Boat Cover Vents or no Vents

[BuddhaM]

I recently bought a 1989 Regal Sebring that is in great condition. Every owner before me had trailered the boat but I planned on leaving it docked for the season so it was easier to come and go for short outings. I had to get a mooring cover made. I'm a new to owning a boat and chose to get a custom made cover made from Sunbrella canvas and was asked it I wanted vents. It seemed logical to me to choose to put vents in the cover so I did. It is important to me to keep the water out of the boat as much as possible in order to keep it in good condition. It only been two weeks and we had some pretty good rain come through. The vents just seem to let a lot of water into the boat. I pretty positive that the vents are the entry point because of where I find water. It seems to me that the vents let more water into the boat than the moisture it lets out. If we focused on preventing the water from entering then why would we need so much venting? I'm not sure this is actually the best choice for preventing moisture and molding. I also expected the vents to be adjustable so that they would close if you wanted them to. The last rain I had put a good 5 inches of water into my engine compartment and soaked the carpet and the storage hold.

What are everyones thoughts on the subject?

thanks.

Wet Buddha

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Boat Cover Vents or no Vents

IThe last rain I had put a good 5 inches of water into my engine compartment and soaked the carpet and the storage hold.

What are everyones thoughts on the subject?

I'm assuming your plug was in? That by itself is a big problem, always store the boat with the plug out. (its law in more and more states now even!)

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: Boat Cover Vents or no Vents

A big yes on vents, and it would be very odd is water is getting in through the vents, I suspect its from another source.

 

[BRICH1260]

Re: Boat Cover Vents or no Vents

I would suggest having the vents also. Most canvas shops have made enough covers that they know how to construct a tarp with a vent so that it is weather tight when supported right. Make sure the tarp is supported properly from below to prohibit water pooling and entering the vents.

 

[agallant80]

Re: Boat Cover Vents or no Vents

Yes on vents. You will get mold if you don't have them

 

[Don S]

Re: Boat Cover Vents or no Vents

Might want to post some pictures of your canvas and it's vents. Might help us SEE what the problem is.

Oh, and get a bilge pump with an automatic float switch if you are going to keep the boat in the water.

 

[jkust]

Re: Boat Cover Vents or no Vents

Something doesn't sound right. Vents should be built in in such a way that water just isn't going to get in. My two piece snap on mooring cover lets water in where the bow cover snaps onto the windshield but you'd be hard pressed to figure out where the water is coming in just by where the water ends up. If the bow tent pole is too high it actually directs water right into the boat.

 

[spdracr39]

Re: Boat Cover Vents or no Vents

I think you need a different cover. Vents are different than holes.

 

[RVGS209]

Re: Boat Cover Vents or no Vents

How long have you had the cover for? I agree with needing pictures... I would without question contact the facility that made the cover.

 

[crabby captain john]

Re: Boat Cover Vents or no Vents

YES to vents. Before moving south and buying an indoor dry slip all my boats were stored outside with a vented cover. Even during NW Pa winters there was never a problem of water getting inside. BTW, over winter 2 buckets of charcoal were kept inside -- never an odor either. A custom cover sure should not permit water in if kept tight.

 

[Thalasso]

Re: Boat Cover Vents or no Vents

It will depend on what type of fabric weather you need vents or not. If it's Sunbrella you don't need vents. The material breathes.

 

[Outsider]

Re: Boat Cover Vents or no Vents

I'm assuming your plug was in?

Uhh, I hope so, it's a 'mooring' cover.

The material breathes.

And it's not waterproof. Seams are notorious leaks, also ...

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Boat Cover Vents or no Vents

Just so we are all on the same page....

We are NOT talking about Snap on Cockpit Covers?

We are taking about a one piece cover that goes from Bow to Transom and hangs over all sides to at least the Rub Rails?

 

[spdracr39]

Re: Boat Cover Vents or no Vents

I think you need a different cover. Vents are different than holes.

I only say this because I have seen some covers with a series of open screened holes that would easily allow water in but if they are "vents" they are covered in such a way that rain water can't get in unless it runs backwards from a puddle on the cover.

