Index

Winter Storage on a Trailer - Protection Against the Elements.
INDEX - Planks for Heavy Snow,  PVC Frame 1 & 2, Steel Frame.

The weird properties of water make it one of the most unique fluids on Earth.  Weird may surprise many people since it is the fluid we are most familiar with, yet many don't understand its properties all that well.  For instance;

• Water is the only fluid that expands when it freezes.
• Still water cannot freeze, it must be agitated.  Yet fast flowing water doesn't freeze.
• When water vapour freezes it changes to ice crystals or snow, not solid ice.  Not one crystal is the same pattern as the next.  It is staggering to think about the numbers here.
• When snow settles, the crystals merge into a glob that almost defies description because it's packing properties change with temperature.  Ask a skier.
• The Inuit language has more words for different types snow than any other language.
• In the absence of gravity water still sticks to things by surface tension.

One thing is for sure; you can't stop water, you can only redirect it, and I'm not sure for how long.  OK, enough of physics! 

NEAR FREEZING CLIMATE - A near freezing climate is probably the hardest on a boat.  Provide lots of ventilation during storage to prevent rain and condensation damage.  This is particularly important during a very moist southern US winter.  An incredible amount of rot can occur in this weather.  You must take every effort to prevent mould from taking a foot hold on a boat.  Wood rot occurs only with fresh water.  For this reason it is important to use a water proof tarpaulin that is held off the hull using a framework similar to one below.  Better yet, park the boat in a breezeway, in an old barn or in a machine shed with open exposure to the sun. 

FREEZING CLIMATE - If you live in a freezing climate you know that freezing water can do a lot of damage to a boat as it expands inside a fibreglass crack.  This is the reason why some owners store their boat in a heated warehouse where they can also work on it in comfort.  I'm jealous.  The rest of us 'peons' work on our boats outside, under a tarp with ends open to promote ventilation and patiently wait for a warm day to work on the boat.  Failing that, we take a project home.  If you are one of those peons then you should dry the hull before freeze up.  Drying is particularly important to remove water that may have collected against the "mush" that binds the hull to the liner.  It's not difficult to imagine the damage that freeze/thaw cycles can do, spreading the laminates apart where you can't see them.  Best to keep the hull bone dry.

WATER IN HULL - It's a deep freeze on the Canadian prairies in winter, so:
- I drain all the water from the fresh water and holding tanks and blow the water line dry, including the pump.
- The head is emptied, cleaned, dried, seals sprayed with silicon and returned to the boat for storage.
- While the head is removed I inspect the knotmeter O-ring seals and apply a light coat of silicon grease to the impeller fitting and plug.  Both are stored in separate plastic bags. 
- All traces of water around the knot meter, under the settees and below the cockpit are wiped dry. 
- All settee hatches are opened (settee plugs are turned 90⁰ for ventilation.
- Wet mooring lines are coiled and hung to dry under a tree for winter.  They are returned to the port locker in Spring. 
- The anchor line is coiled and hung to dry from the bow winch.  The local cat loves playing with it.  So far no problems with squirrels.
- I replace the Nicro vent with a squirrel proof screen to promote ventilation.
- From this point on the wind will dry the fibreglass about a week, after which it is safe for the boat to freeze.

FOOD - Removed from boat to deter critters from entering.  Mice are attracted to matches so remove them as well.

THRU HULL - Set the thru hull ball valves to half open so the void between the ball and the socket can dry.  This simple precaution ensures that a valve can't crack and sink the boat next summer. 

HATCHES AND DOORS - The cockpit lockers are left closed.  The forward hatch is left 1/2" open.  The bottom board of the companionway is left in place.  The top board is swapped for one equipped with a squirrel proof screen.  All this to promote ventilation and keep critters out.

CUSHIONS - Some people remove their cushions which is probably a good idea in a humid climate.  I leave them on board, propped on edge away from the hull.  It is bone dry here in winter and they survive just fine. 

