dry floor skin

The place to discuss SCAMP (Small Craft Advisor Magazine Project), our 11' 11" micro minicruiser.

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pocketyacht
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Re: dry floor skin

Post by pocketyacht »

Any waterproof light fabric will work. I am not sure of the brand. I'll check.
jhippe wrote:Hello Howard, what fabric did you use for the floor system?
pocketyacht
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Re: dry floor skin

Post by pocketyacht »

Hi Brent
Over many years of using and evolving this dry floor system I long ago discovered two floors are better than one.

I only use the floor when its wet in the cockpit or if I am wet for some reason I might use one temporarily. This means one side of the floor is going to be wet when I take it up. I have locator markings on it. I roll it up so the dry side stays dry and the wet side is against wet...........hard to describe but thats what I do. This allows me the chance to use it again without drying it out. If I am careful I can sail through a number of rainy days and sleep dry at night but at some point the floor dry side seems to get wet from the folding and unfolding. So I have two.

This is ideal because no matter what the weather (rain, some great sailing can be done in rain, distance made good is distance wet or dry) I know I dont have to be shore bound or tent bound in rainy weather because I know my open boat cockpit (living area) will be wet when its time to anchor out.

When its time to up anchor and move on I can take up the floor (tent still up), stow gear, suit up, in general be ready and then I strike the tent.

I have designed and built many tents for small boats and after all the models with poles I find the best to use on a boat like SCAMP is a simple no pole affair. The one I use works very well. I strike it just as I do the dry floor.

I have marks on the tent for orientation and I fold it and roll it wet side to wet and dry to dry. This way I also have a tent with a dry interior. If over a few really rainy days of open sailing I end up with a tent wet in and out then the second use I have for the second dry floor skin comes into play. I did this numerous times on a recent voyage in Chile.

I put up the wet tent, spread the dry floor and if the interior of the tent is wet I open the second dry floor cover myself for sleeping. I am adding velcro patches to both dry floors enabling me to velcro a dry floor up into the top interior surface of the tent for really wet situations.

Each floor rolls up and is stowed in the smallest dry bag I could find, each in its own bag. I would guess the stuffed dimension to be 6"x5" or so, very small and light.

I always carry a very small land tent and single pole rain tarp for a dry stand up space on land. I prefer sleeping aboard. While in Chile I lived aboard SCAMP #2 for 45 days, 35 days straight with about 2 hours off the boat during that time to recon and filter fresh water. I didn't spend any time camping on land. The dry floors and tent made a great house without a single leak and for days on end it endured williwaws and daily living. Simple and low profile is best. Anchoring out in a SCAMP if it blows up with a high poled tent in my mind may be dangerous in certain situations.

Hope this helps.
Brent65 wrote:Howard,

Might you explain the benefits of two dry skin floors. I understand why one might be nice, but why might one need/want two? Your experience I'm sure will add many insights into the importance of this piece of gear.
Brent65
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Re: dry floor skin

Post by Brent65 »

Howard,

Thank you for that thoughtful and very informative response. It sounds like a very purposeful and thought out design. It also sounds like a great way to minimize the disadvantages of an open cockpit boat.

Do you think 2 could fit under the no-pole tent design knowing they would be lying up on the seat filler boards? I really love the simple design of the high wind tent, but not sure how well 2 would fit underneath.
Brent Butikofer

Scamp: Hagoth
https://buildinghagoth.wordpress.com

Scamp: Shackleton
https://buildingshackelton.wordpress.com

Pocketship:
https://idahopocketship.wordpress.com

Never Stop Learning or Exploring
pocketyacht
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Re: dry floor skin

Post by pocketyacht »

My low tent design is ideal for one person and is best if a footwell is in use. I have a second higher profile tent for calm conditions or two people. It is the opposite of the no pole tent I use in this way, as soon as you add even one poile you add complexity to the pitching and striking of the tent. It has three poles specifically made by Tent Pole Technologies (yes tent poles are very specific to each application) and also features a wood stove chimney. Two people can easily sleep, change clothes, lounge around under the three pole.

*It is very important in my opinion to keep windage low on a boat as small as SCAMP this is why I designed the no pole tent. I now have a MKII version based on what I learned from using the tent. Simeon Baldwin has just purchased the first MKII model. It comes with mast boot (must have one of these) and two dry floors. It can be used in 11 different configurations including no see um only for dry, starry buggy nights. It is the simplest tent based on everything I know about small boat tents with the input of my friend Matt ewho I prototype gear with. I want one when my current tent needs replacing, which is no time soon.

Here is something else I am making, two SCAMPs now have one and they love them. Their boats are dry, clean, less road dings (which is why I lowered the edge to cover the lower bow plank areas, etc. A SCAMP is a solid and substantial investment so why not take the best care of it?
Untitled.jpg
MNSQ.jpg
and a simple road cover that can be slept under.
Road cover.jpg
Brent65 wrote:Howard,

Thank you for that thoughtful and very informative response. It sounds like a very purposeful and thought out design. It also sounds like a great way to minimize the disadvantages of an open cockpit boat.

Do you think 2 could fit under the no-pole tent design knowing they would be lying up on the seat filler boards? I really love the simple design of the high wind tent, but not sure how well 2 would fit underneath.
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