I'll be keeping my Spindrift DS I at a marina slip this season and need to purchase a cover to keep the cockpit from filling with water when it rains.
It looks like the major cover suppliers offer two types of covers. One is a cockpit cover that goes over the boom and attaches to the hull/deck flange with vinyl-coated hooks. The other is a full deck over the boom cover that also covers about 6" of the hull and secures with shock cord.
I'd be interested in feedback from DS owners who have either type of cover. I'm particularly interested in ease of installation/removal and stability of the cover during unattended dockage.
Thanks,
Vince
Vince (vincent.demperio-at-bms.com)
boat covers
Moderator: GreenLake
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by Guest » Wed Jan 09, 2002 11:27 am
I too keep mine at a marina, and have ordered from Sailors' Tailor a "cockpit" cover (as opposed to "trailer" or "mooring" covers). Reasons were 1, easy to put on and take off (I could easily see me going in the water trying to put a cover on the entire boat), and 2, cost. The issue I'm facing now is a way to support the boom, as the cover requires that be up to support to cover's angle for rain drainage.
Good luck.
Tom (tbeames65-at-cs.com)
Good luck.
Tom (tbeames65-at-cs.com)
- Guest
by Guest » Thu Jan 10, 2002 8:32 am
Tom,
Build a boom crutch. The directions and measurements are on this web site. I built one last year. It's easy to bo and really helps with a number of things including rigging the boat and bending on the mainsail. i don't know how I ever got along without one. I built mine of maple and stained it dark to match the other wood trim pieces on the boat.
jim (jimb-at-dsouth.com)
Build a boom crutch. The directions and measurements are on this web site. I built one last year. It's easy to bo and really helps with a number of things including rigging the boat and bending on the mainsail. i don't know how I ever got along without one. I built mine of maple and stained it dark to match the other wood trim pieces on the boat.
jim (jimb-at-dsouth.com)
- Guest
by Guest » Thu Jan 10, 2002 2:39 pm
I also purchased a cockpit cover for my DS. Instead of installing a boom crutch, I rigged a topping lift. I simply run a line from the aft end of the boom to a block installed near the top of the mast and tie it off on a cleat installed near the base of the mast. Although a boom crutch might be more stable, a topping lift is nice for this application since you can easily adjust the angle and height of the boom to ensure the cover fits well.
Vince
Vince (vincent.demperio-at-bms.com)
Vince
Vince (vincent.demperio-at-bms.com)
- Guest
by Guest » Tue Apr 09, 2002 11:12 pm
Well, what I finally did was the boom crutch. Liked the topping lift idea, but the cover I bought doesn't have any access cuts at the end of the mast, and so there was nowhere to run a line.
I took one of my paddles (4.5' long as I recall), which fits perfectly through the slot in the floor boards at the stern, and installed a pintle on the paddle itself. I shortened the paddle a few inches. Then I screwed a gudgeon into the coaming, and notched the other end of the paddle to 'cradle' the boom while its resting on the crutch.
It took some careful measurements, but now the boom is at the right height all the time, and I have no lines in the way when bending on the main.
Oh, one more thing. The boom crutch alone is insufficient to hold the boom level; the gooseneck slides down the mast(I imagine a topping lift would encounter the same problem). I use my jib halyard secured to the foot bolt to keep it at a marked height.
Tom (tbeames65-at-cs.com)
I took one of my paddles (4.5' long as I recall), which fits perfectly through the slot in the floor boards at the stern, and installed a pintle on the paddle itself. I shortened the paddle a few inches. Then I screwed a gudgeon into the coaming, and notched the other end of the paddle to 'cradle' the boom while its resting on the crutch.
It took some careful measurements, but now the boom is at the right height all the time, and I have no lines in the way when bending on the main.
Oh, one more thing. The boom crutch alone is insufficient to hold the boom level; the gooseneck slides down the mast(I imagine a topping lift would encounter the same problem). I use my jib halyard secured to the foot bolt to keep it at a marked height.
Tom (tbeames65-at-cs.com)
- Guest
by Guest » Wed Apr 10, 2002 8:46 pm
Tom, I inserted a screw through the sail slot on my mast to hold the gooseneck slider up.I placed the hole about 1/4 - 1/2" below the height of the boom when the sail is up, then when I lower the sail the gooseneck can only slide down that short distance. I have used this same technique on all the sailboats that I've owned.
Rod Johnson, "SUNBIRD" (rjohnson24-at-juno.com)
Rod Johnson, "SUNBIRD" (rjohnson24-at-juno.com)
- Guest
by Guest » Thu Apr 11, 2002 7:10 am
What ya'll need is a sail stop. You can buy one for a nominal price at any sailboat supply place (West Marine, etc.) or Rudy at D&R has them. This is a slug that fits in the bolt rope track with a thumb screw that hold it in place. It's easily adjustable and easily removable and you don't have to drill a hole in your mast.
jim (jimb-at-dsouth.com)
jim (jimb-at-dsouth.com)
- Guest
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