DEHUMIDIFIER in NEAR FREEZING WEATHER - A friend of mine, who stores his boat "on the hard" at the west coast of Canada, recently described the benefits of using a dehumidifier versus a small heater to keep the boat dry and fresh.  Both use the same amount of power.  He used to keep the cabin above the dew point with a small heater placed on the cabin floor  It didn't do much good since the musty smell was there each time they returned to the boat.  It was a chore to clean the cabin.   Now he runs a dehumidifier resting over the sink so the water drains out the hull.  It keeps cabin temperature at 5C and the cabin smells fresh when they return to the boat.  The bonus is mould and no clean up. 

If you don't have access to shore power for your floating boat, the best alternative is to store the boat under a roof with plenty of natural ventilation to keep it dry.  Some occasional warmth so you can work on it is also a good idea!  Warmth, what a pleasant thought.   Shown below are two winter covers for storing a boat in the Canadian "bush", probably the most difficult of all situations.  These two boats are stored only 20 KMs from each other in central Alberta yet each has diversely different cover requirements due to microclimate from sheltering trees.  Lots of snow can settle in the shelter of trees that does not accumulate in an open area.  It is not uncommon to have 1M deep snow around Panache's trailer. 

TARP - There are several schools of thought for the tarp;

1. The bottom of the tarp should go down to below water line then off the hull so rain drops drip free of the hull.  These drips can leave an ugly stain. 
2. It should be kept away from the hull to prevent wind driven abrasion and keep things from growing against the gel coat.
3. It should be kept tight to the hull to prevent wind drive abrasion and keep the snow off the gel coat.

I've tried all 3 for Panache and have settled on # 3; quickest to deploy with no damage to the gel coat.  I wrap the tarps tight to Panache's hull with ends open, using lots of lines around to keep the tarps still in the wind.  Once the snow settles on the traps all movement stops and I no longer concern myself about the traps coming loose.
 

TARP SUPPORTED by the MAST and PLANKS for HEAVY SNOW LOAD. 

1. DON'T ROCK THE BOAT - I park the trailer on concrete sidewalk blocks placed on high ground to keep her dry.  It minimizes rust on the trailer frame and is a great way to keep mice away.  The trailer frame is jacked up and supported on five (2x4)" wood cribs to prevent the boat from rocking in the wind which protects the gel coat under the pads.  The wood cribs rest on the (2x2)' concrete sidewalk block to keep the bottoms dry.  The bottom of each crib is protected with a liberal coating of wood preservative to prevent wood rot and collapse.  The aft cribs are placed behind the wheels and the front cribs are placed in front of the wheels, as close as possible to the bunk support posts.  The fifth crib is located under the tongue to prevent fore aft rocking.  Each crib is about 1.5' tall, which is high enough to remove most of the weight off the springs and tires which goes a long way towards preventing flat spots on your expensive tires.
    
2. TIP THE HULL - The hull rests slightly bow high so water can drain off the deck through the scuppers and out the cockpit drains to prevent pools of water that can lead to a deck leak.  I visit the Panache quite often in the Fall to remove poplar leaves from the deck and cockpit so they can't plug the drains.  The last thing I need is water leaking inside the hull and then freezing.
    
3. MAST SUPPORT - I use the mast as a ridge pole to support the tarp and protect it from chafe with strips of rug.  The mast is supported about 2' above the deck to create sufficient slope for the snow to slide off the slippery tarp.  A (2x4)" lays across the pulpit posts, a (4x4)" compression post is placed at the tabernacle and a steel support post stands on the gudgeons.  These three support the aluminum mast every 12' which is sufficient for an SJ23 mast.
    
4. LIFE LINES - The life line turnbuckles are released and I lay the lines on the cabin roof, away from the toe rail, clearing it for the (1x6)" planks that I lean against the mast.
    
