Hey Moon man, what ever you have on hand will be fine. Clear plastic = less UV protection. Black in winter, even in TX, shouldn't be hotter than summer sun. Whatever method you choose, use spacers to keep tarp from resting directly on boat and collecting puddles of water. This also provides air circulation between boat and tarp. Mould can get a hold wherever there is contact and damp. I've used hoops of 3/4" pvc plumbing pipe. Works well for rain but less so for snow, which you probably don't have to worry about.
Funny thing how every spring our boats are museum quality and somehow, in just a few months, things go horribly wrong.
Cheers,
ev

P.S. Looking through your pics last night - brilliant build, excellent craftsmanship, thoughtful execution and inovative details. Imagine my shock and disbelief to see you were using store bought PLASTIC cleats on your mast. Shocking man shocking! I'll send you a bit of white oak...

2nd vote for space between the tarp and your boat. Blue tarp didn't last long. Bought a heavy duty tarp, put the brown side up, less of an eyesore than the silver side. After only about a month of summer sun, where the tarp contacted the boats, I had alot of really small blisters in the epoxy.  Good luck, JRC 

   Wow...I knew it would likely be good to keep an air space, but never thought of the concern of blisters...duh?  Thanks guys for the comments!!  I will figure out something to keep a tarp from touching the boat..I wonder if John would say not to cover it at all?  Maybe this is the justification I needed to close in the area where the boat is into a shed off the back of the shop.

Eric...you're funny...what I dont know if you knew is that those cleats are no longer used because I now have spring loaded stand up turning blocks and clam cleats on the mast thwart..so I can relase, cleat, or adjust halyard and downhaul from the sailing position. maybe I'll use one of those cleats for the lazy jack line that is coming next spring... (see forum post...very cool)

   Fiberglass resin is like a plastic and it softens with heat. The longer the fiberglass cures the more heat resitive to softening but only to a point. Epoxy becomes soft at 200 dgrees or higher.

   Moonchaser,   Is there a link or site for the pictures of your NE Dory build cited by Eric Vance.   Hope to pick up some ideas!!.

Thanks a Million!

Hi Roger...sure, here is a link to my Picasa photo journal.  I still dont have the most recent pictures posted of the blocks and cleats for the lines at the mast but this is most of them:

https://picasaweb.google.com/114717787929554738224/BuildingWoodenBoatCLCNortheasterDory?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCKCBzczm_aKs2wE&feat=directlink   

Most of the pictures are captioned but Picasa upgraded their web format so if you cant see the captions, let me know...any ideas or comments let me know..always interested in ideas!

Curt  830 997 8120  [email protected]