Looking for storage/trailering cover suggestions

I really want to cover my boat since I always have water in the hulls after it rains, and it gets dirty in the gravel lot I store it in. I also want to be able to trailer with the cover on, which the cheaper one's can't handle. I've found a few covers online, this one looks really nice but expensive: http://www.sailorstailor.com/proddetail ... HB18_01stm

Anyone have experience with it? Any other recommendations?

Thanks!
James

That's really expensive. I had made mine up approx. 2 to 3 years back for about $ 260 and is almost identical. It would almost be cheaper to get it made up here and ship it across.

Have a look viewtopic.php?f=13&t=40840&hilit=boat+cover

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Richard Stephens

Trailerable covers are not a good idea for several reasons. They're much more expensive. They flutter - which wears out the cover and will take the gloss off the gel coat from chafing. They're hard to put on. They get really dirty from road grime, and the dirt acts like an abrasive, making the chafing even worse.

The only trailerable covers that I've seen that avoid most of that are the ones made of a stretchy material that are very thin. They don't last very long.

I suspect the flutter/chafing issue is mostly related to how well the cover fits the hull. I have a set of trailerable hull covers for my 17 from Salty Dog and they have a pretty snug fit, especially over the bow, so I really don't notice any fluttering issues. I think they do an excellent job of keeping the hulls looking good and I would consider my hulls to look almost new even after 8 years. But I do agree, the full hull covers are a pain to put on and don't believe the ads that say no lifting required.

I also have a deck cover for my 18. This is a nice compromise for yard or beach storage. It just covers the top deck of the hulls and the tramp area. It is much easier to install and provides protection from leaves, sap, bird droppings, and UV. It is not trailerable.

sm