Proper boat cover when trailering?

[Toddavid]

My first season of boating consisted of short 30-40 minute trips with mixed road and hiway. I kept my snap-on bow and cockpit covers on to keep out road debris, and fully lowered my bimini. Next season I plan on longer trips, some 6-7 hours long to upstate NY via hiway.

What is the best way to cover a boat for a long distance tow?

I have a full fitted winter cover, but it takes a bit of time to put on, including the 2x4 supports.

Boat is a 254 Sunesta.


Thanks,

Todd

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Proper boat cover when trailering?

a lot of people find it better to trailer uncovered, due to (1) needing a cover made for trailering (2) the work to secure it (3) the wear on the cover and attachments, plus on the boat at inevitable flapping and (4) the risk oo catastrophe if it blows off. Your 25' boat sits high enough that nothing is likely to get in it from your vehicle or passing vehicles.

 

[F14CRAZY]

Re: Proper boat cover when trailering?

A snapping mooring cover

 

[Bamaman1]

Re: Proper boat cover when trailering?

Consider traveling without a cover. The covers that are tight enough for traveling would have to be custom fit, and they're too much of a hassle to deal with.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Proper boat cover when trailering?

+1 to trailering uncovered. Nothing good can happen to the cover when being subjected to 60+ mph winds.

I frequently see people towing their boat with covers, often it looks like they are towing a parachute

I can usually tell how long they have been on the road by how many rips are in the cover. . . . I have towed with a mooring cover, as it was a 2 day trip and rain was expected. I lashed the cover down with mooring lines to keep it from billowing and just in case the forward snaps started to let go, etc. Other than that, it has been uncovered.

 

[F14CRAZY]

Re: Proper boat cover when trailering?

Skipping the cover costs me about 4 mpg when towing...

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Proper boat cover when trailering?

Skipping the cover costs me about 4 mpg when towing...

many people have the opposite experience. Are you also pulling a 254 sunesta? If not, you can't compare your experience.
For most pulling a 25' boat it isn't going to matter.

 

[DBreskin]

Re: Proper boat cover when trailering?

I purchased a custom fit trailerable cover from iBoats. I can put it on without assistance in about 4 minutes and remove it in less time. I've had it 3 years without any rips, tears or other damage. My drive to launch is about one hour and 15 minutes each way at 60+MPH at least 15 times a year, and I also make a yearly drive of 8 hours each way for vacation with the trailer and cover.

The cover improves mileage; keeps loose items from flying out of the boat; keeps out rain, dirt and bird droppings; and keeps out curious passers-by.

I would never trailer without a cover.

 

[BRICH1260]

Re: Proper boat cover when trailering?

I tow my Sunesta about 40 miles to the lake without a cover. I then cover it when we get back home. The ride home drys the boat out well after a day of getting her wet.

 

[Toddavid]

Re: Proper boat cover when trailering?

Hmm, some conflicting advice here.

Rather than seeking a blanket rule, maybe I'll just offer more info on my configuration and someone can tell me why I should not use my bow and cockpit covers.

My covers are made of sunbrella, not thin tarp material. They are factory snap-on, and the snaps are pretty closely spaced, in the rear-view I have not seen them billowing up at 70mph hiway speeds and there is not a lot of evidence of marring on the boat from flapping. They are a very tight fit and don't seem to change shape at speed.

Like a lot of recreational bowriders, my Sunesta has a bunch of quality covered seating areas, and also a full snap-in carpet set. Besides the ability to keep road debris (soot, gravel, birdcrap, blowing trash, etc.) off the interior parts, I like the idea of the cockpit cover protecting the windshield of the boat, too.

So, is it still advisable for me to go "naked"? Is the risk of a rogue air blast ripping off the covers that great? I have a lot of trailering experience, but not a lot with a boat. Thanks, guys.

 

[oregoncruiser]

Re: Proper boat cover when trailering?

Ford, Dodge or Chevy??? Same argument that willnever end, lol!!

I had a previous boat permanently damaged when I traveled through a road paving zone. The tiny little tar balls were scattered throughout the interior of a boat with white interior. No way to get thousands of little oil stains out. On the new boat I invested in snap on covers as you described, and I use them every trip. It takes an extra 5 minutes to put them on. Made lots of 6 hour runs up and down the highway between Oregon and California with no damage to either the boat or the cover. Wouldn't leave home without them!!!

BTW mines a 23' BR, not quite as big as yours,but pretty close.

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: Proper boat cover when trailering?

I agree with the Ford/Chevy/Dodge debate, Personally when I trailer to Powell from Denver I trailer with my Bow and Cockpit covers on(about 8 hours), I have no idea if it saves me and gas since I really don't care all I want to do is get to Powell and fast. But it does keep my interior very clean and makes any post trailering cleaning a minimum, I have also found that it keeps road debris from getting into the boat and traveling out west we have plenty of that so thats what I do, the only time I trailer without the covers on is on those weekends when we have a big water weekend, you know when the kids or friends come out and the interior of the boat gets soaked, then I tow the boat open and leave it open for a day or two to completely dry out and then put the rain cover on until the next trip.

Its very much up to you, so long as your having fun don't let anyone stand in your way!

 

[four winns 214]

Re: Proper boat cover when trailering?

I have a similar boat. Tow with cover on. Here's why, from my personal experience:

1) Boat interior stays clean. Ever notice the bugs that accumulate on your windshield during a long trip? Those will also be on your boat's windshield and the forward facing interior parts of your boat exposed to the air flow.

2) You'll burn less fuel in your tow vehicle. My cover-on mileage is 12mpg. Cover-off is 10mpg. Those figures are towing at 60-65 mph.

From your description of your present cover, it does not sound like a good towing cover. Consider having a good canvas shop fabricate a towing cover. I use a tight fitting Sunbrella mooring cover. It does not flop or "parachute" while towing.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Proper boat cover when trailering?

Here is a properly fitted cover and nose bra. This one, like several others I've made are a very heavy duty vinyl so they are tough. The key to having a long lasting, trailerable cover is to make sure it FITS. Most any cover can be made to survive high speed road trips if air is not allowed to get under the cover (such as with the nose bra in this example). In this case it is a separate piece because Ithe trolling motor is removed for travel and the main cover used at the dock overnight with the troller installed. Use of a strap on cover can be bad in that the straps flap against the sides of the boat and can cause damage. Note there are no straps on this cover except for the two securing the nose bra. At speed, this cover actually sucks down rather than billowing up. Smaller boat than yours but the concept still applies.

 

[Toddavid]

Re: Proper boat cover when trailering?

Thanks for the responses.

Towing with the cockpit and bow covers on it is.

I didn't know this was a Ford vs Chevy vs Dodge type topic!

 

[ricohman]

Re: Proper boat cover when trailering?

I don't cover while towing but if I could I probably would. And if its raining all the highway filth stays out of the boat.

 

[tboltmike]

Re: Proper boat cover when trailering?

Can the cover chafe the gel?

 

[four winns 214]

Re: Proper boat cover when trailering?

Can the cover chafe the gel?

Not if the cover fits well. My cover has a "nose bra" as described by Silvertip above and it secures below the rub rail with snaps and a draw cord that is pulled tight and tied at the stern.