Boat Cover Snaps

[Lonepiper]

Below is a picture of my boat, I am planning on refinishing it. At some point in the past someone installed a number of snaps for a cover. Naturally, the cover is long since gone. I really would rather not work around the snaps when I do the paint job, so I was wondering if I could get an opinion on how I deal with them. They are riveted in so I will have to drill them out.

Should I:
1- Leave alone and try to install snaps in the next cover to match
2- Remove, refinish, and reinstall
3- Remove and fill the holes somehow?

Along the same lines, how do I safely remove the logo and reinstall? Once again its riveted but here its plastic and not metal.

Thanks all...

 

[woosterken]

Re: Boat Cover Snaps

as for the snaps depends if you want a custom cover to match them
here is the cover I had made for mine it was only $300.00
as for the emblem,the only way would be to drill out the rivets VERY CAREFULLY not to heat the plastic emblem then put it back on with S/S screws.
if you are close to wooster,ohio I can give you the guy that made mine he is amish so no phone only took three days

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f249/woosterken/kralyongypsy.jpg

woosterken

 

[gcboat]

Re: Boat Cover Snaps

If you are going to do a repaint then by all means remove them. You can either leave the empty holes and replace with newer snaps later, or fill them with Marine Tex, paint and redrill and add them where you want.
Woosterken has the idea on removing the emblem. However, if there is someway to get inside the hull and snap off the backing from the rivets it would possibly save you from buggering up the emblem.
Just take your time - doesn't need to be done in 15 minutes.

 

[fishon13]

Re: Boat Cover Snaps

remove the snaps replace with new unless you want a different type of cover. As for the emblem I would remove fill the holes and not put it back on any hole in your hull is a possible water intrussion point.

 

[bekosh]

Re: Boat Cover Snaps

Remove and fill the holes for the snaps. When/if you get a new cover install new snaps as needed.

For the logo, you could do what I did on my old tri-hull. I drilled out the rivets as recommended above. Then, because one side was broken when I bought the boat, I scanned the good logo into my computer and cleaned up the image using Photoshop. (MS Paint would work too.) After that I took the file and had vinyl decals made. No holes to worry about and if you ever need to reapply, you have the file to get new ones made.