Pogo
23.05.2021 4:17:03
If you are handy and want to save a few bucks, a do-it-yourself solution may be the way to go. You can find ready-made options out there or build a frame from scratch! here
See full version: How to Prevent Water from Collecting and Pooling in Your Boat Cover
If you are handy and want to save a few bucks, a do-it-yourself solution may be the way to go. You can find ready-made options out there or build a frame from scratch! here
Preventing water collecting or pooling on your boat cover is best achieved by providing a proper boat cover support system or frame beneath the cover. Even if your cover has a snug fit, a little water can cause fabric to relax and create low points where there were none. Covers, especially tarps and other non-fitted styles, can also shift as they are subjected to winds and boat movement, which may create pooling points. Boat cover support systems can be installed by a professional, come in kits ready to self-install, or can be created from scratch as a DIY project.
One of the post popular build-your-own boat cover support solutions consists of white 3/4” PVC tubing available from any home or hardware store. With tubing and elbows you can make almost any shape of frame you need. Longer lengths of tubing can be formed into bows while elbows and T-junctions can be used to customize attachment points. While this method takes some thought as well as trial and error, the customization possibilities are endless. Note that bows may need upright poles at their high points for strength and stability. [links]
Photo Credit: northshorecanvas.net more
A custom solution will have the highest up-front cost, but you’ll be able to reuse the cover for many years. The cover-makers will provide you with the support framing you need and show you how to properly set everything up. After the first-time setup, it is generally up to the boat owner to install the framing and cover for the following years, so be sure to take notes! As with shrink wrap, the canvas team will make doors and vents to suit. With a fabric solution, it is very important that tie downs are taut and kept that way. It is a good idea to tighten straps and lines periodically while the cover is in use to prevent any sagging over time. more
When you secure the cover to the boat, you are not only ensuring that it will be there the next time you come to use your boat, you are also helping to decrease the likelihood of water pooling on it. The quickest way to degrade a material is to let water sit on it. When you use our tie down kit (for storage on a trailer) or our suction cup tie downs (for mooring) you are making sure the boat cover is pulled down on the sides so that it’s not drooping into the middle, creating pockets and collecting water. Tying down your cover is the first and most important thing you can do to extend the life of your cover, and therefore your boat. more
You can support your boat cover in a number of ways, depending on the layout of your boat. The most important type of boat to use supports for would be a pontoon, simply because there isn’t a lot sticking up above the rails. Bass boats come with built in supports- pedestal seats! Just leave your seats up and fold the backs down. Boats like center consoles will already be somewhat supported because of the console’s height. With any type of boat, purchasing (or crafting your own) supports can never hurt. A boat cover support system or boat cover support pole is an easy way to offer your cover support and help it last for years to come. here
Tying your boat cover down is important not just for trailering, but also for storage. Of course you want to tie the cover down when you are driving down the road, but it also makes a lot of good sense to tie it down when it’s sitting in the water, or even on a trailer in your yard. We have received too many phone calls from people who didn’t bother to tie their cover down and had to re-order a new one (they figured that would be easier than fishing the cover out of the bottom of the lake for a second time). No matter how tight your boat cover fits, it’s never a bad idea to anchor it to your vessel.
Yet another option for big areas with very sharp corners, like windshields, would be to pad the area with something. Our customers have shared with us a few items they have used, but the best one we have heard of is swimming noodles. A swimming noodle (cut on one side horizontally to allow it to sit on top of the windshield) can be cut to size and placed around the windshield to offer padding throughout the whole width of the windshield. There is no need to allow your cover to be damaged by something sharp on your boat when it can be so easily prevented- be sure to reinforce your cover around your sharp edges so you don’t end up having to repair it. here
The bow and socket support solution consists of flexible bows made of wood or fiberglass and sockets for the ends to fit into. Bows are made longer than the area covered so bend into arches to support the boat cover. Sockets are screwed into boat gunwales or are mounted to rails with clamps. It is important not to leave large gaps, so use enough bows to eliminate sag between them, and be sure to secure your cover down tightly. Check on your cover regularly. [links]
As you might imagine, hiring professionals is the most expensive option, but will usually yield the best results and take the least amount of your own time.
If you are handy and want to save a few bucks, a do-it-yourself solution may be the way to go. You can find ready-made options out there or build a frame from scratch! more
I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve been walking the docks and have seen boat covers in bad shape with pools of water in them. As water collects, it gets very heavy, which can weigh boats down to the point where they take on water through a scupper or even over a gunwale. Getting the water out often involves pumping or bailing as the weight of the water can easily be too much to lift. In addition, that much weight can bend stanchions or cause other boat damage. It is best to avoid the problem entirely, and that’s exactly what we’ll focus on in this article.
Photo Credit: northshorecanvas.net more
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