Wouldn’t it be great to have access to a heated shed where your boat could be stored in the off-season? The boat would be protected from rain, snow, and sun, and all those projects you accumulated over the summer could be completed in the comfort of an indoor workspace. Most of us don’t have this luxury, though, and the majority of boats winter in a boatyard, many of them without a cover of any sort.

Truth is, no matter where your home port is, leaving a boat uncovered for any length of time is just asking for trouble. Northern boats need protection from snow, rain, cold temperatures (ice), and the damaging UV rays of the winter sun. The biggest enemy is water in the bilge, which can freeze (expand), thaw, and crack fiberglass, but the elements will also do a number on uncovered gelcoat. Southern boats left uncovered to bake in the sun for months end up with powdery gelcoat and premature aging. Nothing can prolong a boat’s life, ease commissioning in the spring, and eliminate the need for potentially expensive repairs later, as well as a proper cover. There are three basic types: plastic, shrink-wrap, and canvas.

Plastic tarps

The upside of those familiar blue or green plastic tarps is that they are available at most local hardware stores, are relatively inexpensive, come in a variety of sizes, and have grommets along their edges that make them easy to tie down. The downside is their lack of strength; the heavier-gauge green tarp stands a better chance of lasting through the season.

All tarps deteriorate over time and are highly susceptible to chafe. Using a good framework and a generous number of sturdy tiedowns will extend a tarp’s life, possibly to several seasons. When the grommets pull out, as they almost inevitably do, all is not lost. Simply tie a tennis ball near each failed grommet (cover the ball with the tarp and tie it up tightly like a piece of hard candy) to create solid attachment points for the tie-down lines.

If you decide to use a tarp as a boat cover, get a big one that will hang down below the waterline rather than trying to make do with two smaller tarps. It’s difficult to situate the seam in a way that will keep water out, no matter how good the frame and tie-downs are. And the better the tarp fits, the better it will work.

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