Can Coverquest Covers Be Used For Mooring
Our covers are designed for trailering, storage on a trailer or lift, and mooring. If mooring or storing on a lift, pair your cover with a pack of our suction cup tie downs or mooring bags. Suction cup tie downs will suction to the side of the boat, while toggle ball ties fasten to the tie down loops sewn along the hem of the cover. Mooring Bags are designed to be filled with sand and attached to the loops within the covers hem, holding your cover in place during storage.
How To Cover A Boat With A Tarp
by Ian ForteyUpdated on August 30, 2020.
Boat Safe is a community supported site. We may earn comission from links on this page, but we have confidence in all recommended products.
Covering your boat with a tarp is a good idea anytime youre storing it. Boat tarps can protect from a number of outside elements. It helps deter vandals or thieves. A boat tarp also protects from the harmful rays of the sun. Dirt, leaves, and debris will be kept out of your boat thanks to a tarp. It will also prevent birds and other animals from making a mess of your boat. Considering how much of an investment a boat is, its a good idea to use a tarp to cover it and keep it safe and protected.
Make A Canvas Sailboat Cover I Made It At Techshop: 7 Steps Instructables
Making a DIY cover for a sailboat is among the more challenging types to attempt, but with the right plan, its far from impossible. This tutorial takes you through how to do it in a clear and logical order, and it also provides you with plenty of photos for reference. Plans from this site are always high quality, and this is another one that doesnt disappoint.
Read Also: Boat Seat Stain Remover
How To Make A Homemade Pontoon Boat Cover Support System
This is another plan that teaches you how to make a boat cover frame, this time for a pontoon boat. As the blogger explains, theres nothing more frustrating than coming back to your boat and finding it full of water or even critters and this plan will show you how to prevent that from happening.
Carver Universal Fit Flex
In addition to semi-custom and custom boat covers by Taylor Made Products, West Marine now offers Carver Universal Fit Flex-Fit PRO Boat Covers. These economically-priced boat covers are an excellent choice for mooring, trailering, or storage. They are made of Carver’s solution-dyed, Poly-Flex II, 5.3-ounce material with a 3/4-ounce urethane coating. These covers also feature a durable, water-repellent, mildew-resistant finish. Carver’s Flex-Fit Pro Covers are the only domestically-produced universal boat covers cut and sewn in the USA.
Also Check: Boat Mildew Cleaner
Breathability In Boat Covers
The ability to breathe is probably one of the most underrated characteristics of a boat cover. If your cover doesnt breathe properly, youll have mildew and mold problems throughout your boat. Moisture will build up on a daily basis as, the interior of the cover sweats and this can damage your boats critical components such as electronics and wiring. Choosing a cover that can breathe is a big deal. Its also a big conundrum, because generally speaking the better breathability a cover has, the less water-resistant it is.
The solution? Good water resistance combined with proper ventilation. Consider shrink-wrap as an example. This stuff can seal up a boat tight, and its probably the ultimate at water resistance. But its also the ultimate for trapping moisture in So, what does any reputable shrink wrap installer do after wrapping a boat? They puncture that plastic sheathing and install vents.
The best boat covers are going to have ventilation built in, period. Thats why we sew two vents into all of our covers, which is something few competitors take the time and effort to do. If you decide to buy a different cover and it doesnt breathe well or have any vents its worthwhile to take the time to install them yourself. They may not look as neat as factory-sewn vents and it may take some extra effort, but if your cover traps moisture in your boat it could end up doing more harm than good.
Sew Sew Sew Your Boat
Sew a straight seam down the length of the fabric, leaving about one-quarter of an inch between the seam and the edge. Then reinforce your work by sewing a second seam alongside the innermost edge of the first one, leaving a quarter-inch between them.
Take your fabric out to your boat and drape it over the entire structure, keeping the seam centered and running straight down the length of the hull. Use straight pins to create pleats and folds, fitting the canvas over protrusions as snuggly and evenly as possible.
Trim the edges of the fabric to create a consistent amount of overhang all the way around. Measure as you go its more accurate than trying to eyeball things. If necessary, mark the position of snaps.
Take the cover back inside and sew in any pleats, darts, or folds you pinned in. Fold the edge in and pin it in place to create a hem, then sew a double seam all the way around.
Fit the cover over the boat and make adjustments as needed. You may want to add wide, heavy-duty elastic in some areas, such as around the bow and along the stern, to keep the cover snug. Finally, install snap heads where appropriate, or attach grommets at regular intervals so that they line up along either side of the boat.
You May Like: Evinrude Rx3 Propeller
Homemade Pontoon Boat In Vietnam Part 1
This video shows you how a group of DIYers in Vietnam made their own high-quality pontoon boat. The video is a little lacking in detail, but anyone with a reasonable amount of DIY know-how will be able to work it out, so if you think youre up to the challenge, you can have a go at building something just like theirs at home.
Designing The Boat Cover
This is my fourth boat cover. The others had been mostly flat sheets with pointy ends folded and sewn in the front, and reinforcements for the grommets. By tightening the ties well the cover would work quite well but never fit perfectly.
