Tight travel boat cover

[Don C]

Looking for a travel cover, highway use, for Lund fisherman 1800. The one I have extends over the side about 6 in and is maring the paint when it flaps in the wind. Any suggestions Does anyone make a snap on type cover thanks in advance

 

[WillyBWright]

Re: Tight travel boat cover

Lund offers covers that snap on, not sure about your specific boat. Otherwise your only and best choice is a custom made.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Tight travel boat cover

Here's mine. Snaps are under the rail. Notice there are no straps except for the nose bra. Best thing about it is that I make my own covers using very heavy vinyl and Sears Kenmoore sewing machine. Just takes a little measuring and planning.

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Tight travel boat cover

Great looking job on that cover Silvertip!8)

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Tight travel boat cover

Heck of a cover. Start a business !!!

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Tight travel boat cover

I travel thousands of miles at freeway speeds each summer which requires a cover that didn't flap itself to pieces. I also was annoyed by the scuff marks most covers leave so I made the cover for may last boat. My daughter's family has that boat now (1996) and that cover still has no holes or torn seams. I'm retired and one would think I'd have the time to make covers but it would cut into my fishing (both hard and soft water). Aint' gonna happen! d

 

[Don C]

Re: Tight travel boat cover


Nice cover silvertip. do u get any water inside when driving down the freeway when it is raining ?? can u get a tight fit all around the rail ?? How close are the snaps ?? thanks
DonC

Here's mine. Snaps are under the rail. Notice there are no straps except for the nose bra. Best thing about it is that I make my own covers using very heavy vinyl and Sears Kenmoore sewing machine. Just takes a little measuring and planning.

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Tight travel boat cover

I travel thousands of miles at freeway speeds each summer which requires a cover that didn't flap itself to pieces. I also was annoyed by the scuff marks most covers leave so I made the cover for may last boat. My daughter's family has that boat now (1996) and that cover still has no holes or torn seams. I'm retired and one would think I'd have the time to make covers but it would cut into my fishing (both hard and soft water). Aint' gonna happen! d

I hear You about cutting into the fishing time !!
But you have got me thinking about making one for my boat now !!!

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Tight travel boat cover

The boat stays bone dry whether on the road or in a downpour at the dock. The nose bra is a separate piece that slightly overlaps the main cover. The reason for that is so I can leave the trolling motor on when the boat is docked for the evening. The nose bra also helps protects the bow from some of the debris thrown up by the tow vehicle. Because of the nose bra and the fact that the cover is tightly wrapped around the rails no water can get in. The snaps are seven inches apart. There are only three seams in the cover (excluding the console). If you do make a cover do not make any seams down the middle. Make all seams across. The material I used was 60 inches wide so three spans did the trick. Seams are double stitched and I treat them twice a year with a spray tent water proofing called "Camp Dry". there are other similar products that would work just as well. If you have a someone in your area who sews, have a chat and maybe they will give you a lesson or two. Use a needle for leather and use the best quality vinyl you can find. It must have a good backing. The cheap stuff will not last. I laid a strip of masking tape down each rail. Starting at the bow, I placed a dot every six inches down each side. You can then lay your cover material backside up on the floor, mark a center line, and then transfer dimensions between each set of dots to the back of the cover. Measure how much overlap you need, plus one inch for the hem. Add that dimension to the marks you already have the that will be the cut-line.

 

[MrBigStuff]

Re: Tight travel boat cover

That has to be the best looking cover I have ever seen!

Just curious, where do you pick up the material? Local fabric store, internet sales, or ?

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Tight travel boat cover

Check the yellow pages for fabric outlets. I have an advantage as I have a female friend that works at one of these stores. She knows what material I like and when the stuff goes on sale she calls and asks if I need any. I usually end up with half a roll or so for very little money. What kind of boat do you have. My boat has a removable windshield so the only area that requires some thought was the console area. Towing with the windshield off also reduces wind resistance. If your boat has a fixed, full width windshield or other pieces protrusions, that complicates the design but a little thought will get you through it. I can help with that and can provide some pictures should you get serious about this.

 

[MrBigStuff]

Re: Tight travel boat cover

I have a 17' Astro bass boat and a 14' Lowe V.

The bass boat windscreen is only mounted onto a pod like yours and is easily removed. I do have one trouble spot to contend with, the bow mounted trolling motor. It has a fixed mount, not one of those nicer releasable ones. That could be changed tho- The next big hurdle is an emotional one, installing all of those snaps onto my glass hull. Mine fits with a rope around the perimeter now. Installing the snaps would be a no turning back point...

