What is your favorite tarp for storing your boat?

[Mark42]

Had been using the common blue tarp. It was big, so it was folded in half to cover the little 14' MFG for winter storage. The tarp lasted about 4 NJ winters, now its got a few bad spots where it looks like the weave has come apart. Maybe animals were attacking it. Its no longer water tight. I'm probably going to order an 11 mil grey cover in a size that won't need folding to cover the boat well.

What kind of tarps do you use? Are the 11 mil silver going to outlast the 8 mil blue by a large margin?

 

[tommays]

Re: What is your favorite tarp for storing your boat?

My favorite was the home depot brown BUT they stoped selling the bigger ones


I use the green ones ( 10 mil. construction, 1000 Denier )from the trailer parts super store and find that there never the same from year to year in there UV abilty ,the last one made 9 months and the current one is perfect at 12 months


BUT i will not risk it making a second winter at 40 dollars


I would go with one of there better ones but i require a 20 X 25 and they dont carry that size in the 12mil

 

[Tahoe 55]

Re: What is your favorite tarp for storing your boat?

You all don't use boat covers? Like Dowco or Westland?

 

[tommays]

Re: What is your favorite tarp for storing your boat?

After the first two GOOD covers died at about 5 years each and 400 dollars they lost there appeal

 

[nlain]

Re: What is your favorite tarp for storing your boat?

I use the Harbor Freight Blue tarps, year long use, boat stored outside on trailer, they usually last about a year and they are cheap.

 

[dingbat]

Re: What is your favorite tarp for storing your boat?

I used the brown/ silver tarps from Home Depot on my last boat and got 4-5 years out of them.

This boat I needed a 16' x 30' tarp. Nobody carried that size locally so I had to order a silver/silver tarp on-line. The thickness is important but I found the tighter weaves to give better life.

Here are the specs.

6oz Per Square Yard
- 14x14 Mesh Count
- 12 Mil Thickness
- 3 Ply Woven P.E.Tarp Material
- U.V. Treated

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: What is your favorite tarp for storing your boat?

i have found that the blue last longer in Fl than the Gray. but i lost 2 of them that were a year old, to tropical storm fay, more chafing and anything else.

 

[Mark42]

Re: What is your favorite tarp for storing your boat?

Thanks for all the input.

The MFG is the old classic runabout shape, so generic covers don't fit well. The tarps work well, especially over the PVC pipe tent frame that holds up the tarp. Makes the rain, snow and ice slide off.

Just ordered an 11 mill tarp from Harbor freight, and an extra gromet kit so I can get the bungies where I want them.

When I finish the hard top for the Bayliner, I think I'll make a big "custom" cover by cutting and sewing a tarp so it fits well.

 

[dingbat]

Re: What is your favorite tarp for storing your boat?

Just ordered an 11 mill tarp from Harbor freight, and an extra gromet kit so I can get the bungies where I want them.

When I finish the hard top for the Bayliner, I think I'll make a big "custom" cover by cutting and sewing a tarp so it fits well.

Consider using tarp clips instead of the grommets. The first thing that fails on my tarps is the grommets. They get pulled out of the material by the stress put on them by the bungee cords.

I changed over to the clips which allowed me to position the bungees where I needed them, not where the grommets where positioned. They also come in handy to "shape" your cover by allowing you to fold the tarp as needed to provide a better fit on the boat.

They get a big thumb up from me.

 

[Mark42]

Re: What is your favorite tarp for storing your boat?

Consider using tarp clips instead of the grommets. The first thing that fails on my tarps is the grommets. They get pulled out of the material by the stress put on them by the bungee cords.

I changed over to the clips which allowed me to position the bungees where I needed them, not where the grommets where positioned. They also come in handy to "shape" your cover by allowing you to fold the tarp as needed to provide a better fit on the boat.

They get a big thumb up from me.

Where do you get your tarp clips?

 

[JoeCrow]

Re: What is your favorite tarp for storing your boat?

