Cover your boat... Do you or don't you?

[mnypitboat]

Re: Cover your boat... Do you or don't you?

I have been debating this issue for a while. See, here in Florida, we have really bad humidity, and it rains all the time, so the boat NEVER dries out. If you cover it, the water and humidity is stuck underneath, but if you dont, the sun tears up the upholstery.

I have been trying to find a way to keep it in my garage, but being a 22ft boat on a tandem trailer, it is tough to get in the garage.

I religiously covered it last year, and found that when I wanted to use it, I had to clean all the mold off everything. The seats had stains on all the white. Oh and worse of all, it stunk all the time. No matter what. I used damprid buckets(4 of them) and all they did was fill up with water. So then I had to empty them and refill them with granules.

So I am torn about this. My seats cost me $650 to get redone, and the boat was 9 years old when I did them. So 9 years, $650. Is it really worth having to deal with the mold and stink????? I dont know. I still cover it when I am sure it is completely dry, and in the winter, even though we still use it a lot in the winter, I know its dry inside.

 

[JimKW]

Re: Cover your boat... Do you or don't you?

Thought I saw a cheap dehumidifier that you can run inside the cover. That sounds like what you need.

 

[nlain]

Re: Cover your boat... Do you or don't you?

This is how mine lives when not in the water,

 

[98Shabah]

Re: Cover your boat... Do you or don't you?

Summer: Covered in the garage
Winter: Covered in the garage

The first set of trailer tires lasted 12 years, I'd like the 2nd set to last that long too, and I want the boat to look like new forever.

I am lucky enough to have a garage that is 22.5' deep and wide enough that my wifes car fits in it along with the boat.

My car sits in the driveway, it always has wax on it and has tinted windows to keep the UV rays out.. I figured it was silly to waste a garage space on the car since it only sat in there at night when I wasn't at work and 2 days on the weekend... the rest of the time the car is sitting outside in the parking lot at work anyway.

 

[samagy16]

Re: Cover your boat... Do you or don't you?

sounds like we will be laughing at the Craigs List ad for your boat once you have torn it up.....

a boat is a terrible thing to waste

You would be a fool to think that.

You have no idea how my boat gets taken care of besides the fact that I have stated that I don't obsess over it getting covered all the time.

You seem to be part of my aforementioned "Obsessed with anything to do with my boat club".

 

[mnypitboat]

Re: Cover your boat... Do you or don't you?

Thought I saw a cheap dehumidifier that you can run inside the cover. That sounds like what you need.

That would present an issue since I store it at a marina without electrical plugs anywhere close.

 

[BTMCB]

Re: Cover your boat... Do you or don't you?

And, my answer is.......................

 

[TMoNeE]

Re: Cover your boat... Do you or don't you?

i bought the new to me boat, then the next day i bought a cover, and i keep it covered. The sun here is brutal

 

[JimKW]

Re: Cover your boat... Do you or don't you?

That would present an issue since I store it at a marina without electrical plugs anywhere close.

OK so what you need is a solar powered boat dehumidifier and here it is:

http://bilgewizard.com/bilge.php

I have no idea if it works, but I just googled non electric boat dehumidifier and this is what I found. I found others but they were over $500.

 

[TBTOsterman]

Re: Cover your boat... Do you or don't you?

Custom covered every day. My cover has vents and I use a cage or box fan inside to circulate the air. If the boat is wet, I will peel back the cover on the bow and let the air circulate even moore. Never had a problem with mildew or odors using this method.

 

[Stachi]

Re: Cover your boat... Do you or don't you?

I have been debating this issue for a while. See, here in Florida, we have really bad humidity, and it rains all the time, so the boat NEVER dries out. If you cover it, the water and humidity is stuck underneath, but if you dont, the sun tears up the upholstery.

I have been trying to find a way to keep it in my garage, but being a 22ft boat on a tandem trailer, it is tough to get in the garage.

I religiously covered it last year, and found that when I wanted to use it, I had to clean all the mold off everything. The seats had stains on all the white. Oh and worse of all, it stunk all the time. No matter what. I used damprid buckets(4 of them) and all they did was fill up with water. So then I had to empty them and refill them with granules.

So I am torn about this. My seats cost me $650 to get redone, and the boat was 9 years old when I did them. So 9 years, $650. Is it really worth having to deal with the mold and stink????? I dont know. I still cover it when I am sure it is completely dry, and in the winter, even though we still use it a lot in the winter, I know its dry inside.

I understand about the upohlstery, but the flotation foam is the real worry....

 

[Stachi]

Re: Cover your boat... Do you or don't you?

You would be a fool to think that.

You have no idea how my boat gets taken care of besides the fact that I have stated that I don't obsess over it getting covered all the time.

You seem to be part of my aforementioned "Obsessed with anything to do with my boat club".

Nah, just going through a restore on mine , it was gifted to me last June..after sitting uncovered since 1997....I'm keeping it covered...too much $$ and time in her to let her rot away again...at least there isn't any flotation foam in her now....I must have removed a couple of hundred pounds of completely water logged foam from her....every piece of wood it was in contact with , was rotten....its more than just upholstery that gets destroyed.
As for the aforementioned club comment
...blow it out yer arse...

 

[DYLBOSS]

Re: Cover your boat... Do you or don't you?

I keep my canvas cockpit/mooring cover on it when not in use. I've though about buying a full cover also. No mold issues.