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Winter Cover

I began work on a winter cover for Ariel a year ago (November ’05), but ran out of time before winter set in. I finished the cover in November of 2006 and, eager to beat the winter weather, put it on the boat just before a December storm set in. The initial plan was to design the cover for storing the boat with the mast up; however, this year we are back to storing mast down, so the plan shifted and the necessary adjustments were made to the cover – the only thing I had to do was add a patch to the cutout I’d already made for the mast.

The following report outlines the process and experience of building my own winter cover. I went into this project without any experience in canvas work and, naturally, learned much as I progressed. Here’s what I did:

 

  1. Construct a ridge pole that will support the winter cover and provide enough pitch to easily shed snow.
    1. Based upon the design of other – professional – winter covers at our marina, I decided to locate the ridge pole approximately level with the gooseneck (Ariel’s boom is off, although some boat covers are designed to utilize the boom for support). This height creates an adequate slope and yet is low enough to avoid excessive windage, which is a concern since we get some fierce winter storms with high winds here in Michigan.
    2. Several 2x4s with overlapping joints were screwed (scabbed) together to span the distance between the aft edge of the mast and backstay, and the forward edge of the mast and the headstay. I sandwiched the stays between the ridge pole and a scrap of wood with thru-bolts to hold the ends in place, being careful to not to apply too much clamping pressure on the stays.
  2. Begin preliminary measurements and design work:
    1. Using a hull diagram from the CD36 manual for my schematic to record notes on, I took some rough measurements of the boat (Although I used some of these measurements, the latter part of the construction ignored the headstay, backstay, mast measurements because I decided to make the cover for a mast down arrangement):

* My plan was to run the fabric panels perpendicular to the boat’s centerline. Doubling the measurement from ridge pole centerline to lifeline top provides total panel length (plus seam allowances) at each interval.

** I had already decided that I was going to use a fabric that is 60” wide when I began taking measurements, hence the width measurements at five foot intervals along the ridge pole. Any other fabric width would require measurements at corresponding intervals.

