Talk to me about outdoor storage......what am I doing wrong?

[drewkaree]

Are there any vents on these newer covers? I don't see any.

Mine has 2, near the windshield and centered, circled in pink. Look like 2 90* elbows, about 2" diameter or so. I wonder if 2 computer fans under the cover would work well enough to exhaust all the humid air underneath, or if a box fan would be a better solution ?

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

Looks like a good product! My empire cover I have for my boat allows some water through where it is touching the rag top on the T top but doesn’t allow water to fall on the deck, cushions etc… this product looks like it may be the hot ticket to get full repellency back.

It is flammable, just something to keep in mind when applying.

303 Products - 303® Marine Fabric Guard

www.303products.com.au

 

[2kwik4u]

@zipper

Shipping cover has them. This cover was honestly a little nicer than the mooring cover. Plasticized exterior and a soft felt interior. Lasted me 3 seasons of towing with it on before it gave up.



Black mooring cover isn't quite as nice on there, but it still has some vents up at the top. You can see the support poles in the bow/cockpit here.


If water is getting in around the tower, it's not gonna be much. Would have to just be whatever runs down the tower itself. There are little "dams" around the tower to keep cover runoff on the outside.

I'm cautiously optimistic about treating the cover with something and then just putting it away as dry as possible. Not sure I can splurge for the SeaDeck/Marine Matt this year, but might start running without the carpet as a test. We're only a month away from putting it up for the winter anyway so it might be a Moo point for this year.

 

[zipper]

Could add a few more down low. Or at least one centered between the stern seats over the swim platform.

 

[drewkaree]

@drewkaree

I've had similar thoughts on getting some of those microwavable desiccant packs and just recharging them after each outing.

Not sure on those, never had any experience with those, although I used some of the humidity gel stuff for larger scale cigar storage. I don't think it's applicable or at least not what you're talking about, but it sounds possible if the price is right

I'm wondering if potassium chloride works the same as calcium chloride. I'm working on a vibratory conveyor system for a customer that manufacturers KCl, and they sent me ~4k lbs of it for testing. Said they don't want it back. I know during testing it was exceptionally prone to sticking to the side walls of the conveyors and felt "slimey" after it sat for awhile. Guessing it was pulling the water out of the air. Definitely going to have to look into that.

Grab a handful and put it in a Tupperware container with a shot glass of water, and you should have a pretty good idea in a few days

Do you know what the coverage is on the 303? Say a gallon covers 100sq ft and you get 3 applications, so you have ~33sq ft of cover. Just trying to get an idea of how big my cover is.

I have a 21', and I think the beam is 8' with some extra down the sides, so maybe 10-12' x 24-26'? I think it should be good for at least 3 applications, I didn't check how much was left, but I can look next weekend

I'm not sure if it'd be a good idea to apply it to the cover while it's on the boat. I was concerned about issues with the paint, so I didn't want to risk it. Maybe someone else has done it that way and will chime in.

I just laid it out and sprayed it down, smoothing it out on the area I was working on, then moving on to the next section, until I was done. I let it dry on the ground for about an hour and then put it on the boat and buttoned everything up. It sat that way for at least a week until the next time we took the boat out.

 

[zipper]

They even slipped a Yamaha into the article.

https://marinefabricatormag.com/2019/07/01/no-fail-boat-covers/

 

[drewkaree]

 

[drewkaree]

Something I forgot to add, check the potassium chloride and see how warm/hot it gets as it "melts". Put a handful in something metal or glass, and add some water, and see if it gets too hot for your comfort level. That's how the salt works to melt the ice on your sidewalk, but there's so much air surrounding it, that it's not an issue, but that's why it kills off your grass. The salt & heat at a time when it's not actively growing results in the die-off you see in spring.

 

[zipper]

Getting Fresh Air Down Below

Lack of fresh air on a boat can cause problems ranging from mold and mildew to sputtering engines. Here are some suggestions are to make sure your boat will always have as much air as it needs to remain healthy and run smoothly.

www.boatus.com

Venting outdoor cover to prevent moisture build-up

Where can I can some of these vent cover scoops? I'd like to add these and have a canvas shop sew them in. Specifically vents that will be easy to add to canvas. I see them as a feature on many big name cover manufactures, but no source as to where to buy them yourself to add on?? Never had a pro...

www.themalibucrew.com

 

[2kwik4u]

Getting Fresh Air Down Below

Lack of fresh air on a boat can cause problems ranging from mold and mildew to sputtering engines. Here are some suggestions are to make sure your boat will always have as much air as it needs to remain healthy and run smoothly.

www.boatus.com

Venting outdoor cover to prevent moisture build-up

Where can I can some of these vent cover scoops? I'd like to add these and have a canvas shop sew them in. Specifically vents that will be easy to add to canvas. I see them as a feature on many big name cover manufactures, but no source as to where to buy them yourself to add on?? Never had a pro...

www.themalibucrew.com

Dude.......This is the thing.

That guy at the end of the thread that put the paracord through the vents, and then attached it to the tower for a poor mans HangTyte system......is the thing I think I'm going to do.

