How do you stop water from filling up your boat cover?

[Johnny Be Cool]

I have a 1990 Regal 233 Xl Ambassador Cabin Cruiser. I store it outside and cover it completely with a good water proof boat cover. The cover goes around the 2' tall pulpit / bow rails in the front and over the rear deck rails. I used 2 inflatable exercise balls in the front to form a inverted Vee and I used an adjustable pole in the rear deck. Proberm is, is when the cover gets wet it forms pockets and when it rains hard or snows it forms very deep pockets. I had to go out several times last winter and bucket the snow and water off. I was thinking this year to use 1/4" plywood over the bow rails and stick 2x4's underneath for support and the same for rear deck, this way the cover would not dip. So far, water has not entered the boat, the cover is very flexible and can hold large pockets of water. I strap the cover with 6 adjustable straps on each side, 2 on the bow and 2 on the transom, and adjust the frequently.

Any suggestion on what to do??????????
Thank you

 

[jigngrub]

Re: How do you stop water from filling up your boat cover?

Keep it in a barn, or shrink wrap it, or use more internal supports.

 

[BWT]

Re: How do you stop water from filling up your boat cover?

IMO best thing to do is built a simple 2x4 ridge pole with supports that rest on the floor of the boat running full length. Couple things that are important, make sure the base of the support poles have a piece of plywood (roughly 8x8 or larger) screwed to the bottom to distribute the weight (a piece of carpet under the ply is a good idea as well) and the peak or height of the ridge pole needs to be higher than the windshield and provide a good pitch side to side to shed the snow.

To hold the ridge pole in place use some light weight rope or fiberglass strapping (like what's used when they shrink wrap a boat) and tie the pole side to side looping over and around the pole so it doesn't slip... Secure the cover nice and tight and you'll be good to go.. Kinda hard to explain, but here's a link showing some pics of a boat I framed before shrink wrapping. Not the best pics, but hopefully between the pics and my description you can make heads or tails of it.. http://www.millerboatworks.com/?110560000000

Hope this helps!

~BWT

 

[Last Mohican]

Re: How do you stop water from filling up your boat cover?

I used 4" PVC drain pipe with 2 90* elbows and built a center ridge support to go under the cover for my cruiser. $15 at a home improvement store, Problem solved.

 

[Friscoboater]

Re: How do you stop water from filling up your boat cover?

Here is what I used. Some 3/4" PVC and some elbows

 

[FarmallM]

Re: How do you stop water from filling up your boat cover?

I used 4" PVC drain pipe with 2 90* elbows and built a center ridge support to go under the cover for my cruiser. $15 at a home improvement store, Problem solved.

I did the same thing and added cheap blue poly tarp over the top of the cover, secured with bungies. The tarp stretches a bit tighter & provides a slick surface.

 

[Johnny Be Cool]

Re: How do you stop water from filling up your boat cover?

They were all great ideals, but with a ridge beam 2x4 at the bow, the length from pulpit bow rail to the top of the windshield is 16' horizontal. I would need to get the 2x4 angled up to get to the height of the window. On that angle towards the window, what does the end of the beam rest on. It just can't be suspended in the air, because the weight of water or snow would pull it down. I understand about 2x4 post on wide platforms for balance, but not on how to continuie the V effect towards the window. However, I think I can do the PVC on the deck plat form.
Here's a picture of the boat so that you guy's can get a better understanding.

 

[Johnny Be Cool]

How do you pitch your boat cover to keep water from pooling

How do you pitch your boat cover to keep water from pooling

I had started this tread on the Restoration page, I had some good ideas but need more.

I have a 1990 Regal 233 Xl Ambassador Cabin Cruiser. I store it outside and cover it completely with a good water proof boat cover. The cover goes around the 2' tall pulpit / bow rails in the front and over the rear deck rails. I used 2 inflatable exercise balls in the front to form a inverted Vee and I used an adjustable pole in the rear deck. Problem is, is when the cover gets wet it forms pockets and when it rains hard or snows it forms very deep pockets. I had to go out several times last winter and bucket the snow and water off. I was thinking this year to use 1/4" plywood over the bow rails and stick 2x4's underneath for support and the same for rear deck, this way the cover would not dip. Last year water did not entered the boat, the cover is very flexible and can hold large pockets of water. I strap the cover with 6 adjustable straps on each side, 2on the bow and 2 on the transom, and adjust them frequently.

From the pulpit to the windshield is about 16 lf, the boat is 9.5 ft wide, almost 24.5 ft in total length.

Any suggestion on what to do??????????

 

[Sabbath]

Re: How do you pitch your boat cover to keep water from pooling

Re: How do you pitch your boat cover to keep water from pooling

Block the jockey wheel up off the ground so the water slopes off to the rear?

