Selecting boat covers is easily done once you know what style, size, and materials you’re looking for. But for newbies in the boating industry, it’s better if you’ll do some research on what boat covers will perfectly fit your vessel.
In today’s article, we’ll talk about the best materials, types, proper care and guidelines that you should know before buying boat covers.
FACTORS TO CONSIDER IN BUYING BOAT COVERS
CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS
If you want to have long-lasting boat covers, it’s advisable to purchase marine-grade materials that feature great quality, durability and strength to handle different weather conditions.
Here are some of the materials used to build boat covers:
- Canvas – a cotton base material that is usually tight weave to make it waterproof. Expect it to be heavy since it’s a strong fabric which means it doesn’t tear or rip easily.
- Polyvinyl Composite – a great choice to protect your boat from any damages caused by water, mildew, UV rays, and mold.
- Acrylic – considered the best choice when it buying a boat cover since they are very durable, resistant to mold and mildew and has a soft texture. The only downside is that they are not abrasion resistant and should be maintained properly.
WEATHER CONDITIONS
Of course, weather conditions do matter when buying boat covers. For hot and humid places, it is suggested to purchase boat covers with ventilation to avoid any mold from building up.
For the colder environment, make sure that your boat covers are snow and ice resistant to make sure that long winters won’t affect your boat.
SIZING
Before searching boat covers on your phone, make sure that you know your boat’s dimension to prevent unwanted purchases. Perfectly fit covers are better protection against molds and mildew.
You can measure your boat’s length from the tip of the bow to the stern, no need to bend your measuring tape, measure it in a straight line. For boats that have outboard motors, you can purchase a special motor cover for certain protection.
While a boat’s width is measured at the widest point of a boat which is the beam. If you have included some add-on components on your boat such as; railings, high windshields, anchor mounts then you might want to add some extra inches for them.
TYPES OF BOAT COVERS
Source: nationalboatcovers.com
Universal Boat Covers – you can use the universal fit boat covers for all boats with all shapes, sizes and types. It can be used on deck boats, ski boats, bass boats, etc. Most universal-fit boat covers offer a high-quality fabric that can protect your boat from any weather conditions and can last for a year or two.
Semi-custom Boat Covers – if you want custom-fit boat covers that will perfectly fit your boat, you can purchase semi-custom boat covers. When it comes to their sizes, they feature different lengths and widths to make each cover will be suitable for your boat.
Motor-Covers – for some boaters who own vessels with outboard motors, it’s recommendable to purchase a motor cover. Usually, motor covers are available in universal fit but if you can also have the choice to have a custom-made motor cover to fully protect your outboard motor.
BOAT COVER CARE
Preserving the quality and making sure that they are there are no abrasion on your boat covers are important especially if you’ll be using them often.
When cleaning your boat cover, you need to shake out the dirt by using a hose. Do not scrub them with a brush to avoid scraping them.
After removing all the dirt, you can put them into the washer and use a detergent or mild soap and let it dry.
CONCLUSION
Purchasing boat covers can make help you protect your boat from any damages such as; mildews, scratches, molds, etc. Though there are plenty of boat cover types that are available on the market, make sure that you’ll purchase something that will meet your expectation and of course, protect your boat.
What type of boat cover do you use? Share us your thoughts and comment below.
