TOPIC: Boat covers?

My boat sits outside all year.
I purchased a Centurion Pro (Overtons) and it is now in pretty bad shape. I am going to go for the better grade next time. This one lasted only 4 years. Is this about what to expect from a canvas cover?
I put a good grade tarp over the cover for the winter.
It looks like sun damage and water damage.
Thanks

4 years from an inexpensive 'off the shelf' cover is pretty good- That's about what I've come to expect. The sun is what kills it- If you can shelter it from the sun, it'll last a lot longer. Tarping it for long-term storage like you do can help, but make sure that there is some kind of ventilation, most of the canvas covers 'breathe' to some extent and let moisture out, where if there is a plastic tarp it will get stuck and you'll have mildew problems.

I use a pretty cheap cover on mine, it's about $100, I get about the same life. One thing that I do is sew extra reinforcement panels on places where it goes over a sharp edge (cleats, chocks, etc), seems to really help!

-Andrew

I just use the cheap tarps. I never paid more than $15.00. The one I have now is going on year five. I only cover for winter. The boat is dry as a bone going in and coming out. I overwinter in the open. My cover goes down the sides and I use bungee cords from side to side underneath. It is a pretty tight fit.

how about a custom Sunbrella from a local canvas shop ???

I am a big believer in trailerable boat covers. This after bringing my Custom Craft back from Buffalo a couple of years ago chasing a serious rain storm. It protects your investment both from weather and road debris.

The one I bought for the CC was a $300 cover from West Marine. Since the boat lives in the garage, it will probably last a long time. The one for the Tomahawk I paid $70 for at a local discount store (Ocean State Job Lot). It has worked well for 3 years and doesn't show any signs of falling apart. This boat lives outside and get a poly tarp on it for the winter. Not sure yet about what I will do for the Glastron. I will probably have to have a custom one made because of the hard top.

I am not a fan of canvas because it can hold moisture and cause mildew and rot if left on most of the time. Sunbrella seems to be a viable option and need to investigate further.

The interesting thing I have found is that some of the poly tarps break down after a while. The plastic gets thin and separates so that is no longer waterproof. I have one to take to the dump right now.

Todd, I know what you mean about the poly. I have two on the Century and the top one has basically split from one side to the other, across what looks like a seam and it's only been on the boat since last year July! Sitting out side exposed to the elements of course but still didn't last real long. It was suppose to be one of the heavier ones too since it was two layers thick. Won't matter now since the Century will be going into the shed for restoration, unfortunately the Clipper will be outside and I'll have to make sure I get a good one to cover her completely.

Bob

I usually get the green ones at our local source for low priced tarps. What tends to happen is that over time the underlying fabric starts to stretch out (from being tied down, I assume) and that pulls the plastic apart. I put an old one over the Glastron before the last rain and it still had a lot of water in it. That will actually work OK for putting over a boat with a cover on it, but not for the primary protection.

Sorry to hear about the mishap with the Clipper in the other post. We've all done things like that and live with the marks. I installed the brand new cast iron sink in my kitchen and chipped the porcelain the first time I used it.