Conference unifix::sailing

As far as the structure goes I had good results with a basic ridge pole 
system. Use 2x4's as the ridge pole, 1x3's as the side pieces and cover 
each junction with carpet scraps. Staple the carpet tacks to the wood to hold 
(carpet tacks should read carpet pieces) them in place. Take out your stanchions
and the pulpits (if it doesn't look like too much work) to give a better slope.
Definitely take out the stanchions though! Also, run a set ouf side pieces from
the ridge pole to the top of your winches to make sure they don't poke through.

Material
I saw some interesting material at the show. It is a plastic of some sort, done
in a loose weave. It's a nice bright blue and the vendor claimed it could 
almost leap buildings. I'll try to findthe vendor's name & address but it may 
have gone out with the ret of my boat show materials.

Does anyone know anything about the white plastic material that appears to have been shrunk down on to boats?

Ed

I used blue plastic tarps last winter with limited success. Some of the 
grommets ripped -- the plastic does not stretch and thus the tiedown 
loads are not spread around much. According to a Wooden Boat article, 
the plastic tarps last about three years if one is very careful, but 
good canvas can last ten years or more. This year I am using canvas. 
(Goldberg's has a good sale price on canvas). Also, canvas tarps 
breathe, plastic doesn't. Even fiberglass boats need ventilation.

If you live not too far from the ocean, you might consider having your
boat trucked home for the winter. I am doing it this year for the fourth
time. It costs me somewhat more than yard storage, but then there is no
drive-to-the-boatyard expense and fall decommissioning / spring
commissioning is a lot less hassle. And the big plus -- all the boat
maintenance and improvements I get done. It is also nice to be able to
see what those crushing monthly payments are paying for. 

Alan

RE 1.
I couldn't find the material on the funny blue stuff. Sorry.

re2. I used the same canvas tarp for 4 seasons (then we sold the boat) and 
the only problem with the tarp was that I had neglected to order more 
grommets than on the corners and every 6' or so. Tying the beast down would
have been so much easier with grommets every 2-3'!

Ed

You might try some of the small sailmakers in Boston (Yellow Pages). We got
ours through one of these shops and saved on Bliss and the mail houses.
It would be helpful if you enjoyed roaming around some of Boston's older
buildings. The place we went to was right out of a Dickens novel. 

Ed

BILL....
	What I have done in the past is to use wooden slats.
approx. 2.5 inches wide, 1/4 inchthick, length?.
this works for my cumberline dory 16ft long w/ 21 ft mast.
As I am in GEORGIA I don't see much snow but the snow we had last year
didn't hurt it at all. Also I put in some pieces of sheet metal
sewn into the pressure points.

	hope this works!		JOE
					435-4432

re:-1
Where do you get 1/4" stock? Yankee lumberyards seem to have only
3/4" stock. Do you bow them? i.e., run one continuous piece from 
gunwale to gunwale? Sounds likeyoucould do some neat hings with
hat type of stock.

Ed

Ah, but don't forget snow loads here in the north. I asked an architect 
what snow loads roofs in MA are designed to carry -- about 10 lbs per 
square foot was the answer. I doubt many cover frames could carry that 
load. I used 1x3 strapping (cheap) on 24 inch centers for the cross 
members. My rough and no doubt inaccurate calculations indicate it 
might, if I'm lucky, survive a really heavy snow. Yet cover frames do 
seem to survive. Oh well, your guess as to what is strong enough is as 
good as mine. 

Alan

    
        If you are using a snow rake on the house, I found it is just
    dandy for getting 90% of the snow off your boat from the ground. Of
    course, you have to have the boat covered to begin with....