To Cover or not to Cover...

[jwanck11]

For those of you that store outside and have easy access to your boat (ie. parked in a driveway)

Do you store mainly with the cover on even when you know it will be sunny for days or off?

I am on the fence between dealing with fade and direct-sun bake of seals and vinyl and covering which can lead to mildew from dew/warmth of day.

Opinions?

[Duncan]

cat pee. nuff said.

[dingleberry]

The big issue I have with leaving it uncovered it the amount of dust and dirt that will cover everything if there is much wind. So, I cover it always. However, summertime here in Vegas is very high temps and very low humidity, so even with the cover on it will dry out pretty well.

[murphini]

Spiders. Cover on.
My factory cover also has the "periscope vent"

[wallacmc]

On. I, like you, have had to weigh all of the positives and negatives. It seems that there are less issues with it on, especially if you are able to get the carpet dried out before it is stored.

[wallacmc]

Also, for those of us with the Alpha Z tower, it isn't as if the cover provides perfect protection from moisture anyway, since there isn't a good seal where the cover wraps around the tower - water runs down the tower and right in the boat.

[Domsz06]

i always cover, in cali it was too dusty not too, and in OK i was in a storage and let it dry for a few days then cover to keep the dust off from the gravel.....

[Duncan]

Also, for those of us with the Alpha Z tower, it isn't as if the cover provides perfect protection from moisture anyway, since there isn't a good seal where the cover wraps around the tower - water runs down the tower and right in the boat.

I have a Rankin cover (company now defunct) that seals tight against the tower.

My boat is in a slip with power. I use four rechargeable dehumidifiers but they are not enough. I am thinking of putting in a small scroll fan on a timer with a (flat) exhaust hose that runs out over the transom walk way. I know the air intake will bring in some dust. But on a timer, it should not be too bad. Anything to get the boat more dried out!

[Guapo]

Also, for those of us with the Alpha Z tower, it isn't as if the cover provides perfect protection from moisture anyway, since there isn't a good seal where the cover wraps around the tower - water runs down the tower and right in the boat.

Factory cover I assume? My dealer had a cover made locally and it actually does a pretty good job of keeping weather out from around the tower. I can't complain.

Last summer I would pull it home with the cover on (3hours or so) then open it up and let it dry out for a day or two and then cover it up, so it wouldn't get pollen, dust, bugs, etc. in it...as I kept in in my driveway.

Seems like the discussion on whether to tow with our without a cover has been debated many a time on TO, and we all have differing opinions...

[Jeff T]

My boat stays covered if I'm not sitting in it. During the winter, the boat stays in a nice storage unit. The first winter I stored it in the unit, I left the cover off. I checked back a few weeks later and the dust was so thick that I had to pull it home and do a full wash. It was just too thick to simply wipe off dry.

If you are worried about mildew, get a low voltage air drying unit that you can leave plugged in. I know you can get them at various places. I don't use one becuase I'm limited in power, but I have a friend that runs one 24/7 and loves it.

**EDIT**
I see a few ppl beat me to the dehumidfier recco. Sorry.

[Moki]

After boating, I leave it uncovered for a day to dry out and then cover.

[dingleberry]

Also, for those of us with the Alpha Z tower, it isn't as if the cover provides perfect protection from moisture anyway, since there isn't a good seal where the cover wraps around the tower - water runs down the tower and right in the boat.

Yeah - sure wish it was a tighter fit around the tower legs. A lot of dust makes its way in there when it is dry, and rain when it is wet. I was wondering about taking it to a local upholstery shop and seeing about getting something added to fix this issue.

[Guapo]

What does your cover look like around the tower? Here's a pic of mine and it does a surprisingly good job of keeping rain and dust out. It has a elastic with a rubber grip material on the inside of the boot around the tower.




Disregard the white ropes...I don't use them and they aren't needed. The dealer had them on there when I bought it...they were useless and a PIA.

[dingleberry]

I'll try to remember to take a close-up photo tonight, but this is the only pic to which I have access right now. I had the back part pulled up, but you can see the portion wrapping around the tower legs have no elastic, and they leave about a 2-inch gap all around the tower.

[goose69]

I always use my cover after use. The way i deal with moisture is a dehumidifer that I rigged the drain hose to drain out the side of the boat. After 2 days of no use it is as dry as a bone. I would post a picture, but boat is still getting worked on.