    1. I sketched the several panels on the diagram and calculated their total length plus seam allowances.
    2. After consulting Don Casey’s Canvaswork and Sail Repair, I decided to use flat-felled seams for all the panels. Not only is the flat-felled seam better looking – and a must in areas without selvage – but I thought it might be a stronger stitch than a simple double- or triple-sewn 1” overlap. This type of seam is undeniably more work, but the finished look and, hopefully, added strength are well worth it – not to mention all the experience I’m getting!
  1. Begin cutting the panels according to the longest length necessary in each panel. Due to the shape of the boat, it is likely that the panels will be irregular, with one end of the panel longer than the other. For example, one of the panels for Ariel is 146” long at the forward edge and only 130” long at the aft edge. This means that my minimum panel length must be 146” if I am to have enough material to span the hull at that point and match the adjoining panel properly. As the panels are cut, ensure that the edges are square to avoid uneven seam lines later on. It probably goes without saying, but doing all of this is much easier with a big, open space of floor for laying out, cutting, and sewing the fabric. I appropriated my son’s basement playroom, which is about 8’x15’ – not too terribly large, but big enough to make it work.
    1. With two panels cut, mark the center of both panels.
    2. On one panel place a series of marks along the panel’s length ½” from the edge (or selvage). These marks will be used to locate the overlapping panel.
    3. Apply basting tape within the ½” marks along the length of the panel.
    4. Align center marks on the two panels and begin adhering the two panels together, working from the center out, and aligning the overlapping panel with the ½” seam marks.
  2. Sew the panels together using a 6mm straight-stitch. Sew a single stitch down the center of the seam, locking both ends by backing up over the stitches.
    1. Handling a substantial length of material can be difficult, especially as three or more panels are sewn together, so rolling the panels together like a scroll can help with feeding the material through the machine as well as keeping the seam flat and wrinkle free.
  3. Flat-fell the seams using the same 6mm straight-stitch along the exposed fold. I found it helpful to move the needle to one side of the foot to allow my stitches to fall as close to the fold as I could.
  4. Sew another stitch approximately a ¼” from the first row of stitches to capture the fold on the inside of the cover. Again, I moved the needle to the opposite side of the foot to keep the stitches as close to the fold as possible. I found it helpful to use the width of the foot as a reference to keep my rows of stitching evenly spaced.
  5. Continue sewing panels together. Depending upon experience and confidence, it may be wise after sewing together three or four panels to test fit the cover and mark the cutouts for the mast, shrouds and any other obstruction rather than assembling to whole thing only to discover that the measurements weren’t quite right and cutouts need to be relocated or modified.
  6. Once all of the panels are sewn together, spread the cover out flat on the floor and mark out panels lengths. Draw a fair curve using a long batten to reproduce an outline (approximation) of the hull shape.
  7. Fabricate vertical panels that will conform to the hull sides.
    1. I measured a distance of approximately 50” from the top of the lifelines to the bootstripe. I then added three inches to account for seam at the top of the panels and a 1 ½” hem at the bottom, through which I’ll enclose a drawstring, for a total length of 53” for each side panel.
    2. Rather than cut along the outline all at once – as mentioned in #8 – I cut one panel at a time and then cut the corresponding side panel. Since I was working in a confined space in the basement of about 8’x15’, I cut the first two panels, seamed them together, then cut another panel, seamed it to the previous, and so on till I had seven side panels cut and seamed together.
    3. I then seamed the side panels to the cover’s top panels. Normally I would use basting tape but I decided that it might just pull apart due to the size and weight of the cover. Instead, I marked a ½” margin along the top edge of the side panels and only used about 7” of basting tape at the beginning to get started. This method worked fine and allowed me to feed the fabric through the machine more easily than if it had been essentially one large piece. (I wish that I had pictures of this part of the assembly, but I was more interested in finishing the project at the time than documenting it.) This part of the process was by far the most demanding in terms of managing material and feeding it through the machine. Yardage to this point was perhaps about 35 yards and the total dimensions were anywhere from 18’-22’ wide by 40’ long. Working solo on a carpeted floor meant stopping every 2 feet or so to pull the bunched up fabric away from the back side of the machine so new material could feed freely. It also meant learning how to use various appendages to manipulate the foot control – in addition to feet and hands, I found that using my knee while sitting cross-legged on the floor worked well.
  8. Fabricate panels for bow and stern enclosures.
    1. This part of the process was waylaid by the need to get the cover finished and on the boat before the weather set in. Thus, I made the decision to forego the enclosures, try the cover on the boat, and take it off after test-fitting it to determine how best to make the enclosures. This will depend on the weather. As soon as there’s a break, I’ll pull the cover off, sew on my enclosures and be done with it.
  9. Sew in hem for drawstring along panel bottom.
    1. This was a simple matter of making marks 3” from the bottom edge of the cover then aligning the marks while feeding the fabric through the machine for a 1 ½” hem. I double-stitched the hem and fished two 50 foot pieces of rope for drawstrings through each hem to finish it.
  10. Sew webbing attachment points for tie downs.
    1. I used 7” strips of 1” wide nylon webbing folded around the hem for my tie downs. Each tie down was folded over the panel seams, and intermediate tie downs were added in the middle of each panel where I thought the cover would need additional securing.
  11. Sew in reinforcement patches for ridge pole and lifeline tops.
    1. This I did not do since the plan was changed from mast up to mast down. Reinforcement patches may prove necessary; I’ll have to keep an eye on the cover to see how it fares.
  12. And….experience will show me what I’ve overlooked!

Winter Cover

Click a picture to see a larger view.


The Finished product:




I brought the cover home Saturday evening and used all the material I had on hand to make bow and stern enclosures. Jake and I got the cover back on today (Sunday, December 4) and snugged it down tightly. It looks pretty good. The stern enclosure is still a little short, but much better than it was. I'll add a flap if the weather promises to clear for several days. If not, it will have to wait until spring, when the cover comes back off.

 





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