Cratch and Covers

[steveh]

We are considering fitting a cratch and cover to our boat and we have a few questions.

 

What types are there? Are they removable? Apart from having that little extra bit and dry space what other advantages are there? What are the disadvantages! Help please!

 

We would like to fit one that would possible be removable or at least lower into a table.

[Gary Peacock]

At the risk of being publicly flogged! I hate the things you can't stand up in them and they remind me of going camping in a ridge tent plus on nearly every boat I work on it's that full of rubbish you can't even get in there.

 

Edited May 3, 2007 by Gary Peacock

[DHutch]

Most of them are removable.

- Hooked/buttoned/poppered to the hull in some way. With or without the cratch front/board being removable.

 

I dont have a well-deck at all. However im sure many other memebers will share there thoughts on the pros and cons of the matter!

 

 

Daniel

[carlt]

They're useful for holding the top plank and tarp up between the mast and the front deck, over your hold. This is the best way of keeping your cargo dry.

[Lady Muck]

I want one that's completely removeable, I only need it for the winter, so I can avoid getting a facefull of ash everytime I empty the ashpan out. There are strong prevailing winds on our stretch. It would also be useful to store wellies in the winter.

[Liam]

When my parents got their current boat, it didn't have a cratch cover, but saying that neither did the boat before it, but due to the way the front end was it couldn't have one anyway (very high bows and short front deck area).

 

Taking advantage of the low, long and wide front end on the current boat, they decided to get Camberwell Covers to do the full monty, as in cratch board, top plank and cratch cover itself. What a difference! It's like having an extension. A new area which is kept dry and private but can also be semi (removing the cover only) or completely (removing everything) removed.

 

The downside is, as Gary says, the side which you don't step off onto the bank on tends to be the place where you dump your mooring pins, rubbish before you find the bin and other bits and bobs which just gets left. This is okay until you either turn round, or moor up on the other bank as you then have to spend ages moving all the crap to the other side before you can get on without having to jump hurdles.

 

My parents chose a cratch cover without the windows in the side, as they'd heard that the plastic they use for them doesn't age and weather very well, and often splits after a few years after being in the baking sun and freezing ice, but the cratch board isn't solid, it's half glass which doesn't make it too dark.

[tony collins]

My parents chose a cratch cover without the windows in the side, as they'd heard that the plastic they use for them doesn't age and weather very well, and often splits after a few years after being in the baking sun and freezing ice, but the cratch board isn't solid, it's half glass which doesn't make it too dark.

 

It depends on the design of the cratch board and top plank. I designed mine myself and it can be dismantled and folded away in about 30 seconds. We put windows in our cratch cover too they were fine. The only problem we have run into is the material of the cover has shrunk over the past five years and it is now slowly pulling itself apart!

 

Tony

 

edited typo

Edited May 3, 2007 by tony collins

[steveh]

It depends on the design of the cratch board and top plank. I designed mine myself and it can be dismantled and folded away in about 30 seconds.

 

Tony would it possible to upload a few pictures we would be interested in seeing how that works please. What kind of space does it take up once it's been dismantled?

 

How do you get on and off at the bow if the covers are down when mooring?

 

Cheers

 

Steve

Edited May 3, 2007 by steveh

[Chris J W]

As much as I hate to admit it here, each time I look at a boat cratch/cockput area in an advert I think to my self .... "how could I enclose that and make it indoors. To explain - I'm going to be a single handed CCer, so gimme a crusier stern and decent indoor space

 

 

 

[edit for bollix formating and lack of co-ordination due to Guinness]

Edited May 3, 2007 by Chris J W

[Sue]

It depends you see..

 

If you are ikkly people then it is difficult to get to the fronts ropes.. so you dont need a cratch cover over the side of the gunnel to step on for to get to the very front of the boat.. plus if you like to 'do rivers' the canvas can get mutilated on the high lock landing stage waiting areas which are needed for tuppaware boats.

 

Then you might need a 'wigwam for whimps' back cover for winter..

 

Our boat has both.

 

So we do have a damaged front canopy due to going on rivers.. but now we have a new boat and we have had a lip welded along the side of the gunnel this time that will take the poppers for the canopy so we can walk along the gunnel and moor along the high lock landing stages with no damage to the canvas.

 

Our back canopy over the cruiser stern is the best thing since sliced bread. Our back canopy will be up in the winter, with the screen folded over for a full on view. We have travelled weather free for two winters under every bridge on the system except br2 on the coventry canal and the bridge at the end of the river gt ouse in Bedford.. I doubt it would go under the bridge at Nordelph on the Middle Levels, but we happened to have it down then. It will go under every single lift bridge on the Southern Oxford Canal.

 

Here on this particular blog you can see Tim and Lisa Salt making our canopies in situ.. their workshop is on their boat.. if you want a phone number please pm me, I wont put an ad on the posting.

 

Actually, we are just on our way there to get them to do the same for our new boat!

[Chris J W]

Here on this particular blog you can see Tim and Lisa Salt making our canopies in situ.. their workshop is on their boat.. if you want a phone number please pm me, I wont put an ad on the posting.

 

Actually, we are just on our way there to get them to do the same for our new boat!

 

Oooo, ta! I'll bear this in mind if I need to get one made. Ta!

[Cris P]

A cratch board and cover really help the insulation, and certainly made my boat a lot warmer! It also provides a bit of versatile shade in the summer. It does give you a nice daylight lit space to sit when the weather's bad, which I enjoy. Just made myself a much larger board, and got a new cover made to replace the old knackered ones. Loads of room up front now!

[Purple Fairie]

also a good place for the dog to dry out!