Covers--mooring vs transport vs storage...help?

[guy48065]

I was just looking at a bunch of eBay ads for pontoon covers and very few described the type/purpose of the one they were selling. On top of that I'm not real sure what is the intended purpose of the 3 types. The used 18' '96 Sweetwater I bought came with a very poor-fitting cover & is a PITA to install & remove. Can't seem to do it without getting in the lake. Seller said he bought off eBay. Is this typical? The pictures always look amazing with tight fit & sharp seams. :-/

I don't know if it's possible to find a true custom cover for a 1996 pontoon...

In the lake community where my cottage is it's common to see pontoons with home-made frames covered with large tarps for winter storage. Is it a bad idea to put a tarp OVER a mooring cover to keep the snow & tree gunk off?

 

[ahicks]

Never put a cover over a cover. Mildew, caused by moisture buildup between them, will likely destroy one or both.

Big structures that will shed a heavy snow load not unusual in areas where a heavy wet snow is possible. Shrink wrap is also popular in snow country.

When it comes to covers, you get what you pay for. An easy to install custom cover that will last you awhile (because it's been made from a quality material) is not going to be cheap - or available on Ebay. They're generally custom built locally.

Though they offer no protection for your floor covering, individual covers for the console and each piece of furniture are also an option.

 

[guy48065]

The baggy cover I pictured is clearly not a mooring cover so what is it--a storage or transport cover?

 

[bruceb58]

I don't know if it's possible to find a true custom cover for a 1996 pontoon...

You have to have it made but warning...it won't be cheap.

I make my own boat covers so I made mine. You can easily put it on while the boat is along side a dock. Mine is made with Sunbrella.

 

[MH Hawker]

same here , i had one made to fit from Sunbrella

 

[guy48065]

Sunbrella...because it breathes?

 

[bruceb58]

Sunbrella...because it breathes?

Yes and it lasts longer than pretty much every material out there.

 

[guy48065]

When I think of Sunbrella I think of my patio furniture which has an open weave like window screen.
Where do you buy it?

 

[bruceb58]

When I think of Sunbrella I think of my patio furniture which has an open weave like window screen.
Where do you buy it?

There are a lot of different types of Sunbrella including different weights of the fabric. We are talking here about Marine Sunbrella.

Do you know how to sew? Do you own an industrial sewing machine with a walking foot?

 

[guy48065]

My wife sews and has an expensive machine (Bernina) but I would think a big machine with a wide throat would be needed for the acres of fabric you're trying to feed thru it.

 

[bruceb58]

My wife sews and has an expensive machine (Bernina) but I would think a big machine with a wide throat would be needed for the acres of fabric you're trying to feed thru it.

Need a walking foot machine. You would ruin your Bernina. You have to go through too many layers of fabric to use a home sewing machine successfully.

 

[guy48065]

Last night I watched an hour-long Youtube on how to make a playpen cover. Yeah I don't think this is a DIY project. Even though the knowledge & skills aren't daunting, the equipment and space requirements puts it out of reach. My wife wanted no part of it. Wrangling a quilt around on her sewing table is a big enough job for her!

If I can't find a cover maker with a pattern for a 18' Sweetwater maybe I can get close with another popular brand and modify it to save some dough.

 

[bruceb58]

Here is a thread I started on how I made my pontoon cover. This was the first pontoon cover I had ever made.

http://forums.iboats.com/forum/general-boating-outdoors-activities/pontoons/654560-new-pontoon-cover

 

[guy48065]

Bruce my pontoon is shaped similar to yours--the railing is straight and level all the way around. No raised sun deck, no rear entry notch, no railing height changes. Basically the shape of an inverted casserole dish.
I would think there are MANY pontoons just like this and I could find a close fit but all the websites & catalogs I've seen only list covers by specific individual make, model, size & year. I've contacted a couple makers and got the same response--"We don't make a cover to fit that model". That's not much help.

 

[bruceb58]

If you want it to snap on, it has to be custom made.

 

[guy48065]

I can install the snaps--making it "custom". That's sort of what my boats PO did. He bought a universal-fit storage cover & installed snaps. But he chose a cover way too large for a 13'3" long playpen.

Bruce how did you get 2 60" strips of fabric seamed together and extending down to the mid rail? I measure 56" up one rake, with ~30? rise. Add in 12" down to the snaps & I need 136" edge-to-edge, and this doesn't count seam allowance & hems. Is Sunbrella actually wider than 60", or include a wide selvage?

 

[bruceb58]

The 2 60 " pieces only reach to the top of the top rail. Additional pieces extend below the rail. That is for my boat. If your boat is wider, you may not be able to do what I did and have one seam run down the middle. Alternative is to run the seams from beam to beam but as noted in my thread, you get the circus tent effect when you do that.

BTW..I got a quote for my cover before I made it of $1500.