Re: covered or uncovered?
I keep my carpet snapped in only because my feet are the flatest on the planet and a hard surface is excruciating and I won't wear shoes in the boat. If I were thinking ahead, I'd find a nice small rug to set in the helm floor. The boat is easier to clean with the carpet out and you don't have to worry about cleaning food or drink stains when the carpet is not there. As for trailering, my carpet doesn't come unsnapped by the wind however I trailer with the bow cover and the mooring cover snapped on and obviously with the windshield closed. Neither the bow cover or the mooring cover are intended to be used while towing which results in snaps not quite holding as tight over so many years of this and potentially chafing on the fiberglass. I trailer covered for a few reasons. One because I end up on long, dirt roads many times, two because it always seems to rain while towing, and three because after a long trip on the boat, I don't want to stow everything back away while at the access. That said, there was a good article in 'Boating' magazine a couple years back following a professional fisherman who tows tens of thousands of miles yearly. That guy never used a cover.
