Boat Cover Care

food for thought . .Prevention can and does help a lot. . .A good cover will protect your upholstery
Getting a new cover? . . . You may be able to repair your old cover and use it for winter storage.

tip 1 ■ Never put plastic or a tarp over any cover.
If you use plastic or a tarp, remove the boat cover.
Make sure the cover is dry,fold it, and stow it for the winter. see tip 13 and 14

tip 2 ■ Winter weather warning for Sunbrella mooring covers, and all non-coated acrylics and cottons.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Never put plastic or a tarp over any cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
* The wind moves the plastic, rubs holes in the cover and wears the thread away.
* The plastic holds the moisture in the cover, the moisture will freeze when the temperature drops and weaken the fibers in the fabric.
* Result . . The cover may rip easily for no good reason during the summer. You will think the fabric has rotted, but it accually has broken fibers from the moisture freezing and expanding.

I use my mooring covers every winter with no problems. I never put plastic or a tarp over my boat covers.

tip 3 ■ clean or wash your Sunbrella cover or top.
Periodically bush the dirt off the fabric. You can hang it up and beat it with a broom like an old carpet.
If you have Compressed Air, you can use a blow gun to get the dirt off. works very well

Or Wash the cover with some mild soap and water (not detergent) and a brush. Dish soap works well or hair shampoo if you want it stronger. You can wash it on the boat, on the grass, or on Smooth Concrete. Rinse with plenty of water. Please use pressure washer at low presure only, or it can damage the fabric. If you have an extreme need for industrial cleaner, use biodegradable degreaser, a plastic bristle brush and water. But you must rinse it 4 times, use a lot of water and do not let it dry until it is completely rinsed. Get it at the auto parts store.

I have run across a company that cleans covers by hand. You may want to check it out.
You just fold it, put it in a box, send it UPS.
When the box comes back, the cover is clean. Real Easy..

tip 4 ■ your maintenance-free coated canvas cover needs washed too.
Washing and Treating vinyl-coated canvas: Aqualon, DockSide, Seacover, Sport Topping, and others. Wash same as above with mild soapy water, but use a softer brush, if you have one.

tip 5 ■ re-treating your maintenance-free coated canvas cover helps it last.
Your canvas has a 'vinyl surface' and so Marine Vinyl Treatment is used. A good one is 303 Aerospace Protectant, it also has sun screen. Use 1 paper towel, folded 2 times, fitts your hand. Spray the protectant on the canvas or vinyl sparingly and rub it around with the paper towel. Just like putting sun tan oil on. Let it soak in to the cover and dry. Thats it, done. Retreat every 6 to 8 weeks during the summer for best results.

tip 6 ■ re-treating your Sunbrella cover or top helps it last.
Retreat Sunbrella after washing, or every year for a long lasting cover or bimini top.
(all brands of acrylic, polyester, nylon, olifin, and cotton canvas) A 16oz spray bottle will do 2 coats on a 18 foot pontoon. A 32oz spray bottle will do 3 coats on a 24 foot pontoon cover. Be sure to let it dry 24 hours between coats. Use 303HTFG (high tech fabric guard) works best, or Star-brite teflon treatment. Both keep stains and dirt from getting into the fabric while alowing it the breathe, like scotch guard. You can easily apply the treatment, it will make the water bead up and run off. Test your cover simply by throwing some water on it. If the water beads up, you are fine, if not, retreat it.

tip 7 ■ Applying 303 High Tech Fabric Guard to a cover or top.
You must spray the treatment on a Hot Sunny, 80 degree day, with NO wind. I have used 303HTFG on lots of covers, and you really need hot weather and no wind. The best time to retreat the cover is every summer. You only need to treat the top side. Spray a light mist on the cover, like spraying a house plant. You can spray the cover while it's on the boat, or lay it out on the grass, NOT on concrete! If you spray it on a cover that is laying on concrete, it will not work. I found this out the hard way. Let the canvas dry 24 hours between coats.After it is completely dry, you can test it by throwing some water on the cover, if the water beads up, your done.

