We have invested good money in our boat so we need to take good care of it for the boat to look better, last longer and hold its value. Sure by its general design boats and their interiors are meant to withstand weather elements. But excessive exposure to water, rain, dirt, bird droppings, tree sap, etc, leads to much quicker deterioration. We may think of rain as clean but as puddles dry we quickly see that rain washes out dirt and pollutants from the air. Hulls are treated with heavy coverage of gel coats which makes them last long. Many of us still clean our hulls every year or two. Interiors require same care, but don’t have the hard protection of gel coats.

To maintain your boat and its look, one always has to choose a quality boat cover as they protect the watercraft from dirt and pollutants. Here are a few tips for cover selection.

Price is always a factor. You can buy custom fit covers. These are usually made with highest grade materials and are most often used for clip-on water covers. OEM storage covers are usually available from boat making companies. In both cases these run into the hundreds and over a thousand dollars for everyday boats. Universal boat covers area great choice for price value relationship, but quality and materials varies. Shop wisely.

Materials used for universal covers varies a lot. Lightweight fabrics might be ok for small things like bikes but larger items like boats have too many stress points and exposure for light fabrics. We recommend choosing heavy weight fabrics only such as 600 Denier Polyester. Acrylics such as Sunbrella are great for color retention and fade resistance but are not as durable as polyesters. For boat covers we always recommend “solution dyed” polyester. This is a process whereby the yarn is colored and treated as it is being made. Otherwise traditional dyeing only coats the finished yarn. Solution dyed polyester is much more resistant to UV exposure and therefore lasts longer.

Another aspect to consider is water resistance. Quality fabrics are woven tight which result is a relatively good water resistance. However, a fabric treated with breathable coating such as PU (polyurethane) is ideal because it adds more water resistance, which is critical in high rain events. We don’t recommend PVC inner coating for boat covers because they don’t allow fabric to breathe and in humid environments will condense water vapor and create its own rain inside the cover.

Another factor to consider is size and shape. Universal covers by their nature don’t always fit perfectly but by knowing your craft type, match it with a supplier with a wider variety of sizes which can better work with your boat. Always consider your entire boat length (think with and without motor), the beam (widest point of boat), and whether it has protruding elements such as a windshield, poles, etc.

Lastly consider securing devices. This is important both for storage and transportation. We cannot stress enough the need to ensure you have multiple straps and tie downs. Quality covers will have main straps sewn over the entire top, not just at the hem. There should also be multiple straps with heavy fasteners. A secure hem cord is also critical for keeping wind out and also to help keep rodents out when stored. A good trailering cover also has rear vents to help dissipate trapped air and moisture.

At outdoorcovers.ca we provide only top quality 600D solution dyed (marine grade) polyester covers with a full complement of features as noted above. Visit our website for highest quality boat covers and great prices. Don’t be fooled by fancy retail packaging and fancy names. Look at the product and read the material make up.