Mast up cockpit cover for BRe

[Rory C]

Gobhlan is likely to be sitting on a pontoon in Stornoway for much of the summer. Has anyone seen a cover that would span from spray hood to mizzen and gunwhale to gunwhale supported on the centreline by a bridle from the main halyard? The idea is to discourage seagulls seals and possible felons (unlikely on Isle of Lewis) and allow the main and boom to be under cover.
Rory C.

[Rob Johnstone]

Rory,

Not sure how much this helps: Lara told me that Rain and Sun in Southampton  http://www.rainandsun.co.uk/ have patterns for cockpit covers on the range (BrE / BR abd BC23). They make me one for Riff Raff (without needing to measure up). You can see a picture of it: https://www.dropbox.com/s/fz7qdtua2t0kma3/Cockpit%20cover.jpg?dl=0

It came supplied with all the bits of bungy and hangers to hold it on the boat. So far, it's been fine.


ps Riff Raff will be launching from Kyle of LochAlsh in June and heading north and west for a couple of weeks. I'll give you some warning so you can avoid us in Stornoway!

[Sea Simon]

Rory,

The yard supplied me one, which actually came from Rain and Sun (have used more than one of their covers on dinghies for several years, and am happy with quality, as well as the fit).

BRe mooring cover was £345 + £10 P&P plus VAT (last winter).  This is a mast-up cover that can be used on the water (no "belly straps"); can also be used ashore.

Mine on a BRe, but VERY similar to that in Rob's photo.
On Bre, there is a hole in the middle of the cover, so that the main sheet can remain attached to the boom (I don't leave sheets rigged if I am leaving the boat for a couple of weeks, as I am often forced to do). An elastic strap supports the cover, from the boom.
You will need to fit "buttons" or similar down the sides of the coamings, to secure the elastics to.

Has worked well for me, on a semi-drying river mooring, and has withstood several full gales. Expensive(ish) but would buy another.

Your idea, to fit over boom and main, would result in enormous windage; imo certainly not suitable for a mooring. Pontoon maybe ok?

Certainly keeps the gulls/ducks etc out (thank god we don't have that many/adventurous seals!)
I have a "Gull Sweep" (also recommended)  rigged up on a pipe, that I set up in the "mizzen hole" and that keeps the blighters off the nice soft after end of the cover. Gulls generally land into-wind, so with the boat on a swing-mooring, the exposed aft end makes an ideal roost, if not protected.

[Rory C]

Many thanks Rob and Simon, very helpful comments and photo link.
My intention has been to secure the forward end over the open spray hood so that the latter is free to dry off if stowed wet and give the cover a significant fall along the centreline. I would remove the main and boom (using a rather fiddly "cartridge" that I've made for the slides) from the goose-neck so that it can live over the centreboard case under the cover. I should have said coamings rather than gunwhale in my previous post and am considering fixing with press studs as for the spray hood rather than hooks and mini bungees. Any comments would be appreciated. Ben and I will discuss the issue further.
Much looking forward to a first outing for 2019 soon after Easter probably on Ullswater.
Rory

[Matthew P]

Gladys and her sisters have cheap plastic "farmers" tarps, replaced every 2 to 3 years.  Not very smart but I've given up on "smart".  This solution will not work on a mooring, so my application is different to Rory's.

My objective is to protect against UV sunlight which in my opinion does more damage than water to boat and fittings, and to deter the eyes of the curious which can lead to even greater loss. 

The cover is not water tight. This does not matter  if water drains and not puddles, particularly next to wood.  Preventing puddles is mostly achieved by levelling the boat so water drains into the cockpit sump and by opening the sump and water ballast tank drain holes.

I also try to ensure plenty of ventilation.  So far birds, bats, bees etc have not taken up residence.  Maybe the unfitted slightly flappy cover helps discourage them.

Fixed attachments always seem to end up with stretched and slack covers, whatever the material.    Where possible I use bungy attachments to tension the cover.  Even with quite slack bungies it is surprising how the cover keeps taught across the top boat.  Any slight flapping in the wind is taken up by the bungies.  The bungies are attached to the covers by the re-enforced holes where fitted by the tarp manufacturer or hooked to string around wrapped retired golf balls.

Matthew
BR20 Gladys

[Sea Simon]

My intention has been to secure the forward end over the open spray hood so that the latter is free to dry off if stowed wet and give the cover a significant fall along the centreline. I would remove the main and boom (using a rather fiddly "cartridge" that I've made for the slides) from the goose-neck so that it can live over the centreboard case under the cover.
Rory

I remove my main/boom if left on the mooring for any extended period (would be interested in details of your "cartridge" system?) this cuts the windage down, as well as protecting from UV/gull sh1t etc.
The sail cover retains it on the boom quite well (although over the winter I've had a dedicated storage tubular bag/cover made).
I stow the boom/main under the cockpit cover, with the excess length inside the cabin, by means of leaving the lower washboard out; the top board goes in and locks as normal.
The mizzen mast breaks in two at the joint and lives inside the cabin.
Thus the whole lot is protected by the cockpit cover.

[Sea Simon]

Found some pics of a Rain and Sun Cover on a BRe.
This is the first time I've tried uploading pics.

This is not my boat (don't know who's it is); the cover is the same, other than mine is a very light grey rather than beige.
Gives a much better idea of the "low profile" that I was trying to explain. Also the hole for the main sheet - I was skeptical at first, but any rain it lets in has not been an issue for me.

is it the perspective, or does that (unbraked?) trailer have very small wheels?