Home Depot "BLUE"
I get a couple winters out of them and they're cheap

 

[Limited-Time]

Re: What is your favorite tarp for storing your boat?

A garage......................but before that I'd do a dbl cover, a blue tarp pulled and bungee corded tight over a PVC frame inside the boat. And a secondary cover (another blue tarp) suspended over the top of the primary cover, again using a PVC pipe frame. Did this for over 10 years and only replaces the outer tarp once.............................................................. FWIW I taped the outer frame together at the joints with black electrical tape so I could disassemble it for storage.

 

[zach103]

Re: What is your favorite tarp for storing your boat?

You all don't use boat covers? Like Dowco or Westland?

I think we get too much snow up here to use just the cover..

i have whole support system built to cover mine.. than 2 of the brown and sliver tarps.. love those things.. use them for everything..

 

[dingbat]

Re: What is your favorite tarp for storing your boat?

Where do you get your tarp clips?

I got mine at Walmart but a lot of places advertise them on the net as well.

 

[AguaSki]

Re: What is your favorite tarp for storing your boat?

After the first two GOOD covers died at about 5 years each and 400 dollars they lost there appeal

I agree. I spent too much money on boat covers that did not last as long as advertised.

Last April I bought a silver/silver tarp from Harbor Freight. It lasted about 2 months, but I think I was to blame for the short life. I kept my bungee cords too tight, and I allowed the sharp corners on my windshield frame to puncture the tarp. Next I bought a silver/brown tarp at Wal-Mart. The Wal-Mart tarp seems to be more durable. I also started using the adjustable bungee cords at Home Depot so I can get then tension just right. I am now using pool noodle's that I split open to cover my windshield frame, and that is keeping the the sharp edges from puncturing the tarp. So far the Wal-Mart tarp seems to be holding up well, but time will tell how good the tarp is.

 

[mthieme]

Re: What is your favorite tarp for storing your boat?

I prefer the silver ones from Harbor Freight.
They last maybe twice as long as the blue ones.

 

[captlee]

Re: What is your favorite tarp for storing your boat?

Home depo blue tarps, get a year or 2 outta them and toss em.

 

[Mark42]

Re: What is your favorite tarp for storing your boat?

Besides cutting and sewing a tarp to give it some shape (so it fits the hard top shape better without lots of folds that can hold water and freeze), I was thinking about heat welding the tarp seams. Anyone done this before? Is there a basic heat roller style tool that can be used to do this? Kind of like the tool that rolls the rubber strip into window screens, but gets hot.

Regarding sewing, I have lots of marine grade outdoor thread leftover from making the convertable top on the MFG.

 

[f_inscreenname]

Re: What is your favorite tarp for storing your boat?

Spent a lot of money on tarps and tops. Most of those $120 winter tops (the gray felt looking ones) suck. Just a big elastic band around the bottom. They sag, leak and don?t try to get snow off of them.
That?s also the problem with the custom hurricane top that?s on the boat most of the time (getting it?s name sake use out of it today thanks to Hanna). When we get a day of snow it?s almost guaranteed that it will freeze, thaw, freeze, thaw over and over making the top a chunk of ice just waiting to crack under it?s own weight. Even if you shovel it off there is always enough left over to make it wet when the sun comes out but it will freeze again at night.
As for the tarps from H/D and such. I used to use the brown ones but the cost has gone through the roof. So now I use the blue. They are only going to last a couple years anyway so why not. I did learn to sew using carpet binders many years ago and after mom gave us one of her old sewing machines a couple years back I started stitching up my own . Now I just find a blue tarp that?s long enough and then cut it down to size. It usually leaves enough left overs to stitch up a bag to put the tarp and bungies in for summer storage also. As for the thread? Just use the normal stuff. It?s a synthetic most cases. Just don?t use cotton or something like that. Also unless you have a heavy duty mech most of that stuff it to big for it anyway.
Trust me, real men can sew or they pay for their pride. The next time you all go to the upholstery shop think about it.