One cover was of oiled canvas 60 inches wide. I found that although it worked I could not get much of a peak to keep water off since the fabric after hemming was not quite wide enough. I like to build a little tent and have the cover shed water even if the fabric stretches.
The other 2 polytarps were also flat covers with pointy ends and lots of grommets, and I made them wider than the 60 inches. I shaped the front a bit so that I could hook on the cover to the front and go to the back and pull tight. This worked very well particularly since polytarp stretches and will make quite a nice boat covering tent. It does not last well though. I use supports in the mast partners to make a tent pole.
I have 2 posts, one is in the mast partner and the other is free-standing with a small base and it gets placed behind the middle seat. Both have foam and duck tape covers so they don’t tear the covers.
Some boats use their mast and boom to make a cover tent. This works well if the mast is kept stepped but in the Skerry the mast is taken down after sailing.
I used a string to measure the distance between the front of the boat to the back and added enough to fold and finish the front. About 10 inches is what I left front and back.
Don’t Miss: Freedom Boat Club Freeport
Some Observations On Making A Boat Cover
This cover could have been made by laying the fabric at 90 degrees width to width and adding shaping in the seams. This would be more economical of fabric. I have a use for the offcuts so it’s not an issue.
Draping a lighter fabric even a plastic drop sheet, would have been easier. The pattern could then be used to cut the actual fabric. I found that handling the heavy Marine Grade Sunbrella to be harder than I expected.
It took me 2 days work to make this cover. I had the time to do it and used the best possible material. It might be cheaper to get a professional to make one if you count the time. I checked commercial ready made covers and the fabric was very flimsy. They don’t fit my boat anyway. A neighbour paid 1000 for a similar sized custom boat cover. My boat cover was less than 200.
Time will tell if the cover lives up to the UV of the Sun.
Note: A after 3 seasons the boat cover is as good as new. It has not stretched out or faded much. I think getting the good material will be worth the extra cost. Here is a link to a Sunbrella supplier: Sunbrella Marine Grade – 6001-0000 Pacific Blue FabricI did get a mouse that chewed through the front and made a nest in the boat. I don’t think I can blame the fabric for that problem though.
Sailmaking and Canvas Supplies
Small Print
How To Fix A Boat Cover That Gets Filled With Water
For anyone fed up with water pooling on their boat cover when it rains, this is a useful video to watch because in it, youll find out about a super-simple but highly efficient solution to your problem. Sometimes the simplest ideas are best, and this video is the proof. Great job, we enjoyed this one!
Read Also: Clean Mildew Off Boat Seats
This Diyer Found A Boat He Liked In The Popsci Archives Then He Built It
This is a post we enjoyed reading. It tells you about Tom, a retiree who wanted a pedal boat to explore the waters around his new Virginia home. And instead of buying one, he looked up some plans for an old 1940s model and built one himself. It was a great success too, and if you want to see how it went, give it a read to find out!
What Is The Difference Between Waterproof And Water Repellant Covers
Breathability is the biggest difference when it comes to fabrics which are designated as waterproof verses fabrics which are designated as water repellent. Waterproof fabrics are often coated with rubber or plasticized synthetic resins, making them non-breathable and subject to cracking in extreme heat or cold conditions. Waterproof covers only work to block out moisture from precipitation. In the same way the waterproof material blocked the precipitation out it will hold the moisture in as well. When moisture is present, whether it be from humidity, condensation, or rain evaporation, it will become trapped under a waterproof cover creating mold, mildew, and rust.
All CoverQuest boat covers are 100% water repellant shedding the same amount of precipitation as a waterproof cover while maintaining the high level of breathability necessary in a marine environment. All of our boat cover fabrics are treated with a marine grade water repellency that allows them to retain their canvas properties and not take on that rubber or plasticized feel. If you are not sure which of our materials is best for your boat please call, email or live chat with us. One of our Cover Experts would be happy to assist you. You can also find more information on our fabrics in our Boat Cover Guide.
Don’t Miss: Boating Down The Mississippi
Inflatable Raft Fishing Boat
Are you struggling to come up with enough room in your budget to build a new fishing boat? What if you could use your inflatable raft as a boat?
Well, thanks to this idea, you can. The person who created this put a plywood bottom in a raft and turned it into an amazing little fishing boat for little money.
How To Make A Hatch Cover
A hatch cover is an easy way to protect your hatch window, keep the sunlight out, and eliminate additional heat build-up inside your boat. Lucky for us, it just so happens that making a hatch cover can be a very simple sewing project!
We patterned a hatch cover to fit the square hatch opening of our Seaward 24. It features Sunbrella fabric and Tenara thread, both of which are UV resistant, so the hatch cover will last for many years. Although there are several different ways to design a hatch cover, we decided to use a leechline drawstring to secure the hatch cover to the hatch.
Also Check: How Much Is It To Join Freedom Boat Club
How To Make A Boat Cover Doityourselfcom
There are several benefits of making a cover for your boat rather than buying one, as this blog points out. You can save money, and importantly, one you make yourself will probably be a much better fit for your boat. Its also not that difficult to do, and this post takes you through how to complete the job in just eight simple steps.