I don't like messing with the poles/straps/etc anyway, but kept them in for anti-pooling. If I can get something like this setup, as well as coat the cover with 303 I think I'll be a long way towards less water in there.

I'll never be able to get all the water out before we have to leave the boat, but if I can get it vented, and repellent I think those are good first steps.

 

[zipper]

Dude.......This is the thing.

That guy at the end of the thread that put the paracord through the vents, and then attached it to the tower for a poor mans HangTyte system......is the thing I think I'm going to do.

I don't like messing with the poles/straps/etc anyway, but kept them in for anti-pooling. If I can get something like this setup, as well as coat the cover with 303 I think I'll be a long way towards less water in there.

I'll never be able to get all the water out before we have to leave the boat, but if I can get it vented, and repellent I think those are good first steps.

I thought someone would find that hangtite/boat vent/eye bolt thing useful. I thought everyone was going to want this, LoL. BilgeWizard shore use bilge ventilator. JK

 

[Beachcampin]

Not sure how much flexibility you have at your site, but I put in one of these next to the house and it's been absolutely wonderful not having to rely solely on the cover. Wasn't too expensive and so far, no zoning issues (many similar structures around here).

No more anti-pooling poles that kick out when it rains heavy; no more beach ball boobs in the bow that deflate at night and then it rains causing pooling, no more worrying about whether it's going to rain, is it fully dry, can I put the cover on. I still cover it, but when its dried out.

It keeps most of the leaves out when not covered and when I do put the cover on, most of the time I can half-ass it since I don't need to worry about pooling.

It's under dappled sun so I should get several years out of the cheap tarp and cheap boat cover. I originally put auger anchors under the legs, but then this summer got worried about hurricanes so I dropped in some 4X4 w/ concrete in the hole next to them and lashed the galvenized pipe to the posts. Nothing is hurricane proof, but it helps.

I used the second site's online tools to help with the math in cutting the pipe.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B086JQJWJS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Canopy Design App | Creative Shelters

Design your own Canopy with this Canopy design tool. Retail canopy kits, tarps, frame fittings and accessories for building tarp canopies.

creativeshelters.com

 

[2kwik4u]

Situation Update......Went up to camp yesterday. Took the boat out on the water. MIGHT be the last outing of the year. Depends on schedule.

Some Notes:
Talked to the campground owner. No carports/structures/etc. Anything that "looks like a building" isn't allowed. Something about property taxes, and once you put a building up the taxes go up. Same thing applies if I build a deck, I can put it ON the ground but not IN the ground. Not certain I completely understand, however the ruling stands. SO.....no additional means to cover it.

I've talked to (3) different places on storing the boat. Waitlist on all of them. Cheapest was $900/yr, most expensive was just over $1,500/yr. I'm told there's a "nice old man" on the way to the lake that has a barn that some of the guys in the campground use. I'm told there are extra spaces there, but it's definitely one of those, "You have to be personally introduced and he has to like you" kind of deals. We'll see if that shakes out.....SO.....most likely the boat is coming home to the garage for this winter stay. It's the cheapest solution until I figure out something else.

Leaving the bimini open while I was gone was a mistake. It's not outright damaged, but it's dirty as sin from tree droppings (dust/sap/etc). I blasted it off as best I could with a push broom at camp, then wiped it down with a wet rag while we were on the water. Def needs a deep clean/scrub at this point.

The cover seems to be holding up decently as well. It's definitely dirty and needs a scrub, but appears to be doing OK. I verified that the vents are flowing just fine, and even sprayed the cover off with the 11yr old inside to look for leaks. He reported a little bit coming in around the tower, but otherwise appeared to be fairly water tight. Not sure how that translates to being completely saturated from rainfall, but it's something. Definitely need to treat the cover again though, as I can tell it wasn't beading up like I would expect it to.

Speaking of water tightness. The boat was completely dry when I arrived. Carpet and all. I had left all of the cushions out and off the seats (my cushions aren't hinged, they come out completely). I had sat them "vertically" in the aisleway and around the captains chair to allow airflow. I had both compartments open, the ski and anchor locker open as well. Even the rear seat gutter was empty and dry, which was unexpected. It's been 2-3 days since it rained last, and it was "mostly" dry when I put it away last Wednesday (10days between visits). I'm pretty confident if I add a couple more vents to it, and put it away as dry as possible I'll be OK without having to replace the cover.

Overall, I think my problems are more lack of experience than anything. Proper configuration for storage is more involved than just having the cover on it. Ultimately I think we're OK for the remainder of this year. I left it at camp, and will likely bring it home next weekend for the initial winter "put away" and cleaning.

As a side note, the old girl has definitely lost a step or two. Bimini stowed, light weight in the stern (just the boys/dog/myself) and even heading "downwide" across the lake, I maxed out at 39.7mph at 7,550 rpm. I'm down about 150 rpm and 2mph from "best ever" stats. Haven't changed the oil yet this year, and the plugs/air filter are easily 3yrs old at this point. I think I'm around 250hrs on it, maybe more, haven't looked at that in awhile either. Hoping a little tune up and hull cleaning in the spring will bring her back to full 42mph magical goodness.