Boat Cover Advice

[gunsinger]

I've been parking my boat under a lean-to, which protects the boat well.   But, all good things must come to an end.  Getting back to the lean to and getting the boat in and out is killing the yard when it's rainy.  So, we decided to pour a dedicated pad/drive to park the boat on which will be nice.  However, there's no cover for it so, I'm seeking advice here on what kind of boat cover to buy.

 

I see them on Amazon for anywhere from $100 and up.  Dr. Google says there are boat cover makers out there that supposedly make the cover to fit your boat.  As near as I can tell, those run in the $400 range.  I am looking for a cover where I won't have to remove my seats.  Trailerable would be nice by not essential.  Is there anything I need to be aware of when it comes to buying the right cover?  Any particular ones to avoid?

 

I fish out of a 2020 Lowe Stinger 175c with a butt seat up front and regular seat aft.  Thanks in advance for your advice.

[J Francho]

The best custom cover I ever had was made by Aurora, and fit my Bullet like a glove.  You could also probably take a look at a car tent.  My buddy had one and it was great for getting the boat ready to fish in the rain.

[Krux5506]

Get a travel cover rather than a mooring cover so that way you can strap or bungee it down regardless of towing or just sitting in the driveway. I bought mine from Iboats.com in 2017 and it's been fine for the $300ish I paid.  Even survived a harsh trip to and from Quebec over 1k miles with no tears in the loops or any other issues. 

[Scott F]

A travel cover needs to fit near perfectly so it doesn’t flap around at highway speeds. That’s a custom cover. Cheap covers are not good on the road. The stress that the wind puts on a loose fitting cover tears the straps up.  If all you need is a cover to keep the leaves and sun off the boat, while parked, you can get by with a generic (cheap) one.

[Jig Man]

Like JFrancho said Aurora Canvas makes a great cover.  I had one that was still good after 14 years when I traded boats.  However, I don’t think $400 will buy one.

[gunsinger]

2 hours ago, Jig Man said:

Like JFrancho said Aurora Canvas makes a great cover.  I had one that was still good after 14 years when I traded boats.  However, I don’t think $400 will buy one.

Lowe Boats sells one for $715 plus shipping and tax.  I'm betting Aurora Canvas is more in that neighborhood.

2 hours ago, Scott F said:

A travel cover needs to fit near perfectly so it doesn’t flap around at highway speeds. That’s a custom cover. Cheap covers are not good on the road. The stress that the wind puts on a loose fitting cover tears the straps up.  If all you need is a cover to keep the leaves and sun off the boat, while parked, you can get by with a generic (cheap) one.

99% of my usage will be to keep the sun and debris out of the boat when not in use.

[BassnChris]

I bought a metal carport to park my boat under.......protects from hail that can fall from the skies here in Oklahoma. I also have a heavy custom cover on the boat to keep dust/dirt off of it and help keep critters from moving in.

 

My custom cover cost $1200.

[newbiedmv]

Just a FYI from my screw up.

1) Make sure it will fit over your windscreen and still go over the sides.

2) Make sure it has enough space up front to handle a trolling motor bottom and prop.

I have to drop down the windscreen for it to work on the road in bad weather otherwise it tends to rip the side lanyard straps off.

I've resewed them on 4-5 times now.