5. TARP SUPPORT - A lot of snow settles in the clearing where Panache is parked, on the north side of a grove of trees.  It would be better on the south side where the sun can melt the snow, but I'm not complaining about my cost.  The weight of the accumulated snow is significant.  For that reason I support the tarps with planks.  The anodized finish on the mast is protected with a 12" wide strip of rug tied around the full length of the mast (soft side to the mast).  Then the numbered planks are leaned against the mast with the bottom set inside the toe rail.  The planks are spaced a couple of inches apart to make them easy to place.  They provide excellent support for the tarps to prevent the snow from accumulating in a sag that would otherwise develop.  Snow that accumulates in a sag will harden into a block of ice that weigh too much.  Failing that a person could spray the tarp with silicon or vegetable oil so the snow slides off easier.  It is important to use bare wood planks as paint will lift off the wood over the course of a winter, making a real mess of flakes on the deck in Spring.  (I have often thought of covering the boat with just the planks, but the prospect of ice damage motivates me to use tarps over the planks to seal out the rain and snow). 
   - If you have a deck fitting that protrudes past the planks it requires protection.  Form some padding in the shape of a doughnut and lay it around the fitting.
    
6. Then I place and tie a second layer of 12" wide rug over the mast and plank ends, soft side up to protect the tarp from punctures. The added benefit of this second rug is to keep the planks in place when the tarp is pulled over the mast. When you cover the boat on your own you have to be creative.
    
7. DEAL WITH STANCHIONS - Since I have an angle support brace welded to Panache's aft stanchion a single tarp requires a 1.5' slit to fit over it. The problem with this slit is that it suffered from wind damage and a lot of ice accumulated on the deck.  There seemed to be no simple way to solve the problem so I changed my single tarp to three small tarps pulled across the mast; middle, bow and stern.  I wish I could remove the stanchions for winter storage.  It would simplify this job.  To fill the gaps  between the tarps I lay a sheet of puck board (1/4" thick white vinyl sheet used to line the boards of a hockey rink) on top of the planks at each stanchion.  I cut small notches in the bottom of each sheet to fit against the stanchion base.  Then I pull a (12x8)' tarp lengthways over the mast to fill the gaps between the three top tarps.  The top tarp overlaps the one below it, shingle fashion.  It doesn't look as pretty as Doug's frame work below, but it stands up to the snow loads and winds Panache is exposed to.
    
8. SECURE THE TARPS - I used to tie my three tarps to the trailer frame with 3/16" nylon line.  They held fairly snug and didn't beat against the gel coat.  A week later the lines had to be snugged up to take up the slack.  Occasionally I used a bungee cord because their constant tension holds better than line. 
   It should be noted that brass grommets in a tarp have a tendency to pull out when the wind gets nasty.  This is a weakness in the design of a light tarp and you have to pay a lot of money for a thick trucker tarp that can withstand strong winds.  Beside, the brass grommets can be murder on gel coat, for this reason you are better off to buy a tarp without grommets and use vinyl tarp clips.  Clips can be placed where they offer the best angle or mechanical advantage.
   NOTE - This winter (2015) I wrapped successive nylon straps around the hull at the tarp ends (Panache now looks like a Christmas gift).  They hold the tarps well in strong winds.  Once snow settles on the tarps all is secure.  This is the technique I have since used.  Quicker to tie and more secure.
    
9. VENTILATION - The bow and stern ends of the tarp are left open to promote ventilation.   The forward hatch and  companionway are also kept slightly open to vent the cabin.  This is important to keep the hull and cabin dry.  The knotmeter impeller is removed to service the O-rings and drain heavier than air gasses.  Its amazing how much air goes through that 1" hole.  I use vinyl bug screens in the hatch & companionway to keep leaves and critters out.  Use your judgment to determine if you need metal screens to keep critters out.  Squirrels can be very tenacious and heavy duty metal screens are the only way to prevent them from chewing their way through.  I also pull a plastic bag over the mast base to keep the birds from nesting in the hollow and another couple of bags over the trailer frame ends to keep the hornets out.  Boy these guys like my trailer and I hate killing them, given their low population on the planet these days.
    
