but the best padding I've found is the foam Sill gasket that they sell in hardware stores. A 6" wide roll is only a few bucks and makes excellent chafe protection for a tarp. It won't hold dirt or moisture, it's easy to cut with scissors or a knife and can be held in place with duct or filament tape (tape it to itself not your mast so there is no gooey residue) It has made covering the boat a much easier project. Chafe is more likely to damage your paint than moisture if your mast is the ridgepole IMO. A blue tarp is rarely so tight that the air doesn't circulate. Best regards, David