Brandnew mooring cover problems

[JAL51974]

this will be my first season mooring the boat at the marina docks. I had a new custom cover made, separate bow cover, separate cockpit cover with snaps all around.

How much rain water in the boat should you expect with this type of cover? We had a hard driving rain yesterday and today I checked it out and was surprised to find that water had entered everywhere. Seems to be coming in from the sides on both covers where it is snapped down, dripping down the gunwales, along the front window bow and stern side of the window, etc.

Joe

 

[airdvr1227]

Re: Brandnew mooring cover problems

Not sure about anyone else but my mooring cover does not leak. I have a cuddy so I can't address that one. My cover is set up with 2 tent poles in the center to prevent water from pooling.

Personally I would not be happy if my new mooring cover let water into my rig.

 

[NYBo]

Re: Brandnew mooring cover problems

As you have discovered, that style of cover isn't really meant to keep the boat perfectly dry. I think it mainly keeps the sun off the interior and keeps out most of the rain. For keeping the boat as dry as possible, you need a one-piece cover than wraps around the gunwales.

To make the best of what you have, ask the shop that made it if they recommend a waterproofing treatment, and make sure water can't pool on the cover by supporting it as necessary, as airdvr has done. My factory bow cover has grommet for the use of a support pole right in the middle. However, that also lets water in.

Make sure your bilge pump works and your battery is charged. Need I say you need to have a float switch or an automatic bilge pump?

 

[a70eliminator]

Re: Brandnew mooring cover problems

Your fabric needs to be sealed that's all. Buy a 1 gallon jug of starbrite waterproofer with teflon or similar (I have good results with the starbrite) saturate the cover evenly using one of those garden pump up sprayers on mist setting, water will bead right off all season.
I have a 1 piece full cover, as stated above your cover may not perform as well keeping the boat dry.

 

[jack gardner]

Re: Brandnew mooring cover problems

i have simular cover as u explained.like previous person explained . treat all ur covers i use a spray can or two yearly on mine tent waterproofing beads up all year .second at the windshield and front cover ur cover should attach inside so the water doesnt come in there thru grommets attachment mine does fine .gets alittle wet if on road and towing in a downpour but other than that its bone dri

 

[mike343]

Re: Brandnew mooring cover problems

Is there an anchor locker outside the coverage of the snap-in bow cover--like mine. If so, a lot of the water runs off the bow cover into the bilge.

 

[JAL51974]

Re: Brandnew mooring cover problems

thanks for all the replies.

The fabric seems sealed enough as the water tends to bead up and run down. It has two tent poles one in the bow cover and one in the cockpit cover.

I think what I was most concerned about was water appeared to have leaked inside where the material is snapped down- like rain blowing hard as it was that night- 15-20 mph gusts-had just blown inside from both sides. I don't have a picture of how it is set up but I will take one and post it later.

The front cover attaches to the bottom of the windshield with snaps too, but you can see that any heavy wind will blow rain in by that gap in the fabric.

I am installing a new bilge pump with float and the battery is a good one! I have not put the boat in the water yet as I am finishing up some engine work, so it is in the back yard at the moment.

I am trying to figure out how much to blame the cover maker, and how to approach him to get some type of satisfaction. I really wish he had made the material overlap the gunwales by a few more inches, but now the snaps are already in place on the boat so that won't work!

Joe

 

[JAL51974]

Re: Brandnew mooring cover problems

Here are pics of the cover.

What do you think about the short overlap of the material over the gunwales? that is where the rain tends to blow inside.

Joe

 

[Philster]

Re: Brandnew mooring cover problems

Looks fine. Nothing can stop 100% of the water in windy conditions, but it looks good.

But...

See those big boy engine vents? Where do you think they wind up? Yep... down in the engine room/bilge area.

Sometimes the answer is as obvious as the nose on your face!

All they do is let in air (and water). They just feed two big tubes that work to bring air to engine/blower/bilge. Water sometimes crashes the party.

They are begging for some rain water, especially if the wind is helping out!

 

[JAL51974]

Re: Brandnew mooring cover problems

Yeah the vents are definitely an issue too. I will have to design some sort of flap/cover there. But the real water entry was from the windshield area to the stern, just before the seat and doghouse engine cover.