Make Your Own Winter Boat Cover
Heres one more video from the same people who made the videos in #2 and #18 and just like those tutorials, this one is long and full of invaluable information. This upload is about making a winter boat cover, and if thats what youre interested in, youd do well to watch this video all the way through.
Also Check: Is Banana Boat Cruelty Free
Build Your Own Pontoon Boat Pontoonboats
This blog post is another invaluable resource for anyone interested in building a pontoon boat since it takes you through everything youll need to think of in plenty of detail. Building a boat can be a big job, but if you have all the necessary information before you start, you can still make a success of it which makes this post essential reading for anyone considering it.
Does Coverquest Offer Snap
CoverQuest offers full boat covers which are designed to cover and protect your entire boat resting 3-6 inches below your boats rubrail. We do not offer snap-on or partial covers. These covers are only available directly through your boats manufacturer or dealership for several years after the boats production. Snap-on and partial covers can also be obtained by going through a local custom or sew shop.
Recommended Reading: Best Marine Cranking Battery For Bass Boat
Plenty Of Great Options For Diy Boat Covers
As you can see, whichever type of vessel you own, there are plenty of great plans for making a DIY boat cover that will help keep your boat protected and safe while also saving you a bit of money.
Weve enjoyed collecting these plans for you, so we hope youve enjoyed watching and reading them too. And above all, we hope weve helped you find the ideas you needed to get started on a DIY boat cover of your own.
- 0share
How Do Coverquest Boat Covers Secure To The Boat
CoverQuest Boat Covers are designed to rest 3-6 inches below the boats rubrail. All of our covers will come with a shock cord or draw rope in the hem, which will help hold the cover securely to the boat. All covers will have tie down loops sewn every 2-3 feet throughout the hem. There are a few options for securing the cover depending on how the boat is being stored. Tie down straps are passed through the tie down loops and are used when the boat is on a trailer or lift. Mooring bags or Suction Cup Tie Downs attach to the tie down loops and are used to secure the cover when the boat is in the water.
Read Also: Better Boat Mildew Stain Remover
What Boat Cover Fit Options Does Coverquest Offer
CoverQuest offers three different fit types: Custom Fit, Styled-to-Fit® , and Flex-Fit Pro.
A Custom Fit cover is designed and patterned for your specific boats year, make, and model and is a true custom fit with reinforcements at all key stress points. Custom fit covers are very snug and fit like a glove. These covers are made with draw rope in the hem, which usually exits at the transom, allowing you to tighten the cover to the boats hull. Tie down loops are sewn every 2-3 feet around the hem of the cover. This fit type is suitable for trailering and all types of storage.
A Styled-to-Fit® cover or a Semi-Custom Fit cover, is designed and patterned for your specific boats style and dimensions. Unlike most Semi-Custom covers on the market our Styled-to-Fit® cover will fit only one style and size boat verses a range of styles and sizes. Styled-to-Fit® covers offer a nice snug fit making them suitable for trailering and all types of storage. Carvers Styled-to-Fit® cover will have a shock cord sewn into the hem. Westlands Semi-Custom Fit cover will have a draw rope sewn into the hem. Shoretexs Semi-Custom Fit cover will have an adjustable shock cord sewn into the hem. Tie down loops are sewn every 2-3 feet around the hem of all Semi-Custom Fit covers.
If you would like to see more information on fit, please visit our Boat Cover Guide.
Can You Build Your Own Pontoon Boat Travel Experta
As this blog points out, there are many reasons why pontoon boats are among the top go-to options for amateur boatbuilders including that they are safe, flexible and easy to make. You dont need too much skill to build one, just a little determination and if you think you might want to try, this blog post would be a great place to start.
Recommended Reading: Boat Cover Repair Patch
Ordering A Custom Boat Cover 14 Tips To Make Sure You Get The Best
Having a custom boat cover built can be confusing. Canvas fabricators have varying degrees of experience and skill level. It’s important to have a basic working knowledge of custom boat covers when you walk into a shop for the first time. Doing this will gain you a cover built to your specifications and needs instead of one built based on the fabricator’s preferences.
My mission is to help you make good decisions about boat cover construction and material options so you can evaluate the information your receiving. It doesn’t matter if it’s a winter boat cover, trailerable boat cover, or any other type of marine boat cover, because talent or lack of it can effect your results.
With basic knowledge of what you are buying, you can visit your local canvas shop and ask questions. If you don’t like the answers you hear, you can then leave and locate another fabricator who will build the cover the way you want it.
Buford, Ga
Below is a list of questions to ask along with answers you might expect to hear from a high quality custom canvas shop. Of course, everyone builds boat covers differently so don’t expect to have everything on your wish list. Also, don’t expect the fabricator you are interviewing to use a specific product just because you ask them to. They all use different products which they buy in bulk. The Q& A should help you evaluate the work styles and help you get a feel for who you are dealing with.
