Re: Should a boat cover always be waterproof?
you may also want to invest in a new cover. Poles and or some sort of supports are a must, but the cover should also be at least water resistant.
I bought my boat cover from Walmart for 60 bucks and it works great! For "support", I use my 2 fishing poles, the folding chair, and two plastic household trashcans placed upside down. If you take a peak in your garage or around your yard, I bet you can find things to use rather than spending money on making your own or buying some. Just be creative.
This post is funny because I do exactly what you do! I bought a cover from Walmart about 5 years ago and it's on my 3rd boat already.
At the end of the season I use trash cans, chairs etc whatever I can scrounge up from the garage to tent the cover.
I also put a few paper plates around the interior with drier "Bounce" sheets to keep rodents out. I screen off any openings that are left after I remove my accessories like speakers, radio etc.
I also bought some of that white plastic pipe at home depot. I cut it up and they also sell these round end caps that push on. The other end goes into a few of my empty seat post holes to further tent the cover.
But I laughed when I read your post because it reminded me at the beginning of spring I carried out my porch furniture from the garage and I was flipping out because I could not find these two chairs (I had the cushions) they are a set that goes with a matching round glass table. I was thinking who would have ever stolen my chairs? What slime bag would have borrowed my chairs and never returned them. The garage is locked too!
I went to several stores to replace them but no matches could be found. I figured stores would get more summer stuff in later in the spring, so I'll wait it out.
Two weeks later, took the boat cover off to install the accessories and "hello chairs"
The Wally World cover is great, but water will pool on it and it finally ripped through one of the posts over last winter, so I just patched the hole and it's still going strong. I use it every day during the season as the boat sits in the driveway. It covers my custom made trailerable cover to keep the cats off it along with bird droppings. I don't bother cleaning it because I figure the nastier it looks, the less likely thieves would think there is a decent rig underneath to rifle through.
But I agree with the other posters. Tent your cover breathable or not. If it's not breathable, buy two (more for a pontoon) of those plastic vents that sit on two poles where you cut a hole through the cover or mildew will eventually destroy everything and your boat will smell bad at the start of each season.
Mine smells like Bounce