 

[BuddhaM]

Re: Boat Cover Vents or no Vents

Thank you everyone. Sorry for the delay I got swamped with work. i can certainly snap some more pictures but this is the only one I have at the moment. it is your standard canvas vent set up. No water is pooling by the vents as they are well above the canvas. The first weekend I had the boat and new canvas it rained a little and I did have some wet carpet under the walk through and suspected I would because a pole design for the bow really isn't the best idea. The original bow cover which I was very upset the canvas maker took upon himself to throw away (Boat Boys in Newark Ohio, never going back) was a flat vinyl which was very tight and perfect to put on the bow to cut the wind with so i wanted to keep it. I just replaced it so that the aft cover would match.

Anyway. After the first mild rain there was some wet carpet under that window and back adjacent to the back pole dock side. I figured the water ran along the inside and dripped in that direction or the wind drove it in that direction. The storage well was also wet which the center pole stands on top of. I have watched the water very closely and I don't expect perfection but certainly not the amount I found after a harder rain we had. We basically had two mild rains which I had wet carpet. Then a heavy rain which i had wet carpet and 5 inches in the engine compartment. I have pumped out the water after every outing and watched it closely. Since that heavy rain I have been back twice of which there was no rain. The carpet is bone dry and the tiny bit of water left in the engine compartment that the pump can't get out is reducing on its own so I know the water is coming from rain and not a leaking hull or plug. In fact I ran it out on the water for an hour yesterday and there was no water increase at all from running it either. The canvas is suppose to be Sunbrella brand. I'm not really on the best terms with the shop because we had some words about them throwing out my cover and pulling the plug on my covered boat and not telling me or giving it back to me when I picked up my boat.

Just seems to me that the vents are letting the water in more than out. I wouldn't have a moisture problem if it wasn't for the vents. No moisture no mold. I understand it's a water environment but you get my point. I don't see any other signs of water entry either. I see that these vents just unscrew. Can I get a smaller vent opening or plug them up all together?

thanks again.
Rob

 

[Don S]

Re: Boat Cover Vents or no Vents

Looks to me like all the water is being funneled from the vents down the front center windshield and under the window and into the boat.
That canvas should be snapped inside the opening window as high as possible to keep the rain out.
Might want to get inside one day when it's really raining to verify.


Arrows show path of the rain.

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: Boat Cover Vents or no Vents

Well I also have the exact same vent, and its a very common one and it would be very rare if that's the problem, the only way it is that type of vent would be if its to low and pooling water is coming through. Just looking at the cover, its pouring in at the walk through wind shield, no way thats sealing.

While I have a different type of boat you can see the vents. I have had several bow riders in the past.

 

[jkust]

Re: Boat Cover Vents or no Vents

So while that is a mooring cover system and I have a mooring cover system and your's is totally different...we seem to have the same design flaw where the tent poles are directing water under the windshield. I got sick of wet carpet so I just keep it unsnapped and out of the boat now. As a test, I took some blue painters tape and taped the bow mooring cover to the windshield between the center window from the inside of the boat and it stopped the water from entering. At least I found the problem even thought there isn't much I can do other than keep the bow tent pole low so water collects in it instead of directing it into the boat. The smarter mooring covers seem to be a one piece snap version that goes over the top of the windshield but still snaps on.

 

[BuddhaM]

Re: Boat Cover Vents or no Vents

The original bow cover doesn't have a pole and is a very tight fit. While some rain would pool it was easy to roll it off the bow as you unsnapped it from the inside out. I agree that this design with the pole in the bow is a bad idea. I did see some water definitely come in through there but i don't think it is the only source. It's impossible for the vent system to keep driving rain out or even easy rain coming in at an angle. I found water under the pass through window but on each side of the window and not in the middle. Then the carpet was completely dry as you pass by the storage compartment (wet in the compartment though which has a pole standing on the teak cover) and wet again at the back by the back pole.

is there a way to adjust the openings to the vents? or a way to replace them with a cap that has no vent?

thanks again,
Rob

 

[ThrottleBack]

Re: Boat Cover Vents or no Vents

Stupid question but he said he is keeping the boat on the water, so why in the world would anyone ask him if he had the plug in and suggest it should be removed? I'm a simple person but seems to me a boat on water without a plug in has bigger problems then rain.