winter cover_7241.jpg
Over this past weekend my wife Nancy and I took a little road trip p to Portland Maine to visit the Maine Boatbuilder’s Show. This annual event has become a sort of Spring welcoming session for New England boaters over the years. In attendance were the usual cast of characters with their displays of classic New England style boats. Nothing really new to report on that count. But as I walked the docks during the weekend I got a good look at the live-aboard boat below and thought I would share it. Unless I’ve been hiding behind a rock somewhare this is a fairly fresh idea I think for setting things up to have a comfortable space on board during cold NE winters.
Now granted, I just heard that the New England winter this year was the fourth warmest on record, but this cover arrangement is slick! We were walking around in shirt sleeves this weekend in Portland Maine! The cover is made up of almost clear heat shrink wrap over PVC hoops with a single wooden strip in the fore and aft plane making for a really beautiful green house which will keep things warm and toasty during a sunny day. This owner made the height high enough so that they can walk around on deck. If it ever does snow here in New England again, the shape will deflect well enough to keep any excessive accumulation from occuring. The frame is reusable from one year to the next. In general, my idea of a nice winter cocoon. Liveaboard boaters, you want this! Power or sail, I can see this shape and the hoop concept being employed on a lot of different boats.
