Tight travel boat cover

[Silvertip]

Re: Tight travel boat cover

You may want to price Sunbrella before you decide what to use. A 17 ft boat can take 8 - 9 yards of material so you could have $150 invested in material.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Tight travel boat cover

I buy my Sunbrella for $11 a yard but it is at a wholesale supplier (John Boyle). You can buy Topgun which is similar to Sunbrella for $9.48/yard at Rochford Supply. These are all 60" widths as apposed to vinyl which is 50" widths.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Tight travel boat cover

Nonsense! Vinyl is commonly available in 60 In widths or I would not be using it. And just in case you've missed it, Bassboy is a very sharp 13 year old but as one might expect, boating on a limited budget. I only suggested that he price the material so that he realizes if he makes a mistake what the investment is. While we are picking at nits here, the original question (of which there were three) have become lost. The first one was "has anyone ever made their own travel tight cover?". The Answer was yes. The second was "does any water get in the boat?". The answer is no!" But obviously that is determined by the type of boat and how the cover is made. The third was "can you do it on a regular sewing machine?". Again the answer was yes. As for material and technique, use what you feel you want. Heck, I once made an ice fishing shelter out of one of the cheap plastic tarps. Worked for years. At no time did I say Sunbrella should not be used nor was it inferior to a quality vinyl. I will defend vinyl because it is a durable less expensive alternative to other materials and taken care of it will probably last as long as you own the boat.

 

[javsam]

Re: Tight travel boat cover

excellent job silvertip. thanks for the tips.
javsam

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Tight travel boat cover

Silvertip,

Just because I didn't agree with your choice of material doesn't mean you have to get all snippy...give me a break!

I was giving my advice because of the experience I have with making many boat covers. Obviously, you have your opinions based on your cover you made. My advice is more what the standard industry practice is. Obviously he can make it out of anything he wants using any machine he wants including materials that are cheaper than what you and I use.

Go to a boat storage yard or marina and see what are covering the boats...there will be your answer of what is being used.

And I was incorrect in my previous post. 54" is the standard marine vinyl width.

Go to Rochford Supply and you can price out the material there or go to Joanns and buy their vinyl which is on the lower quality end.

Bruce

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Tight travel boat cover

I am intimately familiar with both sources but I won't say why because that will just open another can of worms. However, to show you I'm a sport, the next cover question that pops up is all yours. Just be up front with the poster, find out what they are trying to accomplish, and then provide alternatives. Who knows, a $10 plastic tarp may be all the person needs. Almost forgot -- you have a nice cover on your boat. Why not show the folks.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Tight travel boat cover

It is good that anyone who has experience with the topic posts their suggestions and alternatives...I will leave it at that.

 

[Don C]

Re: Tight travel boat cover

Thanks everyone.....lots of good info here. d

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Tight travel boat cover

Don,

Take a look here for some pictures of various types of covers:

http://www.bayviewcanvas.com/covers.html

This is Mike McManus's business. He also posts on the upholstery link I mentioned above as well as on Boatfix.

For towing, I typically make the ones that snap over the windshield at the base of the windshield and along the sides like the red one with the white stripe and the grey one with the red stripe.

I find that it takes me more time to make a snap on cover than a cover that goes over the entire boat because it is so critical to get a close fit so it doesn't flap. I use plastic sheeting to make a pattern and use Quick Fit Pins to get the best fit to the snaps. I use poly webbing as reinforcement on the edge and bind the edges with doublefold binding...takes a lot of time.