boat covers

[mdwarchichoke]

Picked up a new to me boat today. (2009 SR230) Cover almost made it home before she let go. The factory cover is nice, but is there something more popular everyone has been using. My previous boats were so old, I used a semi custom cover and just called it good. This boat is still too nice not to protect it a little better. I would want to be able to trailer with it on sometimes too. Thanks

 

[AZ Native]

As a fairly new AR230 owner I'm going to go out on a limb here and say, for these boats Yamaha OEM is your best bet. I also have had other boats, and other than custom, nothing aftermarket comes close. I don't think many boat manufacturers actually bother to make a specific custom fit cover for their boats. Go with a new Yamaha cover. Mine is starting to show it's last leg so I already have a replacement sitting on the shelf at home. BTW they trailer really well if you properly fit the support poles underneath.

 

[mdwarchichoke]

Thanks for the response. Seems to be the consensus from what I have seen. How watertight are they?

 

[Marvin willis]

I have a aftermarket cover. Works well but I wouldn't dare trailer it with it. Planning on building a car port for my boat before spring. I'll spend about the same on the car port as the Yamaha cover and I don't have to deal with putting the cover on and off all the time

 

[mdwarchichoke]

I bit the bullet and ordered a factory one. I really like how it fastens and how it trailered even though it was starting to come apart at the end of the trip. (Original to the boat, so it must have lived most of its life undercover)

 

[AZ Native]

You'll be glad you went OEM. Mine sits outdoors in the Arizona desert. Our monsoon storms don't impact it. The sun and high temps are a different story. I'm guessing 4 to 5 years max on the lifetime of the cover.

 

[mdwarchichoke]

Mine is undercover most of the time, but does the factory cover stay somewhat watertight?

 

[AZDANSX230HO]

You'll be glad you went OEM. Mine sits outdoors in the Arizona desert. Our monsoon storms don't impact it. The sun and high temps are a different story. I'm guessing 4 to 5 years max on the lifetime of the cover.

I agree, they are great covers and Arizona is a brutal place to test how good they protect the boat.

 

[Zarrella]

I agree....Arizona is brutal!! Lol

 

[AZ Native]

Mine is undercover most of the time, but does the factory cover stay somewhat watertight?

Water tight might be too optimistic since you want it to breath a little, but mine does a pretty good job keeping out dust storms and rain blowing sideways.

Arizona might be hot, but "it's a dry heat".

 

[mdwarchichoke]

thanks for the info.

 

[bronze_10]

We ordered a new yamaha cover when we bought our boat last year. It has done really well.. during a hard rain some water collects in one corner of the boat bit I think that is more from where I park my boat... it's not exactly level.

I have heard people mention subbrella covers.. they are supposidlyhands down far nicer than then the yamaha but the cost reflects that! I couldn't bring myself to pay for one..

 

[AZ Native]

So, after I said the cover does a good job keeping the dust out, today I learned you have to PUT THE COVER ON for that to be a true statement. We got home early afternoon from the lake, parked the boat (open) out front of the house (I like to clean it up after it cools off). I woke up from a nap late afternoon to a huge Haboob dust storm over South Phoenix. The boat is now full of dirt. My wife had to help me get the cover on during the storm. Not pretty. That's life in the desert. Any one have a heavy duty dust buster??

 

[Orang Ezazi]

buy the sumbrella but make sure to get the thickest one (I think 0.95 inch) and have it DBL stich and glued.. it will be pricy but worth the effort. Also you can go to local Home Depo.. get yourself a 1 inch PVC tubing and either go the long way or cross (behind capital seat) create an arch... Doing so will force the water to fall off either side of the boat.. instead of sagging in the middle...

here is a picture of cover after 2 month on the boat... its the next best to sumbrella but first ripped above the captain chair, I used lee wise patch (show in bright red) and then the entire back end ripped off by itself... never again I buy after market cover... it came with 10 year warranty, but lasted 2 months...

 

[Bruce]

@Orang Ezazi, I believe the factory grey covers are now made with new materials. I was able to buy one for my SX230 for around $530 earlier this summer. That is perhaps half the price of a Sunbrella cover and with a perfect fit. I suggest giving a new factory cover a try.

 

[Orang Ezazi]

this is the same material.. with special coating.. they are not designed for trailering but storing only.....
I took mine to free way about 10 miles and this is what happen to it....
like you, I also like the factory design with tight fit.... but they deteriorate...

 

[Bruce]

they are not designed for trailering but storing only.....

The original 2007 factory cover for my boat made two 2,500 mile tows at speeds as high as 92 before it gave out. The new one still looks new after 2,500 miles of towing.

 

[Orang Ezazi]

where did you get your OEM cover? are they factory OEM? or other boat cover Mfg. sell by local dealers? Do you have P/N etc... ?

 

[Bruce]

where did you get your OEM cover? are they factory OEM? or other boat cover Mfg. sell by local dealers? Do you have P/N etc... ?

MAR-230MC-VR-GY Is the part number for your boat. I purchased my cover from Partspak.com.

 

[AZ Native]

When properly installing the support poles that come with the factory cover I've achieved a tight fit that tows well and sheds water. I think it's the loose fit of after market covers that causes them to rip when towing. Of course the sun and elements will eventually deteriorate any cover.