Recurring discussions on the list regarding winter covers makes me think that my approach to this matter might be of interest to some of you.

If you need to cover your boat in the winter where there is a significant snow load to contend with I provide here the arrangement that I came up with. In my case I didn't want to use the mast as a ridge pole because of all the protrusions, spreaders etc. I also wanted something that was fast and cheap because I am lazy and cheap.

For the ridge pole I used 2 ten-foot lengths of 4" PVC drain pipe that are glued together and have end caps. This makes a great ridge pole that is smooth and has a gentle curve that avoids chafe, is rigid, strong and light - making it easy for me to handle alone. 

I have three vertical and adjustable supports made from 2 x 4 studs - one tied to the bow pulpit. One at the mast step and one in the cockpit that is clamped to the seats. All are held vertically by lines. At the top of the supports I attached a 6" piece of the same PVC pipe with about 1/3 of the circumference cut out and the opening facing up like a "C" on its back.

I put the supports in place and then lay the ridge pole in the C brackets and just snap it into place. I then adjust the height of the supports, if necessary, to hold the ridge pole horizontally. I then fasten the ridge pole more securely to the support using reusable wire ties - probably unnecessarily. 

Finally, I use poly tarps to cover the whole rig. Costco sells a set of two tarps that are about 16' x 20' for about $30 in Canada and presumably a fraction of that in the US. They last for years. They are much better than the standard flimsy bleu tarps sold everywhere else. Using two overlapping tarps is much easier to hand than a single big one and these tarps fit perfectly with the one at the aft going across the boat on the long dimension and the one on the bow going lengthwise.

After the first use the parts are reused each year without the need for adjustment so it all goes together very quickly working alone. 

I have used this rig for 4 years now without difficulty. We get quite heavy snow falls here so when we get a real dump I pull the  snow off to be safe. This is easy for me because I keep the boat at my home. Otherwise I might be tempted to increase the number of supports and/or make them higher to create a steeper slope.

Total cost would be less than $100.


Graham Stewart
Agile 1976 Rhodes 22
Kingston Ontario



Agile with cover frame 2018.jpg

Agile with cover.jpg