Cockpit cover

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Cockpit cover

Postby SteveSand » Mon Jun 21, 2021 11:21 am

I have just rented a mooring ball for the season as I am getting older and have more trouble stepping the mast. I am wondering if there is a way to easily cover the cockpit so I won't have to bail a lot every time it rains. Any suggestions? The boat is a Day Sailor I. The title tells me it is a 1960, but I am guessing it is actually from around 1962 based on the features.

Thanks much for any suggestions!
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Re: Cockpit cover

Postby tomodda » Mon Jun 21, 2021 2:39 pm

I'm using an old tent fly (which I trash picked), slung over the boom (which I keep in place with topping lift and a good tug on the mainsheet). The tent fly stays in place $1 Spring clamps - I clamp it down to the rubrail in 3-4 spots on each side and clamp all loose fabric to the mast. The trick is to get it as taut as possible, otherwise water will pool.

Alternative #2 is to do the same thing using a vinyl-backed dropcloth. Only problem with that is the dropcloth eventually chafes thru (as in a matter of months, mine developed holes over the winter).

Alternative #3 is to actually spend money and get a cockpit cover from SLO Canvas or your local sailmaker. The sky is the limit, there.
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Re: Cockpit cover

Postby jalmeida51 » Mon Jun 21, 2021 3:26 pm

I use a boom tent cover made from Sunbrella fabric. Rudy at D&R Marine has the covers in Sunbrella or canvas duck. Slo Canvas &Sail makes them also and there is Sailor's Taylor most offer different fabrics. I went with a local canvas maker and had one made for $250 but I had to supply the gunnel clips. 10 clips cost another $ 80 got them from R&R. The fabric was Sunbrella. ( black ) The clips are held on with shock cord so the cover is good and tight. Sunbrella cost more but will last a lot longer and is worth it if you are going to keep your boat for a period of time. You will need a toppin lift or a boom crutch to hold up the end of the boom. My tent has the front closed with a heavy zipper and snaps to secure it to the cuddy .The back of the cover is open even in the pouring Florida rain I only get a few buckets to bail out. I'm on a dock so some times the wind blows the rain in. You shouldn't have this problem on a mooring do to your bow will be facing into the wind.

Do a little research and find the best cover, the best style and the best fabric for your needs.

John
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Re: Cockpit cover

Postby SteveSand » Thu Jun 24, 2021 11:14 am

Thanks for the replies! I will try to do one my self first (and hope it can be a long-term soluition), then go to a local sailmaker once I understand the situation a little better.
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Re: Cockpit cover

Postby GreenLake » Thu Jun 24, 2021 3:38 pm

People make sails from H/W store tarps, so I imagine, cutting down a tarp and re-gluing the edges is doable (or at least a well-understood process that you can find discussed somewhere). I've made good experience with "heavy duty" versions of the white tarps; they regularly last me a bit over a year. (On land, draped over the mast, in my case) The trick for getting the most life out of this would be to set it up that it's under good tension, and to add a strip doubling it where it rests on the boom. (That's where I see mine failing first). After the first season, I'd use the previous one as a second cover whenever I'm not using the boat weekly.

On land, you have the luxury of hooking onto the trailer, but fashioning or purchasing suitable clips for the rubrail should not be too hard.

The advantage of starting with cheaper materials might be in allowing you to make sure your pattern works as intended before you commit yourself.
~ green ~ lake ~ ~
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