keeping snow off the cover

[oteps]

My new boat has a canvas cover, prop in the back with 2 straps the run from front to back, 2 bowed flat pieces of metal in the front that go to the side rails and a cable across the rails so the dont spread and break. But the snow still pushes the canvas down and im afraid its going to collapse. Might throw a tarp over some of it but That wont let the canvas breathe. I cant get the cover any higher in the center so the snow slides off.
What do u guys do?

[Pipe_Dream]

Originally Posted by oteps

My new boat has a canvas cover, prop in the back with 2 straps the run from front to back, 2 bowed flat pieces of metal in the front that go to the side rails and a cable across the rails so the dont spread and break. But the snow still pushes the canvas down and im afraid its going to collapse. Might throw a tarp over some of it but That wont let the canvas breathe. I cant get the cover any higher in the center so the snow slides off.
What do u guys do?

Move south!

Sorry, I couldn't help myself. Maybe someone with real help will chime in!

[scook]

No idea if this is useful in your situation, but additional support might be made using PVC pipe. It can be bent to hold a curve, using heat (electricians use a special heat blanket, but CAREFUL use of a heat gun works). You can cut the back out of “T” fittings to rest against real rails, etc. and adapt to larger or smaller things to rest on using adapters and larger or smaller T’s. A “T”, cut open can also be heat bent to rest on something that’s not round - think of it as working with Keydets to make a sheath or holster.

Hope this is helpful, if only to get you thinking along different lines. If this seems useful, but not very well explained, shoot me a PM with your email address and I’ll answer questions as well as I can - can scan and send some sketches too, or have a phone conversation.

[Giorgio]

Not sure if this would help, I had three poles for my cover, one in the center, the highest and two in the stern one on the port side and one one the starboard side, just not as high, the snow would stick at first, then just slide off. Check out the picture. You can also take Pipe's advise.

[steplift20]

I made a frame using horse brackets , the one you use for making a saw horse and used a 8 ten foot 2X4 accross the top and 6 foot ones for the legs and it's been working fine for years . I do put something under the legs cause that comes in contact with the deck

[oteps]

My old boat I built a 2x4 frame and used tarps. it worked good but the frame was a pain to put up and take down.
the canvas cover doesnt have a lot of room to put the center up higher.
Thanks for all the replies, except from the joker down south. haha

[ashokrags]

This winter I ended up putting an old saw horse near the transom to keep the peak and didn’t really see much snow accumulation, but I did go and knock off the snow after the couple of storms we had. I might end up with the sawhorse clamps idea next year, just that my cover was a bit smaller than I planned for, so maybe the next cover I will do it.