This is how 'boat' spends time when not on the water:
I also use the cheap Harbor Freight silver tarp like Tom does. The problem here is not hurricanes or wind or snow - the issue here is the sun.
The sun eats up the tarps pretty fast making them dry and brittle and when they start shedding a sort of powdery substance from being hot they soon start to tear at that point. I normally need to replace the tarp every 2 years or so if I want it to be leak proof from rain and the cost of the tarp at Harbor Freight is between 49 and 59 dollars depending on whatever sale they are having at the time.
I figure 50 bucks a year to cover the boat is cheap enough.
I also have a brace across the middle but it's not a strong sturdy nice wood one like Tom has because I have no wind or snow all I need to do is make sure the rain water rolls off the top and does not collect in any valleys between the safety lines so i just put this PVC pipe thing across the mast and it's slotted to fit into the safety lines on each side:
It's dry inside so you can store tools and stuff for projects your working on in the cockpit and it's always bright and warm inside even in the winter because the sun is always so bright here.
It's also easy to get in and out while working on the boat - I just have the back covered with the two flaps I tie off that are just the ends of the tarp - it's been working well for many years - but as I said - you do need to replace the tarp every couple of years depending on the sun damage:
I have a little ladder I leave there behind the boat and when the flaps are not tied down i can lift the seat and go in and out all I want to work on projects, fix stuff, or just get away from everyone else.
I always dreamed of having one of those big car port things like some guys have - but I never really found one that was the right size or that would not be a major hassle for me to deal with when I want to raise the mast - (I like to raise the mast at home and work on the rigging and the sails occasionally at home - it's hard to do that with a garage over the boat).
Still, those garages sure look nice - I will probably never get one and just stick with what I have been doing for so many years now.