Share your experience with your boat cover(s)

[JWPrendergast]

As spring time rolls around and everyone is preparing to take their boats out of hibernation, I thought I would ask what everyone thought about their experience with boat covers. Some use the shipping cover (like myself), others use the premium/deluxe Yamaha covers and some even have ones that were made custom.

Ive only ever had the shipping cover, and its worked fine for the most part. Ive had to fix minor holes from its MN to FL trip, but its serving its purpose. Im looking at replacing it this summer with a premium Yamaha cover in black, but am slightly concerned about the heat that will build up under such a dark cover.

 

[jcyamaharider]

Cant help you here as I stored my boat indoors but I am also interested as I am looking at new covers as well.


Edit: Maybe I can help I do have both the shipping cover and the mooring cover and both were hot under the sun. The shipping cover, even though white did seem to hold in more heat then my mooring cover.

 

[Andy S]

Here is my 2 cents.
I can't help with the black cover however my previous boat sat outside under a dark green sunbrella cover for 16 years and when I sold it the interior was the factory original and still in very good shape. Also, the sunbrella cover did not have any vents to help relieve any heat build up. The other thing is that the vinyl exterior shipping covers don't breathe, maybe a little threw the vents, and being vinyl, even white, they will hold in the heat. Now with the premium/deluxe cover being a breathable fabric, even in black I believe the interior of your boat undercover will be no hotter than under the shipping cover.

 

[Zeus2013]

I have the morring cover and stored under a tarp, so I will know in a few weeks how it hel up over the winter.

 

[Cory]

I have both, the shipping cover went into storage when I got the good Yamaha cover. It works very well, I even trailer with it on. However, it doesn't hold up very well when the moron in the next stall backs his fifth wheel into your boat. Luckily the cover was the only casualty.

 

[SCSTWG]

The original owner of my AR240 had Sunbrella custom snap-on covers made and they look beautiful and work perfectly. I know member "Motorboater" has the same boat and cover setup and also seems to like it. I think all of us are taken aback by the price of covers, but when the time comes I will definitely replace with exactly what is on the boat now. Fortunately, they still look brand new.

 

[RightStuff]

Great topic, I too am looking at covers as all I have is the shipping cover that came with the boat (only got it last Aug.). I'm leaning towards getting a custom cover made, but would love to hear about the Premium Yamaha cover that they sell.

Also, please post some pics of your covers that you have (custom or other). On the AR210 I have the rear tower mount is my biggest issue as far as keeping rain/dust out of the boat when it's covered. I would love to see how each cover manages to seal up that spot on the boat since it sits on the top of the hull and not the side (like the 242s)...

 

[OperationROL]

I store my boat inside, so don't have enough experience to say. My cover is in great shape after 7 years and modded for our tower.

 

[CDENsomnia]

I have the premium black mooring cover. I keep the boat inside in the winter and outside during the boating season. I have now had the cover for a year. It has held up nicely but I was disappointed in the material they used with it. I can almost see through it and that was when it was brand new. I get that you want it to breath but I haven't seen that thin of material used before. You can see the cover in my signature.

 

[Trm1765]

I use the shipping cover for long term storage over the winter.. stored indoors. During the summer my boat is wet slipped. I had a custom 2 piece snap on cover made for this. The advantage for this to me is that I can easily install it while the boat is tied to the dock and only having access to one side of the boat. I simply start at the inside nose and snap my way to the back, leaving me standing on the swim deck when fully snapped. I can put poles in place as I go without a problem. The pole supports double as vents which work great. I like the separate bow cover because on cool days I can leave that in place and with the center window closed and it makes a huge difference keeping the cold wind out. There is a downfall to having a two piece cover,, which I am currently in the process of trying to think through a solution for. When the cover is on and it rains, the water runs down the windshield and under the bow cover because they are not one piece. When these boats are wet slipped the bow sits low and the water does not run to the back, causing the water to pool in the front and get the carpet wet. Good luck.

 

[ToddW850]

I bought my boat last spring and the PO already had the gray Yamaha cover that was less than 2 years old. It too holds in heat. And it had lost its water repellancy, not sure I spelled that right, so I'd have to open it up and let dry out after heavy rains. I bought some 303 Fabric Guard and it's done great since. But I like the fit and look of the Yamaha cover, just not how well it failed to repel water.