Has Anybody done this already or have an idea?

Joe

 

[wa_ssv197]

Re: Brandnew mooring cover problems

Like others have said it will never be 100% dry unless put in covered storage.

If your summer mooring is covered you will have much less water in your boat.

On a side note... on your vents to your engine you may want to put screens on it. This goes for anyone with an I/O. I was at my local marina on Saturday and noticed some birds going in and out of those vents, they are nesting in the dog house of someone's boat. The boat is covered but they are going through those vents on the side.

 

[JAL51974]

Re: Brandnew mooring cover problems

No option for covered mooring space at our marina.

good idea about the screens under those vent covers.

Joe

 

[Philster]

Re: Brandnew mooring cover problems

My bowrider had the snaps run across the front/middle window (the metal part of the bottom of the middle window frame), so that snapping it down resulted in a good seal and created the 'flap' of which you speak. In that regard, your bow cover could have been setup a little better by the maker.

 

[JAL51974]

Re: Brandnew mooring cover problems

My bowrider had the snaps run across the front/middle window (the metal part of the bottom of the middle window frame), so that snapping it down resulted in a good seal and created the 'flap' of which you speak. In that regard, your bow cover could have been setup a little better by the maker.

We have been having a lot of rain here this week, so today I got inside the covered boat and saw how the rainwater comes down the windshield then runs inside at that exact point where those snaps are under the metal bottom part of the window frame. I positioned an adjustable pole that has a plastic 24" top piece at that point to see if that will help.

I am definitely bringing the boat back to the upholstery guy this week.

Any suggestions how this can be fixed though?

Joe

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Brandnew mooring cover problems

Well, the way my boat's snaps are configured, the snaps are actually riveted onto the windshield frome, not the fiberglass in font of the frame like yours. This creates a little lip that would keep and running water out and force it to drain off to the sides. Thats about the only solution, but it would require a new cover to made, or possibly just alter the existing one.

 

[jmarty10]

Re: Brandnew mooring cover problems

Looks good. I have the same set up with and bow and cockpit cover. Water gets in from the bow cover by the windshield because it sags where the snaps are under the windshield. What i've done is by a cheap mooring cover from walmart to put on it and its bone dry. The challenge with this setup is that when the boats moored on dock its getting it to stay on because its not tied to trailer. I'm going to try bungees to secure to the cleats of the boat. I like the cheap cover over my snap on because it protects the expensive one from bird stuff and the elements to a certain degree.

 

[JAL51974]

Re: Brandnew mooring cover problems

"Water gets in from the bow cover by the windshield because it sags where the snaps are under the windshield."

That is exactly what is happening here, plus a little blown in water around the sides of the boat. The maker could have made the whole cover slightly bigger to overlap the gunwales more I think.

Any thoughts on how to correct this short of putting another cover over it all?

I will go talk to him on Friday and see if I can get some kind of satisfaction from the guy...$500+ on a custom cover and I get these problems! I'm mad and frustrated #$!@$%

Joe

 

[jmarty10]

Re: Brandnew mooring cover problems

I'm curious to see what cover guy says. Specifically solution for water getting in by windshield because of sagging. Keep us updated, its a common problem.

 

[JAL51974]

Re: Brandnew mooring cover problems

We talked over several solutions and eventually wound up with installing a rubber gasket under the bow cover where it meets up with the windshield edge. I hope this makes whatever water runs off the windshield go down either to the left or right. I may also weatherstrip or seal whatever I can around the windshield itself. I am not sure this will get 100% of the rain water but it should help a lot.

on the stern he sewed in a flap with 2 snaps on each side to cover the vents which will keep water from flowing off the cover and down into the vents. No charge for any of this additional labor.

I think in hindsight I should have had him make a full cover with snaps at the rubrail line all around the boat. the critical spot will be the windshield since water was coming in on top of the dash and on the opposite side water was running near the stereo housing.

Joe

 

[woosterken]

Re: Brandnew mooring cover problems

i would have him just make it one piece!! the guy that made my top would not do it the way yours is , just because there is no way to make it not leak
here is a picture of mine........

woosterken