What is the best way to keep the sun off a new Trampoline? I dont really want to buy a boat cover. Tarps hold water. I guess a tarp with a series of holes is best. Light colored too.



Edited by ctcataman on May 24, 2018 - 08:59 PM.

--
John

Nacra 5.0
CT
--

that is what i do

I too use a light colored tarp to protect the tramp from sun.

$10 tarp from Home Depot with a couple holes sliced in it to let water through. Or tilt the tongue of the trailer up so the rain water rolls off the boat. No-brainer investment to protect the $500 tramp.

sm

I have bungee's tied to a few fence posts for the cat first in line of the flight deck
I can release the 2 lines that are staked into the ground with the pull of a line's tail and have the tarp off the cat in 30 seconds

that is a $29.99 22'x16' tarp (walmart.com) - i will eventually slice a whole in the top (from my spreaders, despite some foam wrapped around them) and then ... it is doomed to die within a few florida tropical storms (unless i patch it with contact cement and old dacron sails)

the 20x10' 6 pole overhead cover gimick was purchased at NortherTools for $79.99 with coupon and has held up a few seasons now (was taken down for irma)

sidenote:
if you use a tarp and secure it to the boat/trailer you risk the unused grommets smacking the crap out of your cat in a storm while flogging around

i have black marks in my paint fro this currently
i now use stakes to keep the grommets away from my paint job
in the past I have used blue tape to cover unused grommets for protection



Edited by MN3 on May 24, 2018 - 07:21 PM.

The unused grommet cover is a good idea.

--
John

Nacra 5.0
CT
--

ctcataman

The unused grommet cover is a good idea.

blue tape didn't cut the mustard - i had it last for years on my spreader but didn't work here (end of a flogging sail ..)
i would use gorilla tape or some other weatherproof stuff if i did it again

I use a cheapo tarp, held onto the Cat with a bungee & snap hook at each corner for the Girly Cat,(Dart15- whom some of my buddies derisively named, but i get the last laugh when it's honking & they're to chicken to launch). I get 2 seasons out of one, but our sun is not as intense, nor the season as long as say Florida.
For the Nacras & the H18 we use an old tramp. If you raid your wifes sewing kit for one of those stitch ripper things, you can pull the side & end stitching out of an old tramp over a beer.
It is then big enough to cover the Cat tramp, & extend over most of the hulls. We have been using one for 5 years now, & it looks the same as when we started.

--
Hobie 18 Magnum
Dart 15
Mystere 6.0XL Sold Was a handful solo
Nacra 5.7
Nacra 5.0
Bombardier Invitation (Now officially DEAD)
Various other Dock cluttering WaterCrap
--

My boat came with a full fitted cover so I just use that. I also have a silver tarp from Harbor Freight that is 11'x19' and that covers up everything also, so I have a cover for the cover, Lol. Yeah, I'm OCD like that.

--
Marty
1984 Hobie 16 Redline Yellow Nationals, "Yellow Fever"
Opelika, Al / Lake Martin
--

If you just want to cover the Tramp, this is what I use. A 6'x'8' Heavy Tarp.
J


--
Aquacat 12 (sold)...'87 Nacra 5.8 (sold)...'03 Nacra Inter18 (sold)
Venture 15 (sold)....'89 Nacra 5.8 (sold)...'91 Nacra 5.8NA (sold)
'99 Nacra Inter20 (sold)
--