How do you sleep?

[Alan]

I'm thinking of joining the Thames raid and sleeping aboard (skin on teak skiff on this forum). How do you arrange a waterproof cover? I can't come up with an "instant" solution. I've looked at army surplus tent cover/basha, flysheet, or making something that fits properly. How do you usually secure a cover around the outside of an open boat? Straight sticks or hoops to support the cover?

Alan

[Timmo]

Hi Alan.

Would be good to have your company.

Re the tent... this might get a range of answers!

People have simply pitched tents on their boats, though appropriate beam and flat bottom helped. The instant self pitching type are probably the easiest to use for this purpose.

Most have some sort of boom tent/hoop arrangement with everything from purpose built boat tents to plain tarps for the cover. Probably the plain tarp solution is marginally the most popular. Hoops give more useable space so tend to be preferred. They can be flexi tent poles or purpose built curved pieces of wood/metal/anything, but blue plastic water pipe has been seen to work just as well. They will need sockets to plug into, if you're only experimenting blocks of wood with a hole in clamped to the gunwhale is secure but temporary solution (can be dismantled during the day so as not to spoil the lines of a beautiful skiff!)

Holding the tent at the sides... again the solution that won't make holes in your boat is lines under the boat. Works well for many people. The more permanent approach is hooks fastened along the outside of the sheer strake, I prefer wood (made myself) but you can buy brass, gunmetal or stainless versions. Need to be below the gunwhales. Fastening the tent to the gunwhales normally leaves a draughty and potentially damp gap.

So the cheapest and least boat damaging solution could be a tarp over waterpipe hoops plugged into temporary clamped on wooden sockets and tied under the boat.

Your ideas of what suits you best will evolve as you use it, so may be best not to over invest for the first trip.

Lets see what others suggest.

Tim.

On 19 Apr 2018, at 11:07, Alan [via UK HBBR Forum] <[hidden email]> wrote:

I'm thinking of joining the Thames raid and sleeping aboard (skin on teak skiff on this forum). How do you arrange a waterproof cover? I can't come up with an "instant" solution. I've looked at army surplus tent cover/basha, flysheet, or making something that fits properly. How do you usually secure a cover around the outside of an open boat? Straight sticks or hoops to support the cover?

Alan

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[alopenboat]

On 19 Apr 2018 at 9:35, Timmo [via UK HBBR Forum] wrote:

<snip>

> Holding the tent at the sides... again the solution that won't make
> holes in your boat is lines under the boat. Works well for many
> people.

Another system I have seen used is to thread the oars into sleeves
sewn into the lower edge of the tarp (or Velcro loops). the weight of
the oars, hanging over the sides, keeps the tent taut.

--
Sail when you can, row when you must, motor only
when you have to be at work in the morning.

Alastair Law
Yeovil, England.
<http://www.little.jim.freeuk.com>

[LASER41420]

Hi,
Nothing wrong with pitching a tent on the shore for the Thames raid, bigger and more comfortable than sleeping on board. Your boat is presumably very light and easy to bring ashore as well?
Steve

[Chris Waite]

Yup, loads of possibilities

Here is my tied-under-tarp -



The other thing is to look at it the other way round; after seeing a photograph of Phil Oxborrow taking tea under his upturned canoe and having built a dismantle-able rowing skiff, I spent the first Thames raid, sleeping under the two halves -



Really glad it didn't rain

Chris W

[Alan]

I like all these ideas; they are helping.

Tying under the boat - that had crossed my mind but I thought it might be considered madness, it sounds merely sensible coming from someone else.
Oars to weigh down the tarp - great idea, and it gave me the idea that the oars could alternatively be used as a ridge pole.
Tent on board - pop up tent pitched on the flat sole, or possibly the tent I already have pitched on board with flysheet draped over the gunwales and tied under.
Tent on shore - I was assuming that camping spots might be hard to find but if they are all pre-arranged this would be simplest. I won't be able to lift the boat out due to the gigantic batteries used to power the electric outboard. The boat rows quite well with all that heavy gear though.

My tent is "vintage", an Andre Jamet ridge tent from 1974 used on my school trip to the Peak District, still in great condition (the tent that is).