has been through the touchless car wash a few times this winter, but there is nothing better than a good hand wash. We are supposed to hit 60* tomorrow. It sounds like winter is loosening it's grip on us.

Handymans342

Only took me 55 years to get tired of cold plus we have 2 seasons down here. The dry cooler season and the hot wet season but no snow LOL

Dream_Inn

I got all of my maintenance done Friday. Trying to figure out what else to come up with on things to do before uncovering.  I think this weekend we will load everything back in the boat, then hold off one more week to uncover.  She's waxed inside and out, ready to put plug in, take cover off and go!

oh, and put isinglass on, which I'll do next weekend under the cover as well,  I've found that it stays toasty enough under the cover making it easy enough to put the isinglass up without the use of a hair dryer!

randy56

Battrie's charged? Pull props and grease splines? Outdrive grease fittings, zinks?  inspect through hulls underneath. Ya getting excited, me to, took my fishin boat out last week water temp 42, this week I'm goin again. Come on Spring.

Willhound

You guys are freakin' killing me. Another 6 weeks until launch at home. Luckily I'm in Key West right Nnow, but back home to 2 feet of snow Wednesday. Aaarrrggghhh!

Stodge

We are rounding the corner on Winter.  Supposed to be in the 40s most, if not all, week.  I'm still a pessimist and scheduled the 342 launch for "late" this year...April 26.  Her new non-opening windows will be ready end of this week.  Found a local place to reproduce the 3 of them for about $144.  The 2 windshield area canvas pieces will have new isinglass soon and be ready for the season.  The biggest maintenance (and bill) was the new bellows.

The little boat will likely splash early April, like the 6th.  She needs an oil change, replace the prop, and hook up the NMEA 2000 interface to the GPS so I can see engine info.  I also found some retracting ratchet straps that bolt to the trailer.  

I even have the (green) 2019 Vessel Safety Check decals for this year.  I expect to have requests soon.  We have 2 marinas in the area where we do a "blitz" of exams.  But I also do VSC by appointment.  Speaking of which, it's free and easy to get a vessel safety check.  Oh and check your fire extinguishers.  If you have Kidde extinguishers, see if they are part of the recall and get the replaced (for free) from Kidde.  I had 5 of them replaced, 2 I had just bought at West Marine a couple months before.

Cableguy Greg

Stodge said:

 
I even have the (green) 2019 Vessel Safety Check decals for this year.  I expect to have requests soon.  We have 2 marinas in the area where we do a "blitz" of exams.  But I also do VSC by appointment.  Speaking of which, it's free and easy to get a vessel safety check.  Oh and check your fire extinguishers.  If you have Kidde extinguishers, see if they are part of the recall and get the replaced (for free) from Kidde.  I had 5 of them replaced, 2 I had just bought at West Marine a couple months before.

I got my extinguishers replaced last year. Great program that they have. I tried 4 times to get a VSC done last year by entering my info on the USCG site. Unfortunately it never happened. None of the examiners ever contacted me. The sad part is that I am on the Pittsburgh Safe Boating Council with one of the guys that does the checks. Maybe this year...

Dude_Himself

Stodge said:

I also found some retracting ratchet straps that bolt to the trailer. 

If they're BoatBuckle's make sure the Stainless hardware is the right thread. They sent me nuts and bolts with different pitches - not uncommon - and had to mail me twice to get me a set that was matched. Also, when tightening the stainless bolt make sure to go slow and lubricate it well so it doesn't gall.

All that said I love my Boat Buckles, and yes they're on a trailer that holds a 10k lb boat. At that point I'm not really holding the boat to the trailer - I'm holding the trailer to the boat.