Rose,
You don't say where in upstate....
If you are east of Rochester, there is hope.
If you are near a big lake, find a guy that shrink warps boats for winter storage. It won't be cheap, but it will work.
No?
Do you have a saw and a drill motor? (Get or borrow same)
Buy a tarp. (10x24 will do, but longer if you can. Remember that tarps are sold by cut size, so 10x24 will be ~9x23 on the ground.) If hazard fright is all you can get, get some heavy Poly too. As said, that will be a second water proof layer.
Buy some long SS screws and some short ones. Get the SS so you can take it apart in the spring. Make sure that you have the driver bit for them.
Get a bunch of the little galvanized things for clipping rafters to roofs. (This is what the short screws are for.)
Buy about 10 2x4-12. You will need 6 just for the ridge and 2 eves.
Buy a lot of cheap line. I can't even guess, because I always have so much around that I never care.
Cut 3 at the width of the roof plus a little. Clip one corner of each of the 6 ridge pieces because the sharp corner will punch the tarp before spring.
The eves are easy. Join those and the ridge pieces by cutting foot long pieces and screwing to the center ends of all those long things. This will be an upside down T when done.
To raise the center, cut three short pieces and stand them in the center to be held by either blocks and screws or clips. They must be held securely.
Lay out the tarp (or tarp and poly), along side the hull. Tie at least over all length lines to both ends and roll to the center. This will roll those line in and this in not a mistake.
Pass the end up to the guy on the roof and get it centered. Then someone gets to pull the forward line and the mess will unroll. When done, unroll the other way.
Now, unless you were real cleaver and put the tie downs in first, (I almost always forgot) then you will need a ladder and short pieces to tie the tarp down. You won't have a cradle to tie to (I usually do boats) be an effective answer is full gallon jugs as weigh where ever you can tie them. Get them as close to the ground as practical so the wind can swing them against the sides.
Yes, I have done this and am about to again any day now. It is becoming winter in here in Michigan too.
Matt