 

[maboat]

My boat has always been stored outside in the hot texas sun. In North Texas, we also get some snow and ice each winter. I've been using the Yamaha mooring cover. First one lasted about 4 years, and I've got about 4 years now on the 2nd cover and its about due to be replace. I figure 4 years is not too bad considering its covering my boat year round.

I like the Yamaha cover...mostly. The fit is great and the material is OK. Its thiner than I would like and it lets more water in than I would expect. I would prefer SunBrella material, but its so much more expensive I think I'll just keep buying a new Yamaha cover every 4 years.

I do wish I had purchased a new Shipping Cover before they stopped making them. I think the Shipping Cover would be much better for Winter storage as it repels water better and the snow slides off it better. Snow on the mooring cover just seems to slowly melt and drip through the cover instead of sliding off.

 

[BigN8]

I got 3 years out of my grey yamaha cover, and i stored it in the direct sun for about 1 year then in a covered slip for the remainder. I just replaced with a sunbrella cover. I haven't been down to the boat in a few weeks, but plan to shortly. I will take a few pics when I go down and post them later of the new cover and how it fits.

 

[maboat]

how much did you pay for sunbrella? i definitely like sunbrella. The question comes in the price/performance/value comparison.

 

[biglar155]

I've got the grey Yamaha cover. (I kept the shipping cover as an emergency back-up in case I need it.)

I bought the boat new in August of 2010. It's been stored indoors its whole life.

I put the cover on "properly" when going down the road (no poles) but just place it on the boat loosely when she's sitting in the storage unit. More of a dust-cover. Many times after a particularly wet trip, I'll remove the cover completely when I put her away so that things have a chance to dry out.

I took a few extra measures to protect it (pool noodle over the windshield frame, folded bath-towel over the rubber "bumper" on the swinging part of the windshield) and it seems to be holding up well.

I'm hoping to get a few more years of service out of it before I have to spring for a new one.

 

[maboat]

If stored indoors, I think the yamaha cover would last many many years. Its definitely the sun that destroys mine. I think when I get my 3rd cover I will try the method of strapping sacrificial tarps over it and let inexpensive tarps take the damage of the sun and probably replace them each year.

 

[biglar155]

If stored indoors, I think the yamaha cover would last many many years. Its definitely the sun that destroys mine. I think when I get my 3rd cover I will try the method of strapping sacrificial tarps over it and let inexpensive tarps take the damage of the sun and probably replace them each year.

I did this with a previous boat (THAT one sat outside). It's a pain, but it does prolong the life of the "good" cover.

 

[maboat]

I did this with a previous boat (THAT one sat outside). It's a pain, but it does prolong the life of the "good" cover.

Yeah, I hear ya. I'm sure I will tend to get lazy during the summer months when I take the boat out a lot. I always cover it, but may not always go through the trouble of double-covering. I think that will be more for when I know its going to sit a while

 

[DawgDaze]

As spring time rolls around and everyone is preparing to take their boats out of hibernation, I thought I would ask what everyone thought about their experience with boat covers. Some use the shipping cover (like myself), others use the premium/deluxe Yamaha covers and some even have ones that were made custom.

Ive only ever had the shipping cover, and its worked fine for the most part. Ive had to fix minor holes from its MN to FL trip, but its serving its purpose. Im looking at replacing it this summer with a premium Yamaha cover in black, but am slightly concerned about the heat that will build up under such a dark cover.

I store my boat in a car port type environment so I use the Yamaha. cover. I have a shipping cover but it has a hole in it. I read that you repaired a few holes in yours. How did you do it?
I would like to use my shipping cover more often.

 

[MDBodnar]

We opted for both the Factory 2-piece Snap Cover and the Premium Mooring cover. No regrets.

We use both covers when the boat is parked, a little extra effort, but keeps the boat dry and the tan snap cover clean.

We trailer with only the snap cover, thinking the mooring cover might rub-scratch the black hull. When we are away and the boat is in the water for a week or so, we find the Snap cover the right solution for us while the boat is in the water. We did have one problem with the Snaps: in our case the snaps nearest the windshield detached while towing and left rub marks on the white gellcoat just under the driver's windshield. I have since replaced two of the snaps with the eye-turn clasp fasteners (they have a name, I cannot remember it), one snap on each side of the boat, and have had no issues since.

I never received the shipping cover, asked the dealer when I bought it, but it was not available. If I had it, I'd probably use it only for long term storage. (Boat stored outdoors in the summer, indoors in the winter.)