Full boat cover for trailering, and parking

[newimaging]

Hi everyone, wanted to see if there are any opinions on full boat covers. Once I have it all cleaned and it sits in my driveway I would love to have something besides the tarp that I can leave on for trailering.
Only one I found so far is https://www.sailorstailor.com/proddetai ... =M26X01T-M

Thanks,
Christian

[Brian]

Hi Christian,

I will chime in here since nobody else has. That is a really nice boat cover, but at $1,040 I don't think that it is worth the trouble.

I had a custom fitted cover similar to that on my previous boat. It made a perfect habitat for spiders. I also found that if I left it on the boat while trailering at highway speeds it scuffed up the gelcoat.

The other consideration is that it will be quite a chore to get that cover on and off the boat. With all those attachment points it could take longer than raising and lowering the mast.

For that kind of money you would be better off building a carport which would last Indefinitely. That is what I plan on doing. I understand that not everyone has the space for a carport so that will not work for everyone. I hope this helps, and that you find a good option that works for you.

[rsvpasap]

I have one of these from Sail Warehouse. It survived blizzards in Minnesota and 60-70 mph crosswinds driving down the interstate in Montana.

The price is still the same as it was five or six years ago.

https://thesailwarehouse.com/cgi-bin/we ... l&cart_id=

[NiceAft]

rsvpasap ,

That's a nice looking cover. I need to be enlightened as to why anyone needs/wants a cover on their Mac while trailering? Is there some advantage?

[rsvpasap]

In that particular photo, the boat was permanently relocating from the upper mid-west to the PNW in March, so it really just still had the cover on from outside winter storage. I only use the cover for trailering when I expect to encounter snow or ice.

[beechkingd]

I wouldn't tow with a cover on if you have any shine on your gelcoat. I towed a Hydrostream that I used to have with the cover on once, it dulled the perfect gloss that I had spent hours to get where ever the cover was touching it. Had to recompound it though all the steps again.

[Be Free]

In the driveway I use a 14' or 15' x 30' tarp. I drape it over the mast and bungie it down to the trailer around the perimeter. A cheap one lasts me about 7 years before the stanchions wear through, then cut it into smaller tarps and use it for covering my woodpile.

[Bilgemaster]

The nicest and most form-fitting cover I've ever personally seen on ANY boat was the one on our fellow Forum member "henecle's" 26X, which used to be kept in the same state park boat lot as mine. He described it here with a couple of photos: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=21032&p=256046#p256046.

Seriously, it remains for me an object of desire for "some day". His boat was there in the lot untouched for a couple-few years, but that cover held in there just fine and only cost him about $800 bucks, too! I think it may be the very same model from Sail Warehouse as shown in "rsvpasap's" recent posting to this thread.

Some folks have also cobbled together nice enough frames using PVC piping and/or or 2x4s over which they'll lash a tarp or three. If you like to do occasional winter maintenance that's a good compromise, though probably not one you'd be well advised towing down the highway. Plenty of looksees at clever shelter rigs folks have come up with in those archives...