I would like to make some sort of A frame under the tramp cover to spill rain. I was thinking of placing an upside down bucket but am concerned this would make a ring on the tramp. Any homegrown solutions?

mast up or down?

Currently mast is down but It will stay up in about a month. Cover is the vinyl hobie one that fits flat over tramp area.

Mast down = mast makes a good A frame.

Mast up = boom makes a good A frame.

I tend to over-simplify things however.

Boom won't fit the cover is too taught. The cheap blue wal mart tarp I have as an extra sags too much to shed water effectively. (I can maybe get it to fit once and then the grommets blow out)

Beach balls under the cover?

Tad's got it right if you have enough material to work with. Use bungee under the boat to get your blue tarp taught enough to shed water, and on the ends to keep the breeze from getting ahold of it.

Brilliant!!

With the mast down, I put 2 pair of sawed-off snow skiis across the mast- that reach just to the gunnels. Then about a quart of water in 4 orange juice gallon bottles, or a PVC bleach bottle hold them down and sheds rain water.

Punch a pair of grommets or sew a small webbing strap to the center of the cover. When the mast is up, connect your main halyard to the center points and pull it up to raise the middle of the cover.

When the boat is on the trailer with the mast down, tie a line from the center point up to the mast to hold up the cover.

sm