Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

Since I can't find a mooring cover to fit a 14' long playpen, and I'm too cheap to have a custom one made, it looks like I might be making my own. So I have a "materials" question. Ready-made covers are coated with urethane so they're definitely not beathable, so why not make a cover from a cheap plastic tarp? Especially as a first attempt? I know it won't last long, but rumor is the <$200 covers online don't last long either.

And...is (old school) cotton canvas a bad idea? It DOES breathe, but swells to shut out water when it gets wet.
Wouldn't there be less mildew trouble if a cover ACTUALLY did breathe?

my simple opinion... as long as the floor and furniture can dry, the *sun* is a bigger enemy than moisture. i have mine covered so that is out of the sun, but also has lots of areas for ventilation. this is what i use: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00 ... UTF8&psc=1

I always shrink wrap mine. Costs about $250 but I'll never have to go outside in the winter to recover. Best protection from the elements outside of inside storage IMO

guy48065 wrote:Since I can't find a mooring cover to fit a 14' long playpen, and I'm too cheap to have a custom one made, it looks like I might be making my own. So I have a "materials" question. Ready-made covers are coated with urethane so they're definitely not beathable, so why not make a cover from a cheap plastic tarp? Especially as a first attempt? I know it won't last long, but rumor is the <$200 covers online don't last long either.

And...is (old school) cotton canvas a bad idea? It DOES breathe, but swells to shut out water when it gets wet.
Wouldn't there be less mildew trouble if a cover ACTUALLY did breathe?

Tarp. Use a center pole or two that sheds snow off of it. Secure the outside so the tarp doesn't go 'airborne' then all good, until the damn critters get in. I am partial to snap traps and steel wool around wiring. Get WD40 or LW and use it where it looks like it needs to be applied. Wait for spring.

Taking about a mooring cover at the dock--not a storage cover.

I had troubles with my custom mooring cover and it had to be re-cut. Rather than leave my boat uncovered, I used 2 plastic tarps since their dimensions together fit the playpen better. I secured them with a bunch of those Nite Eyes gear ties while getting tarps at Tractor Supply. Zip ties would work for tarp-to-tarp. Used the gear ties from the fence to hold the tarps. This did a better than fair job until my cover arrived.

There is also a tent and awning company in town. I've used them in the past to custom cut flat covers for my trailers, adding grommets along the edge. Add a pair of vented pole supports and you're in business. Pick your material, canvas or coated and you're in it for a couple hundred.

An ordinary cheap blue tarp would probably last at least a couple years, especially if you went to the trouble to reinforce the hem where the snaps attached.
One of those heavy duty silver tarps would probably last several years if you did the same thing, and it would look pretty good too.

I'm talking about cutting and sewing it to fit, including the rounded corners, like a regular mooring cover.

"Breathability" has bean a common argument for buying a special expensive daily cover, but how well does polyester breathe when it has a couple coats of rubber applied to the back?