 

[oops!]

Re: How do you pitch your boat cover to keep water from pooling

Re: How do you pitch your boat cover to keep water from pooling

go to a shop that sells shrink wrap....and ask for post ends.....

kinda a flower looking thingy that attaches to the top of a 2x4......stick the 2x4 under the tarp and cut to length

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: How do you pitch your boat cover to keep water from pooling

Re: How do you pitch your boat cover to keep water from pooling

http://www.bigshrink.com/Straps-Supports_c_12.html

 

[Johnny Be Cool]

Re: How do you pitch your boat cover to keep water from pooling

Re: How do you pitch your boat cover to keep water from pooling

I like the ideal on how the shrink wrap company used the 2x4 post and string method, but I am not using shrink wrap, I'm using a full wrap around boat cover.
I live in the midwest, not in a populated area so my resources are scarce.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: How do you pitch your boat cover to keep water from pooling

Re: How do you pitch your boat cover to keep water from pooling

the same method works for your boat cover...... Last I checked, UPS delivers to the midwest also..... If you want to cheap out on it use some bucket lids. Cut a few slots and staple them to the 2x4's.... the strapping they use is important... flat to staple and doesn't stretch

You could use rope and ratchet straps to tension it but it's more of a pain

 

[Philster]

Re: How do you pitch your boat cover to keep water from pooling

Re: How do you pitch your boat cover to keep water from pooling

2x4 = yuck.

Get some PVC piping. Possibilities are endless.

 

[fngboater]

Re: How do you stop water from filling up your boat cover?

They were all great ideals, but with a ridge beam 2x4 at the bow, the length from pulpit bow rail to the top of the windshield is 16' horizontal. I would need to get the 2x4 angled up to get to the height of the window. On that angle towards the window, what does the end of the beam rest on. It just can't be suspended in the air, because the weight of water or snow would pull it down. I understand about 2x4 post on wide platforms for balance, but not on how to continuie the V effect towards the window. However, I think I can do the PVC on the deck plat form.
Here's a picture of the boat so that you guy's can get a better understanding.

A good skyhook otta hold that 2x4 up lol

 

[F14CRAZY]

Re: How do you pitch your boat cover to keep water from pooling

Re: How do you pitch your boat cover to keep water from pooling

For covering my 33' Chris Craft Coho I took on ideas used in shrink wrapping but I use a canvas...

Put a couple 2x4's on end to act as a peak where you suspect your cover will sag. Run a rope that won't stretch much (I used the yellow poly-something stuff) from the bow rail, up your 2x4s, and back down to the swim platform or sterndrive, or whatever you have to tie to that's in the center. Run ropes either straight across the gunwhales or cross them on top of the 2x4's. Then add some padding to the tops of the 2x4s...my work throws out tons of open cell foam. Then put your cover on.

You'll have peaks but not any sharp points and the rope will help support the peaks of the tarp (along with keeping the 2x4s in place). It will also keep the cover from sagging between the peak and your gunwhales or transom.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: How do you pitch your boat cover to keep water from pooling

Re: How do you pitch your boat cover to keep water from pooling

To me, it just looks like you need a couple of saw horses that are taller than your bow rail set end toend down the center of your bow to slope the water off there. Everything else looks like it should have a pretty good slope if you pull your cover tight enough.

 

[Johnny Be Cool]

Re: How do you pitch your boat cover to keep water from pooling

Re: How do you pitch your boat cover to keep water from pooling

Last Winter, I had the boat cover on pretty tight. Through out the Winter season, I kept tightning the straps, but no matter how tight the straps or cover got water or snow would pool under heavy conditions. To make matters worse, when it got real cold, the accumulation would turn to ice. It was a real bad in the _____, to climb a ladder and bucket the water or shovel the snow off.

Now, I made sure the adjustable pole was high enough to form a pitch and that the bow aree was high enough with the inflatable balls. I do believe that having some sort of ridge beam and truss system like a house would help. I'm trying the best avenue to go. I like the PVC ridge method but wondering if the rope woul benefit as the truss system.

 

[jacoboregon]

Re: How do you pitch your boat cover to keep water from pooling

Re: How do you pitch your boat cover to keep water from pooling

On my 20' sea ray cuddy I had a strap going from the bow to the stern. I used a length of 3/4" pvc with a "t" on the to that the strap went through and had it about mid length from the windshield to the stern. It worked great.

 

[mxcobra]

Re: How do you pitch your boat cover to keep water from pooling

Re: How do you pitch your boat cover to keep water from pooling

I used ratchet straps to pull cover on real tite worked great