Winter Framing and Covering

[rcamaine]

The yard I am going to store at this year does not offer shrink-wrapping, so I am looking at either having them frame and cover for around $1,400, or doing it myself.

Years ago I used to help my Dad frame and cover his 34' Silverton. I also used to frame and cover my smaller 24' Slickcraft.

Now that I have this Tri-cabin, looking for any helpful tips on what others have done. Living in Maine snow is an issue - certainly not a ton on the coast - but it needs to be sturdy. Looking at Kover Klamps as an option as well. Thanks!

[captainmaniac]

Not in Maine, but Ontario, Canada. This may give you some ideas..

I have always stored my F32 indoors, but my father's old 28' (hardtop) used to be stored outdoors. For it we made up a frame out of (1x3s or 1x4s... its been a while) with a ridge pole, several center supports (perhaps every 6-8') to raise the ridge pole high enough to get a good pitch, and then more wood from the ridge down towards the railings. We didn't rest it on the railings though - each frame piece sat on the end of its own wood post so the weight was carried throughout the structure, not the railings. The finished frame was lashed to the rails. Over the cabin top (where we couldn't run to the railings due to the cabin roof height) was the same idea, but the posts were about 6' tall. Each weight supporting leg sat on a pad that was about 6"x6" to spread any forces over larger area, and underneath each of them was piece of carpeting (fuzzy side down) so the deck didn't get scratched.

These days I have seen others with similar concepts made out of aluminum tubing and PVC. If you label everything right, the frame also becomes reusable year over year.

[prowlersfish]

Not sure how far Bob goes north but give him a try


http://www.trojanboats.net/wforum/viewtopic.php?t=5161

[gruhs]

Alot of folks reading this own older mod tri-cabins. On ours we have some problems with minor leaks at the base of the cable supporting stantions especially near the front. For years before we purchased the boat it was stored outside and covered with either a tarp tied down or shrink wrap. I'm convinced the the stress from the covers and the wind action over the off season took it's toll on these stantion mounts and made them loose and now they leak in certain rainy/windy conditions. Most of these are very hard to access the undersides to refasten or tighten. We now pay the extra to store inside so this doesn't get any worse.
Just food for thought.

[Stripermann2]

Check out this thread. Pretty cool, using billboard plastic for the covering.

http://www.trojanboats.net/wforum/viewt ... =billboard