Boat Cover Ribs/Braces

[LaqueRatt]

Not sure what you would call them, but looking for a simple idea to keep the cover on my 14' Mirrocraft from caving in from rain and snow. Have bucket underneath it now to raise the center, but it's less than ideal. Been thinking of using some 1/2" PVC for bows in 3 places, but can't figure out how to anchor to the boat so that they would stay in place. I also happen to have some 3/4" alum tubing with an angle in it. I could cut these to fit, but I'd still need to find a way to anchor it. Was thinking of those round studs like hold the spring struts on a truck cap, but the bows could still flop over. There are some side strap pieces I could hook something to, but not sure if that wouldn't be even harder than attaching to the top rails on the inside. Pics attached.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Iboats sells cover bows and mounts

 

[airshot]

Most just use a wooden bow to go across the boat width in various places to create an arch to raise the center of the cover so water runs off. Bows are held in place by bow sockets, availiable everywhere ...

 

[LaqueRatt]

OK, cool. At least now I know what stuff is called. What's good to cut the bows out of? I suppose plywood could work, but strips of pine might be better? I can rip them to size. Is there a standard size? I'll look here on iboats and see what they got.

How many do you guys think I need? 3 maybe?

 

[roscoe]

Lots of ways to do it

A couple of saw horses

A couple of plastic garbage cans

Park it length wise between 2 of those trees, run a rope between the trees about 4’ above the boat and make an A frame tent over the boat with a $ 20 plastic tarp.

Put a couple large inner tubes in the boat.

My neighbor used to put his patio chairs inside. Protect the chairs and the boat. Kill 2 birds.

Have someone hold your beer.....
And use your inner Redneck to geter dun.

 

[Scott Danforth]

They make fiberglass bows.

 

[Chris1956]

Gee, how about a 2X4 ridge pole? If you need it, you can tie some light rope from gunwale to gunwale across the ridge pole, to help support the cover..

 

[Lou C]

I used a combination of 8 fiberglass bows; 2 ridge beams (wood) & 3 support poles (pvc). I tape it together with duct tape and it’s held up great to as much as a foot of snow when we have bad winters. I figure I’ve saved over 3 grand over 15 years using this & not shrink wrapping. Also I designed to so I can remove the last 3 bows, and flip up the rear ridge beam (put a hinge in it) so if we get a warm stretch I can do a few jobs etc. was able to pull the cyl heads that way in a warm Feb in 2017.

 

[LaqueRatt]

Thanks for all the ideas gentlemen. Lots of food for thought, I'd have never though of most of this stuff on my own. I just don't want to ruin the cover and so far the weather has cooperated with no real snow to speak of yet. I'm just a bit worried what an inch or more of rain we are supposed to get will do to it. I'm tempted to just pull it off.

Anyone know an easy way to flip the Alumacraft over? Pretty sure I can slide it off the trailer, but with nobody handy to help me I'd like to flip it by myself if possible. Although I'm beginning to think I should just get a second cover and enough brackets to do bows on both boats. Funny, but I never thought having boats would be so much extra work. Not as much fun now that the lake is starting to ice up.

If decide to go with bows, can I just rip them out of clear pine? How much longer than the width of the boat should they be? I'm thinking a couple inches ought to do it.

 

[Scott Danforth]

on my inherited 14' tinny fishing barge, just using the bows. the last cover went thru 10 winters in Wisconsin with over 1 foot of snow. the florida sun took out the cover in the past 5 years. 4 of the bow brackets (they are $5 a pair) broke when I threw the canoe over the boat. however that was from my stupidity

 

[Dubed]

just some 2x4s. Mark them and re-use next year

 

[mike_i]

I use old pieces of PVC and tennis balls to hold my cover up. The stripes denote where they go, one stripe is for the bow four stripe is in the stern. Cost was exactly zero.

 

[dingbat]

Back in the day, I tied one end of a rope to the starboard stern hook, looped it up and around the bow and ran it back and tied it off on the port stern hook.
Made a T-post out of 2 x 4 to support the center center of the span.
Threw a the trap over that. Worked very well

 

[LaqueRatt]

Damn you guys are good! A couple quick questions. Aren't the corners of 2x4s tough on the cover in the wind? How do you keep the PVC from falling over or do you cinch the cover up so tight they can't move?

Any thoughts on equally easy methods of flipping a 14' 175 lb boat upside down without screwing myself up.......again?! I got trees, but not overhead, 2x4s, logs, a come-along, a block and tackle, and a pickup truck. I can just see that boat skitching around the yard once on the ground instead of flipping over how I'd like it to. Sadly no boys in my family and my grandson is strong, but he's only 7. All my friends are either in crappy shape or dead. My "cool" neighbor moved away.

 

[Scott Danforth]

to flip the boat over.

remove motor
take boat off trailer
take 8' 2x4 and bolt thru ore locks. one bolt at the end of 2x4, the other mid-way on the 2x4.

stand on gunwal and roll boat, using 2x4 as lever arm.

 

[racerone]

I flip a 17' fiberglass boat ( 7' wide , no winshield) by myself.-----Adapter where motor was and 2 widow makers.-----Almost effortless.

 

[dingbat]

Aren't the corners of 2x4s tough on the cover in the wind?

Just chamfered the ends

 

[LaqueRatt]

Actually the 2x4 lever idea had just come to mind, but I was thinking maybe I could attach it to the transom handles. Think Scott's idea is mo' bettah. Gonna give it a try tomorrow. Imminent rain threat went poof, but still want to get the boats ready for a 3-4 mo. nap.

Maybe I'm overthinking this. If it goes right over as Racerone suggests I'll be LMAO.......at myself! What's a widow maker though?

 

[Willyclay]

...and my grandson is strong, but he's only 7.

Sounds like a great opportunity for QFT. Mine was only six when he was my "shotgun" rider in a rental truck I was driving on a 500 mile relocation. Many memories!

 

[roscoe]

just dump her off the trailer, pick up one side and lift.
when she starts to go over, you'll know its time to step back.
flipped plenty of aluminum boats this way, some as heavy as 250#
you aren't lifting the whole 175#