The 14'er would be an easier job and no emotional issue with installing the snaps. Perhaps after I gain confidence with the smaller boat, I'll be more willing to do it on the glass hull.

Thanks again for the info and sharing! It really does look the balls, as they say d

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Tight travel boat cover

I understand not wanting to poke holes in a perfectly good glass boat. Preventing wind from getting under the cover is what makes a good travel cover. Its simply a matter of do I want a rope in the hem and additional straps, or do I want snaps. In your case its not an easy choice and not using them creates more of a design issue. As for the trolling motor, my MinnKota PD is on a quick release bracket so thats why I have the nose bra. I can leave the motor on overnight and just install the larger piece of the cover leaving the motor exposed. My last boat had a fixed mount troller and I did fit that cover with a hump in it to cover the troller. The two piece arrangement for this boat serves another purpose in that it prevents wind from getting under the cover so it actually sucks down rather than billowing upward at high speed. Airflow off your tow vehicle also has a bearing on how a cover reacts.

 

[bassboy1]

Re: Tight travel boat cover

Were you able to do this on a regular sewing machine. upon veiwing this, I am kinda thinking about doing something like this for my Lund and grumman as I am 13 and have a lot of spare time. My dad seems to think that you would need one of the industrial sewing machines. We know someone who has those but they live a couple of hours away and we hardly ever see them.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Tight travel boat cover

I did this using a old Sears Kenmoore sewing machine. It does not need to be a commercial machine although the heavier duty the better. You need to use heavy thread and a needle intended for leather. You'll also need about 100 straight pins to pin the seams while they are being sewn. Pin 90 degrees to the direction of travel and machine will stitch right over them. While others will argue about my suggestion to use upholstery thread, I can assure you my last cover is now nearly a decade old and still has no torn seams. I do treat the seams a couple times a year with tent waterproofing (Camp Dry). The starting and ending points of each seam were treated with thread locker which is just a fancy name for a liquid that prevents the threads from coming loose. Snaps are available in many varieties at most farm stores. Again, use only the best quality (heavy) vinyl. It must have a heavy fabric backing or it simply will not hold up at highway speeds. Good quality vinyl has a feel almost like leather but is much thicker.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Tight travel boat cover

I have done many boat covers and my mom used to do it as a business.

I suggest finding a walking foot machine for the best results. A home machine may work but the machine will never work the same again unless its a high quality machine with metal gears like a Bernina. Any of the newer plastic gear machines like Brothers will have major problems. I also suggest not using vinyl and using Sunbrella. Vinyl is not made to be in the sun 100% of the time. For thread, you want to use #92 polysester thread which will aslo be hard to use in a home machine.

Instead of using pins use a hand stapler to hold your seams.

If you really want to find out info on this subject use this other forum as it is dedicated to upholstery.

Ask them what they think about what you are planning to do.

http://www.get-up-and-go.com/upholstery-forum/index.php?board=1

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Tight travel boat cover

Why would you staple seams! Pins are so easy to remove and you can sew right over them. Hitting a staple will definitely break needle and quite possibly the machine. Can't imagine what a pain removing a bunch of staples is plus the potential for damage to the material in the process. I disagree that quality vinyl cannot be left outside. I do agree that a $99 WalMart machine will probably not work. There is usually one sewing center in every town. You could probably find an old Singer or Kenmore for just a few bucks.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Tight travel boat cover

Staples are used all the time. The reason they are used is because it is fast and they are more secure than T-pins! I can remove a staple a lot faster than I can put in a T-pin.

The staples are used on the seam side so are not visible in the finished product. You staple parallel to the seam so you never sew over the staple.

http://www.sailmakerssupply.com/tip1

As far as vinyl vs Sunbrella. Take a look at some vinyl boat seats left in the sun. After 3 years, the vinyl will be showing sun damage. Sunbrella tops will last over 10 years.

 

[bassboy1]

Re: Tight travel boat cover

Our sewing machine is an old singer. Daggum thing weighs near 40 pounds.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Tight travel boat cover

Get some scrap material and experiment with it. A flat fell seam, which is the most common seam you will do, will go through three layers of material. Remember that if you have a seam that runs perpindicular to that seam it will be through 6 layers where the seams intersect.

Find out what the biggest needle you can use in your machine and then look at this chart:

http://www.sailrite.com/Tips/whichthread.htm

This will dictate the size of your thread. As I said before, you really want to use a #92.

You want to use the longest stitch that the machine can do. I use 5 stiches/inch with my Consew 226R. The longer the stich, the less holes made in the material and the less chance for leaks.

If you do decide on vinyl for some reason, It is very important to use a long stitch because it is less likely to weaken the vinyl since vinyl is a much weaker material than Sunbrella.