TOPIC: Covers for vintage boats?

I might have asked this before...Anyone have a source for good quality boat covers that fit older boats? Or a good shop that makes custom covers from scratch? The cover on my Glasspar is at the end of its useful life and I haven't found one place that sells something that is designed for a small (16 foot) boat with a standard, old style cabin. They all sell covers for "euro style" cabins.

My old cover is an acceptable fit but not custom, with no label to identify the manufacturer.

The catch: would need a shop that can do it from old patterns they still have, or work from measurements I send them. I live in a place that's conveniently located in the middle of nowhere.

.N.S. : I would suggest your regional web Craig List for starters.
Here is a common ad I see almost daily . 18 ft boat cover may
work for ya needing the extra height.? chattanooga.craigslist.org/boa/3566467041.html

#2) Would be to look at the CAMPING WORLD site ,, or RV section on Craig List , as it is common now for RV owners to put a formed COVER
over their camper for winter.. May find good deal now at end of season for the camper storage folks.??

This item could also be sent via U.P.S. if you found also on E-bay.??

Just get a boat cover that will fit - that's about all there is to it. They make them to fit all sizes of boats - you may look at covers for bass boats (smaller ones) as the profile of those is closer to the smaller old boats. WalMart has some good covers - but what ever one you get - go heavy duty.

Fabric awning companies that have been around awhile are qualified.

There's a small mom and pop boat cover place near me (they actually work out of their house) that I'll probably use. They made a pontoon cover for mine back around 1997 and the cover is still holding up great with no signs of wear. It's Sunbrella, so it wasn't cheap, but it has certainly paid for itself. They really did a great job, the fabric hasn't faded, the snaps still work fine and aren't loose or torn out, no tears in it, etc. Eventually I'd like to see if they can make an elastic-fit cover for the Cutter. I know they still exist because I called them not long about to see if they could do boat seats. Even if I find a lift with a top on it, I think I'll still want to cover it to keep it cleaner and prevent further fading.

I agree with the local "tent and awning" company. We have one here in town that does covers, upholstery, and even tops and side curtains, ect. If you still have a cover that fits well,( no matter what the condition ) any decent shop should be able to copy it. I don't know what the shipping would be, but at the cost of gas it might be worth while to find a place to send it to.
Bill

I bought a semi-custom trailerable cover for my CC at West Marine. The trailerable cover for my Tomahawk was a generic one from a local discount place (Job Lot). I will probably have to have one custom made for my Glastron. If you are trying to cover a boat with a full cabin, it will probably need to be custom made. If you are looking to just cover with the boat is in the yard, a tent and awning comapny would be able to do a good job. If you are looking for something trailerable, you will need someone with more expertise.

i had a company in paterson, n.j. measure up my mantaray. the price knocked me over. for a custom 14' cover $465.00... but then again everything is more $ in new jersey. ron

Ron, that may seem like a lot of money, but I have a friend who sews and it is quite a skill in my opinion. I have watched him fit, refit and measure then fit some more for custom covers. It is quite a skill. A good fitting cover is like owning a good fitting suit! You always feel better in the right Fit! LOL
In a perfect world, I prefer the two cover system. First cover is a soft chamois like material that is custom fit over the hardware, windshield and engine and goes down to the waterline. The next cover I like is Sunbrella and goes to the waterline as well. Both covers are tied tight to the trailer. This allows for traveling and not rubbing on the surface of the hull and creating abrasion marks in varnish, gel or paint. It may sound like alot of money and hassle to put on for long hauls, but when you think of all of the effort, time and money put into getting the boats restored, it's an investment that I would certainly entertain. (Budgets are no fun!)

I paid $300 for the cover from West Marine for the Aqua Ray. The cover was designed for a 16 ft tri-hull and fits pretty well with some modification. Over $400 for a custom cover is not unreasonable (CT is expensive, too)

Trailerable covers are key, in my opinion, after driving back from Buffalo with an uncovered boat trying outrun a rain storm.

At one point, I have a cover for a Laser sailboat that was lined with some kind of fleece material, but it didn't stand up very well. It might be better to make small polar fleece covers for specific items and then a Sunbrella cover over the whole thing.

Awning shop here in WI did a superb job with a custom fit cover for my 1954 Century Imperial Sportsman. The inside was lined with a soft felt to prevent chafing the exterior finish when towing at highway speeds. Cost??? Around $350.00 and well worth it because it fits like a glove.

Normspeed wrote:

I might have asked this before...Anyone have a source for good quality boat covers that fit older boats? Or a good shop that makes custom covers from scratch? The cover on my Glasspar is at the end of its useful life and I haven't found one place that sells something that is designed for a small (16 foot) boat with a standard, old style cabin. They all sell covers for "euro style" cabins.

My old cover is an acceptable fit but not custom, with no label to identify the manufacturer.

The catch: would need a shop that can do it from old patterns they still have, or work from measurements I send them. I live in a place that's conveniently located in the middle of nowhere.

---

Norm:

I obtained a very good cover for the price from "K-Mart" for our 1960 Glasspar Seafair Sedan.

The cover is made by "Attwood" and fits 16-18' boats with a cabin.
It is MODEL E. The cover is made from 150 denier material and it holds the water off very well. As I recall it was about $60.00

Here are some pictures of it for you Sir:

Norm:

Here is what the box looks like to help you Sir.

Thanks to all for the great suggestions. For now I'll keep an eye out for the Atwood, although I'd have no problem paying the price for a custom fit, if I can find a shop within driving distance that can make one up.