10. BATTERY - I used to hang small solar panels at the top of a tripod to maintain the battery or to power LEDs when I'm onboard.  Of late, I take the battery home and store it in my unheated garage that hovers around freezing temperature.  This is optimal for a battery and the charge is maintained with a smart charger. 

Shown below is Panache's transom mast support post standing on the gudgeons.  It's welded from 1" square steel tubing with pintles that fit on the gudgeons.  The top pintle is tied to the gudgeons to prevent the post from popping up.  The top of the post is also tied laterally to the pushpit to stabilize it sideways for towing.  The yoke at the top is lined with rug to protect the mast.  The mast is tied to the post with 1/4" line at the yoke.  I doubt it could pop out of the yoke on its own but the line also prevents movement and chafe.  As an alternative you could build a wood A frame to stand in the back of the cockpit.  Be careful to leave the drain holes open.  Rug on the bottom should keep in from sliding around.

CONCLUSION - In general dry snow slides off the smooth tarp.  Wet snow requires an occasional pull with a snow rake.  Think of a grass rake without tangs.  This system is very secure in high winds so I never worry about her in a winter storm.  There is ample room to work in the cockpit but impossible to work on the deck.  Occasionally I work in the cabin during winter which is when I run my propane bulkhead heater.  It does an OK job of taking the bite out of the cold air.  On the other hand, if the air is still and the sun is shining, it's amazing how warm it can be under the tarp.  Down right balmy some days!  An interesting phenomena is that small amounts of ice or snow that accumulate on the foredeck under the tarp usually thaw and evaporate with the solar heat.  I make it a practice to stay off the boat below -10⁰C to protect the gel coat from cracking.  Some kids were playing on my friend's ski boat while it was stored outside at -45⁰C.  The gel coat cracked into thousands of tiny fissures under their weight making the boat look as if it aged a few centuries.  I'm not taking any chances. 
Poplar Tea - Another culprit that attacks a boat is the juice from tree leaves.  Panache is stored in a hollow surrounded by Aspen or Poplar trees.  The leaves flitter to the ground in Fall creating a carpet of yellow.  Add a bit of dew and a bit of heat from the sun and you get a wonderful perfume that you can't bottle.  Problem is, the "tea" created by the leaves and dew can stain gel coat if left for any length of time.  It can be messy and difficult to clean.  Another good reason to cover the hull with a tarp. 

These photos were taken on Dec 20, 1997 during a very warm El Nino.  The 0⁰C temperature is definitely NOT typical of a Canadian prairie winter as it is usually around -10⁰C in late December, making delicate outside work somewhat difficult!  I took advantage of this mild weather to remove and repair my centerboard.  Two days later a cold front blew in and we received our promised winter when the temperature plummeted to -30⁰C, in just two hours.  Now you know why preparation up here is everything.   TOP
 

TARP SUPPORTED with a PVC FRAME (Doug Murray - Ver 1, 2001).

SOLUTION - This winter I wanted to work on the deck, so I looked for a frame that could cover the deck without the support of the mast.  The idea of a PVC frame came to me from a Pearson 26 website.  My frame has a 3/4" PVC backbone, vertebrae and ribs, all from readily available standard fittings.  (1/2" PVC is too light and 1" can't bend tight enough for the required radius).
UPDATE - It is possible to bend PVC tubing by filling it with hot water (170⁰F) to soften it.  Then lay it in a mold to shape it till it cools.  Its probably a good idea to not bend it too far.  This way it leaves a bit spring in the rib so it stays in place.  

