Buy this...

We usually buy large blue plastic tarps to cover the boats. They're easy to move, lightweight and cheap. Then after a hard New England winter, the tarps were leaky and torn and needed to be replaced each spring. To make matters worse, for Jack A Roe I also would buy a large clear plastic tarp for added waterproof protection (keeping the water out seemed important as the boat was completely open to the elements and was basically a pile of exposed wood in a fiberglass bathtub). So each season I had to find a new use for these old tarps and plastic sheeting because I didn't want to just bring it over to the dump. After a couple years of this I find that all of the free space in the garage is full of trashed tarps and plastic that had long since stopped being useful for anything.

This year, after bringing a couple years of old worn tarps to the dump and feeling lousy about it, I bit the bullet an bought a canvass tarp. The same kind I've seen on all the "old timers" boats around the coast. It costs three or four times as much but its worth it. I should have known that while the old yanks around here may be cheap (frugal?) they still know good value. The canvas tarps are stronger, more durable keeps all that plastic out of the landfill. It's basically canvass impregnated with rubber. The rain and snow initially falls right off of it because of the rubber but some may eventually sink in between the fibers if it is left to pool or if there is any standing water. But because its made with cotton, the fibers swell when wet and then essentially seal out any excess moisture. Its a great system and I wish I could have afforded to have done this years ago.

The big drawback is the weight. Unlike the plastic tarps which can be taken on and off easily, the canvass tarps are HEAVY. I'm 6'5'' 210, young and in pretty good shape so moving it around is a pain but still manageable.

Its worth it to keep all that plastic out of the landfill. Go buy one.