Boat Cover getting Underway

[WoodenPontoon]

I ordered 32 yards of fabric to make a full mooring/towing cover for my boat. The material should be in next week.

I will start making the cover very soon. I'll post some pictures as I go.

[lakerunner]

Dan I think you should use birch bark for cover

[WoodenPontoon]

Very Funny, Loyd! I did consider the "Birch" patterned Sunbrella, but it was much too expensive.

[babock]

What kind of sewing machine are you using?

[WoodenPontoon]

I have an older Sailrite Sailmaker sewing machine which I purchased last Spring.

[babock]

Good machine.

[BobG]

If you want it to be towable, you better be sure to secure it very well! Snaps probably won't cut it.

As you can see, mine attaches very well to the deck.

Oh, yeah - that is today's snow. We got about 4 inches last night.

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[WoodenPontoon]

If you want it to be towable, you better be sure to secure it very well! Snaps probably won't cut it.

As you can see, mine attaches very well to the deck.

That looks like a great cover. It appears that your bimini is under the cover also. Do you have more than one bimini? What are the white attachments on your deck line?

I expect to use "hard action" snaps in conjunction with hidden straps to the frame.

[Bryden24shp]

Hi Dan!!! Been a long time! Mainly just wanna say "Howdy". But, I'll throw this at you. We had our local upholstery shop replace the rear snaps on both of my Baja's with twist locks. They were constantly coming loose and I did loose one completely, once. I think I paid like 50 cents apiece. But they took care of the problem. Thought for you, anyway....

[Bryden24shp]

[quote="BobG"]If you want it to be towable, you better be sure to secure it very well! Snaps probably won't cut it.

As you can see, mine attaches very well to the deck.

Oh, yeah - that is today's snow. We got about 4 inches last night.

That's a great looking "Trailering" cover! They need to be made of heavy duty material, fit tight with no sags, plenty of poles and streamlined.
Bob, you have the model of what all trailering covers should be built on. Nice!
Sorry about the snow....

[Bamaman]

I'm glad you had the insight to get an upholstery quality sewing machine. It's absolutely required to use the heavy thread that's used in such applications.

When I sewed Surlast seat covers, I couldn't get over how light the fabric was--but how it was like trying to put a needle through a rock.

There will be some hand sewing to complete any boat cover. Just be sure to have a good set of wire pliers and a huge upholstery needle ready. That's what it takes to get a needle through such fabrics.

Good luck to you.

[BobG]

That looks like a great cover. It appears that your bimini is under the cover also. Do you have more than one bimini? What are the white attachments on your deck line?

I expect to use "hard action" snaps in conjunction with hidden straps to the frame.

Two Biminis are still attached to the top rail, and the third bimini is laid down on the cabin floor.
Those are 1" heavy nylon straps, metal loops on the deck, and metal buckles - they're what you would use on packsaddles, I'm guessing. I'll try to get a close-up, but today I'm working down in Denver, not at home.

The fabric is reinforced anywhere something might poke it.
My canvas guy (he's amazing) is Paul's Custom Canvas in Denver. That cover cost me about $1,250, if I recall correctly, and was worth every cent!

[WoodenPontoon]

BobG - Thanks for the info about your cover. It really does look great. The quality of its construction is obvious.

If you can get some additional close-ups, I would really appreciate them. How many poles/vents were used in conjunction with the biminis to provide the proper drainage? I currently have 5. Are there any additional vents beyond the "Boat Vent II"s?

[BobG]

Here are the pics.

Flap covering cleats, so it can be used as a mooring cover, and still tied up:

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[BobG]

Oh, and this is our motor cover from Outboard Covers Australia:

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