BACKBONE, VERTEBRAE & RIBS  - The six ribs attach to the backbone with a vertebrae or PVC cross connector.  All the ribs are installed on the outside of the lifelines to minimize wear on the tarp from the stanchions.  Don't tie the frame to a stanchion.  With the wind blowing against the tarp it will likely loosen the base in the deck leading to a leak and wood rot of the core.  When the cross connectors and short straight sections are assembled fore and aft, they form the backbone.  The two front ribs are cut from two sections of tubing and the remaining ribs are single sections pushed through each cross connector.  Cut each pair of front ribs the same length to ensure that the backbone is straight.  I had difficulty keeping the two front ribs attached to the inside of each vertebrae because the radius of the bend was too tight.  They just popped out.  I happened to have a 10" dowel which just fit inside the tube and that was enough to keep each rib inside a vertebrae.  The other ribs are continuous with glued joints and posed few problems.  The tubes I bought came with a flared end to allow for continuous tubing.  When glued together, the joints seem to be strong enough to withstand the radius of the bend.  However, I did use them over the cockpit where the radius is large.  If you can't find tubing with flared ends, then use a dowel or 10" length of 1/2" PVC tubing slipped inside the 3/4" tube.  You will have to cut a lengthwise slot in the 1/2"  PVC to do so.

To attach the cross connectors to the straight sections, I reamed out the inside of the connector (backbone direction) so it would slide over the pipe.  Use a Dremel tool with a sanding drum.  Then I cut suitable lengths of tubing so each cross connector was positioned over a set of ribs.

I eye-balled the alignment of the backbone and it seems pretty good.  The cross connectors can be adjusted from side to side by the length of each rib, which also determines the height of the backbone.  Build the tallest ribs first in case you make one too short.  I built the center section taller than the ends.  So measure twice, trial fit and then glue all the joints.

FEET - There is lots of strain on these ribs so I installed a T fitting at the end of each rib to strengthen them where they straddle the toe rail.  The T fittings make excellent feet and distribute the forces to prevent the rib ends from splitting.  To secure the T connector to the toe rail cut a slot across the "top" of it with a carbide tipped blade in a table saw.  This makes a nice tight fitting groove that slips over the top of the toe rail.  It also to keep it in place.  The T connector feet are glued onto each rib end with PVC solvent and tied to the toe rail. 

It's not shown in these photos but the frame were secured with diagonally tied opposing lines.  This is the only way they can stand up to the wind.  This was one nice tarp to work under.  Surprisingly warm when the sun shone.  TOP

The T connectors and joints are glued.  All other joints are held together with a #10 by 1/4" screw.  Pre-drill the screw holes. The whole project took me about three hours and I didn't work particularly fast.  After all it was Saturday and no one was paying me! Total cost of PVC material was about $41.00 (CAN) at Home Depot, not including the tarp, rope and bungee cords.  I don't remember how much I paid for the tarp but they vary in price depending on quality.

You might want to buy one or two extra fitting in case of a mistake.  Most retailers will accept returns on this type of material.  I have one section of pipe left over for repairs and the bow and stern ends could be shortened a bit to create more slope and add rigidity.

Frame PVC material list: 

1. Eleven 10 foot sections of 3/4" PVC tube equipped with a flared end.
2. 12 T connectors.
3. 6 X connectors.
4. 12 #10 by 1/4" screws.
5. solvent.
6. tarp, rope and bungee cords

 TARP SUPPORTED with a PVC FRAME (Doug Murray - Ver II, 2002).

I was surprised at how much snow was on the tarp when I found it collapsed at the end of winter last year.  Although I don’t know if it accumulated before or after the collapse.  So the frame was redesigned to use larger diameter components (shown left and right) for additional strength.  I also wanted to make a steeper roof to shed snow easier.  My sense of the weakness in version I was that too much flex contributed to the failure, especially in the ribs.  Stronger and stiffer ribs will stand up to the wind loads better and shed the snow off the tarp.  There is a trade off between low profile (aerodynamics) and the slope (snow shedding). 

