Please educate me on covers

[bennylt]

Can someone please educate me on when to cover and when not to cover my boat.

It is aluminum with a plywood floor. A am restoring it now, so the floor will come out and be replaced with exterior grade plywood, sealed and, with vinyl covering.

I live in Central PA, so we have warm but VERY humid summers and cold winters. It sits near a locust tree that drops all kinds of crap.

It is a semi V so the back is flat bottom. it has a plug to one side. so it drains. but the issue I have is there is a triangular transom support in the center. water drains out of the one side, but anything trapped on the starboard side of this support just sits there. that is the section of floor that completely rotted too, the rest is still "solid".
see the support in the picture. the plug is to the right side. then to the left of the support water sits because it can't run across to the plug.

Ignore the junk etc. it is a restoration project, and looks a LOT better already



So, in the general sense. When do people cover and leave boats open.

And then in my case where I'll end up with a couple inches of standing water on the starboard side. I have a risk / reward scenario brewing between covering to keep rain out, but needing to prevent condensation and mold/mildew.

Thoughts?

 

[Chris1956]

if you seal the plywood well, it will not care about getting rained on. The vinyl is susceptible to sunlight, so you need to protect that, but still have the proper ventilation. A fabric cover (sunbrella and other polyester "canvass") breath, but are water resistant.

Can you block up the boat so it is level, and will drain properly?

 

[Gold Eagle Co]

if you seal the plywood well, it will not care about getting rained on. The vinyl is susceptible to sunlight, so you need to protect that, but still have the proper ventilation. A fabric cover (sunbrella and other polyester "canvass") breath, but are water resistant.

Can you block up the boat so it is level, and will drain properly?

Hi everyone,

Chris1956 is absolutely right, if the plywood is sealed well then rain won't be an issue. If you're concerned about UV rays however, it is important that you either keep your boat covered or treat it with a UV protectant. Our 303? Marine & Recreation Aerospace Protectant is a powerful UV protectant that prevents fading, staining, and even restores color and luster to boats that have already been exposed to the sun. It can be used on a variety of surfaces including vinyl, plastics, synthetic and natural rubber, PVC, finished leather, teak, and colored gel-coat fiberglass, to name a few. If anyone is interested in a free sample of this product, please comment or send us a direct message!

Have a great day!

 

[tpenfield]

Can someone please educate me on when to cover and when not to cover my boat.

So, in the general sense. When do people cover and leave boats open.

Thoughts?

Cover it when you are not using it . . . uncover it when you are using it. :thumb:

 

[bennylt]

I like the breathable fabric idea. That is probably the tickett!

Eeven if the boat is blocked properly the water on the starboard side still can't run past the brace to the port side where the plug is since there is no V bottom at the back the water sort of just sits on the flat plane... I am debating drilling a drain hole through the brace and slightly ramping the right wheel of the trailer to cause it to run to the port side, so water can move over to the drain hole. or even putting a plug in the starboard side too. a boat with 2 plugs is unsual I'm sure, but with a flat bottom at the rear, it seems like it would make sense. then again I prefer to limmit the number of holes that are in the hull of my boat. LOL.

Thanks for the UV advice. I plan on using purpose built vinyl boat flooring that is UV protected, but I'm sure that protection will give up in time and additional protection will be warranted.

Anyhow. breathable water resistant fabric is a great idea, and is probably what I'll do.

Walmart sells generic boat covers for cheap. like $50. But with bargain stuff that doesn't last... is that just p*ssing money away?

 

[doyall]

.... Anyhow. breathable water resistant fabric is a great idea ...

Good in theory but not so much in reality. Use a cover with a vent and desiccant underneath your cover to protect against mildew.

Walmart sells generic boat covers for cheap. like $50. But with bargain stuff that doesn't last... is that just p*ssing money away?

If I can overuse an old saying, you get what you pay for. My past history suggests that I spend about $100 per year on covers. Get a $100 cover and replace every year. $200 - 2years. $700 - 7 years. But then again I live in lower Alabama with months of strong sun every year. YMMV.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Instead of spending so much on covers that don't last an trap moisture maybe get a steel car port instead.... $700 and last many years... Build it low with enough side on it to keep 98% of rain out and what little bit gets in can easily dry since the boat is always open.

 

[UncleWillie]

Cover it when you are not using it . . . uncover it when you are using it. :thumb:

+1 !
The cover does not seal the boat up. You will get some ventilation under the cover. Think, Drafty Tent. Not Plastic Shrink Wrap.
If the boat is dry, and I don't mean mostly dry with a couple of puddles in the corners, You will not produce a mold growing Sauna under the cover. It will be Hot under the cover, but it should be the proverbial "Dry Hot."
Be sure the boat is bone dry before covering it. Scoop, Sponge and Towel Up every drop in every compartment.

I am in Ohio and share your weather.
My Middle Grade Boat Cover is used continuously all summer. Easy ON, easy OFF! May to September.
After 4 years, the Budget Boat cover with the 3 year warranty, still looks like it will last at least 10 more years.

The heavy damage is in the winter, so the expensive cover gets replaced with a Silver PVC Tarp.
It is harder to remove but only goes on once in October and off in April.
If the $40 PVC tarp only lasts 3 year it is still a bargain.

Boats are meant to get wet on the outside, not the inside.
Most people do not appreciate that idea, and that is why most boats over 10 years old have rotten structure.

 

[bennylt]

Bill that's great, and I appreciate the advice from someone with the same weather. People think it doesn't get hot up north. But we know it does. It doesn't STAY hot for long but we get the 100+ degree days here, but we also get the -20 days in the winter. And we have 80% - 100% humidity all summer.

I like your advice. I do want to cover it to keep rain off my new floor, but also all the insane amount of junk that locust tree drops. and it's not just in the fall, it drops these little yellow stringy things all summer. just the right size to wash down over the edge of the floor and into the bilge.

Carport is a no go. I tried that and the Wife used her ultimate veto power.

 

[smokeonthewater]

I lived in northern OH for 10 years and been through PA many times.....

It DOESN'T get hot there lol.... You ain't experienced heat n humidity till you try out Houston.... 105 degrees at noon and dew still on the grass in the shade.. Or walking outside at 6 am in the dark and it's 90+ degrees....

With the tree issue beg borrow steel and find a way to get the wife on board w a cheap carport.... Maybe a deal like hey honey I bought you this widget you've been wanting and they threw in a carport on the deal... Lol

 

[bennylt]

It's funny. It's always someone from Houston that comments about how hot and humid it is down there. Until a new friend of mine who lived in Houston for the past 16 years and just moved here has experienced the way the humidity gets trapped in the valley. and it is still in the upper 80s at night. He said it is just as miserable here at it's worst, it just doesn't last as long. Then he cried like a baby all last winter when it was -10 every day for a week straight and he couldn't get his car started. LOL.

But I appreciate the advice. A car port aint happening no matter what I do. the boat sits on one side of our house and there are two different bedroom Windows there, it is a walk out so the bedrooms are at ground floor level on that side of the house. a carport there would shade those windows and we don't want that. So a cover it must be.