You can hang the cover up in the garage, warm it up to 80, shut off all flames and pilot lights, and then spray it. The spray is highly flamable.

tip 8 ■ Applying Silicon or Parifin base waterproofing to a cover or top.
Waterproofing older covers, worn covers, cotton duck, and canvas tents. The best thing for these is using Silicon or Parifin based coatings. These are waterproof coatings and will seal the fabric. It is best to add vents to the cover after applying these. Canvak is in the home improvement store, or Aquaseal at the marine supply. Canvak is a parifin based waterproofing that can be brushed or sprayed on. Aquaseal is a silicon based waterproofing that you spray on. You can use a yard sprayer to apply these. Lay the the cover out anyplace. Spray a damp even coat and let it dry 24 hours. Then give it a second coat and let that one dry. Both treatments will make the fabric heavier, and the color darker.

tip 9 ■ Tears, holes, and rotted thread should be fixed. The problem will only get worse, and duct tape will not help. You can check the thread very easily. Locate a top seam and try to scratch ONE STITCH with your fingernail,
if it breaks, then the thread is rotted. Wash the cover and then have a canvas shop re-stitch and patch the cover.

tip 10 ■ A cover that has pockets of water on it after it rains will rot and collect dirt in the area where the water lays. (have a tuck put in the cover so the water will run off) I have seen people put life jackets, beach balls, or an extra pole under the cover to make the water run off.

tip 11 ■ Towing the boat with the mooring cover on can cause damage. If you must use the mooring cover for towing, it must be tied down very tight. If your cover snaps to the boat, adjust the poles up tight and use pliers to tighten the set screw 1/4 turn extra.

tip 12 ■ A cover that has been folded and stored wet or damp can cause irreversible damage. This rots the thread and causes mildew, which can rot the fabric. Same problem with covers that don't breathe while on the boat, and the condensation can't get out. (vents can be added to solve the problem)

tip 13 ■ Please do not cover the Boat Cover with a Tarp or Plastic. The plastic does not breathe and traps moisture in the boat and the cover. If you see scuff marks or holes in the cover, it is from the tarp or plastic rubbing and wearing the fabric.

tip 14 ■ If you use a tarp for winter storage, take the boat cover off, dry it, fold it, and then put the tarp on.

How to rig the boat for a tarp
The whole idea here is to make your mooring cover last an extra 5 to 7 years and save you money in the long run.
You can do this! And with a helper, it is easier.

This project will be a full web page when I get more photos and there will be more detailed instructions.

   * Put the Bimini top down before you start.
   * Remove the wing-nut for the light-stick and set the light-stick on it's side out of the way.
   * Use (2 x 4), (1" x 1"), or (1/2" x 1") wood for your poles, and tie them up with 3/16 or smaller rope.
    --------I use (1/2" x 1" x 8 foot) wood from the home improvement store----reuse them every year----
    ---------Use 3/16" or 1/8" braided nylon or poly rope from the home improvement store--------
    ---50 foot rope package for 16-21 ft. vee hull --- 100 foot rope package for pontoons and larger boats
    ---------I will add the size for the tarps here after I verify the measurement--------
   * Cut the wood down to 5 foot [they are 8' when you get them]. We want them tall for good run off.
   * Position the posts with the front one 18" back from the front railing or gate(pontoon) 18" back from the windshield(vee-Hull), and space the rest of them no more than 5 feet apart.
   * Use a staple gun and staple the rope to the tops of the wood poles. (You can use romex staples)
  * Tie all the ropes that hold the posts tight and go around and make sure they are very tight.
   * Then staple a 4" square piece of old carpet on top of each pole, to protect the plastic.
   * You should put a 4" square piece of old carpet under each pole also. Use old towels or old carpet to pad any vinyl and sharp objects [protects the tarp and the seats].
   * Then put the plastic on and tie it down tight as you can, to keep the wind from taking it away.
   * Make sure the rope or bunge cords that hold the tarp on are very tight.
   * When that is done, you may want to finish up with a rope around the bottom to pull the tarp tight to the deck (pontoon) or rub rail (vee hull). The shrink wrapers do it most of the time.
This project will take 60 to 90 minutes to complete, and will add years of life to your cover.

Click the thumbnails for a large photo.

tip 15 ■ Heavy snow on the mooring cover during winter storage is hard on the fabric. All you have to do is go out after a big snow and brush the snow off the cover with a broom. The weight of the snow can push the grommets out, which can be fixed.

Brushing Snow Off Cover

Cover Care . . Bimini tops and campers too .

15 tips to help your covers and bimini tops last for years.

Please use contact form for questions you may have. I want your cover or top to last as long as possible.