hi tony, I'm new to the forum but couldn't help noticing your post up for 1 month, 155 reads and not one reply! at my school (HMS Worcester) we had 2 cutters, 1 whaler, 1 captain's (1st) gig, 2 racing gigs, 1 jollyboat and one holiday dinghy. all were made from wood and none were covered. the reason for this is that with the exception of the racing gigs, all were in constant readiness/use. being wooden they needed to be kept wet or they would dry out and leak. the only reason to cover them would be to keep them clean. that's what sailors/cadets are for. if a ship had collided with us those boats would have been needed "at the double". the racing gigs were kept in a dry boathouse when not in use, but allowed to sink for a few weeks before use to tighten up and kept on a mooring during summer term. our motor boats/lifeboats were steel/grp respectively. again in constant readiness/use.
RN policy was similar. "A ship is known by her boats" so always on display. at sea boats always ready for use, clean and tiddly.
your question, re "correctly, RN style- is there a right way? well in the Andrew there is a right way, a wrong way and the navy way. if boats were covered it would be in the RN way. ie simple, safe, effective and ridiculously expensive! and after 10 years of committees, evaluations, costings, modifications ad infinitum.
if you want to ring the changes then i say good for you! it's your model, your rules. in Victorian times covers would be canvas with brass eyelets with doubler panels at load/chafe positions. a wooden strongback/ridge from stem to stern, possibly with vertical mid length support, notched for athwartship supports to gunwhale. lashings tailored from light sisal. fastened with quick release in mind. when the boat is away all this kit has to be stowed somewhere neat and tidy. it can't be left sculling about. any help? rgds jerry.