Version II uses 2" ABS.  The vertebrae have been eliminated by drilling 1" holes in the 2" ABS to insert the rib ends into.  T fittings are not available in this size combination.  Shown at left is the backbone with the holes drilled about 60⁰ from each other to receive the ribs.  (This angle is entirely dependant on how high you want the backbone to be off the deck).  Keep at least 1" of material between each pair of rib holes in the backbone to retain as much strength as possible.  Drill the holes slightly oversize to give the ribs ends some play.  Each set of ribs were lashed for security and overall strength. 

At left is the foot of a rib showing a 1" PVC T-fitting straddling the toe rail.  The T-fitting is glued to the foot of each rib for strength and stability.  Bob and I also considered just setting each foot against the inside of the toe rail and lashing them in place but this idea was abandoned after seeing how much rigidity the diagonal support lines added, so we opted for the adjustability of sliding feet along the toe rail.  This made it easy to square a rib to the backbone.

Since the backbone of this design is one piece, it is automatically stronger and straighter than a sectional backbone.  The frame was erected by installing the two  middle ribs first, then the end ones.  Cutting the remaining ribs to length was easy.  I suggest labeling the ribs by their station number, bow to stern.  After the frame work was assembled, we steadied the sideways movement with a support line tied from the toe rail, over the backbone to the toe rail on the other side, at each set of ribs.  Use a clove hitch knot over the backbone and a truckers rolling hitch at the toe rail.  By tightening the lines a bit we pulled the backbone down to bend the ribs outward.  This added form stability.  It takes a considerable amount of pull to induce the bend, hence using a truckers rolling hitch knot.  We also tied a line fore and aft to steady the frame in that direction.

MATERIALS LIST

• Six ribs - 12' of 1" PVC tubing (to be cut in 1/2)

• Twelve feet - 1" PVC Ts. 

• One backbone - 24' of 2" ABS 

• One 2" ABS sleeve - for joining the backbone.

• ABS solvent.

Despite the fact that the backbone of this temporary redesign was too high, being just beyond our arms, the frame is extremely strong.  It was rock solid when we pulled the tarp over it.  The following year Doug lowered the backbone so the ribs are approximately 5' long and closed the open tarp ends some to scoop less wind.   The tarp now hangs lower down the hull which protects the gel coat.  After three months of winter the frame was still intact and the snow did not stick to the tarp, evident by the neat piles of snow along the drip line of the tarp.  Bob S  TOP
 

CONCLUSION - The tarp pulls easily over the Version I frame.  If you want the framework to stand up to strong winds, add internal guy lines from the backbone to the toe rail.  The frame has lots of height in the cockpit and adequate room to move around on deck.  It is possible to work sitting on the bow.  With a heater you would be quite comfortable working on the boat in winter.  That was the purpose of this design. 

Version II frame is much easier to erect, stronger and sheds the snow completely.  Unfortunately it has more wind resistance than I like but Siesta is well protected from wind where she sits so it wasn't an issue.  The framework can be made lower if you don't require sitting clearance on the deck.  After all you can't possibly work on the boat every winter, can you?  Remember to include the stanchions under the cover.  Otherwise you loose the advantage of this frame.  TOP
 

TARP SUPPORTED with a STEEL FRAME (Jim Delessandro - 2022).

But one of the best things I did was to build a winter enclosure with 6' headroom over the deck.  It makes working on the boat a pleasure.  Being in Michigan, it needs to hold up to high snow load and occasionally 60 mph winds.  The system I used is from a company called Kover Klamps.

Using their Klamps and electrical conduit, which you can buy anywhere, it's an affordable way to build a super strong framework. Then I did something different.  I bought a remnant of shrink wrap ($30) that was big enough to cover my boat but I didn't shrink it. Kover Klamps also makes something called Kover Klips which can lock on to any type of covering material without making a damaging hole.  Each Klip can hold up to 150 lbs tension.  So far I've used this system for 2 winters and the shrink wrap shows no signs of wear.  I think I can get many years of use out of it.  The inventor has thought of everything.  He even includes color coded labels so you can reassemble the frame year after year.  Its the Kover Klamp connectors that make the difference in this system.

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