Sunbrella Racheting

[carlsonwa]

I have been chasing my tail lately with all the shops around Minneapolis that make custom covers. Need something that fits my 99' Sportstar with a New Dimension tower, "like a glove" for towing and throwing the cover on when there is still moisture inside.

Want to go with a racheting cover so it can be used in the water or on the trailer.

One shop wants to use: Aquatop, which I have had lots of feedback that it won't breathe at all, or minimal with vents.
Same place said they have used top gun material before and it scratches.

One shop wants to use either sunbrella or sur-last.
seems like the new Mastercrafts use sur-last, but a few reviews on teamtalk have been negative about the number of years it has held up.

I only keep my boat outside, on the trailer for the summer months. In covered storage throughout the winter months.

Any feedback would be great!

Quotes around Minneapolis vary from 600-1400.

Would be nice to be locally made so that it fits great and any warrenty work would be local.

Wayne

[LaRue]

did you talk to Midwest Mastercraft about their covers?

[Ben]

I got a new cover last year for my 94. I think the old one was original. Is was sunbrella, and black. It worked well to dry the boat in the sun when covered, although it would be hot if I would take the cover off mid afternoon. I didn't put the boat away insanely wet though. I easily picked sunbrella again. The old one wasn't torn, or really leaked, but instead would drop little black dust inside the boat I could see in fiberglass spots - maybe disintegrating after 17 years?

I have heard good things about skiboatcovers.com. I wished I used them vs. the local shop I am still messing with to get the fit right.

I use the ratchet for simplicity, don't tow with a cover. If you are in the sun where your trailer parks, I'd consider side skirts. Also may want to consider platform extension / cover.

[rgardjr1]

Originally Posted by carlsonwa

One shop wants to use either sunbrella or sur-last.
seems like the new Mastercrafts use sur-last, but a few reviews on teamtalk have been negative about the number of years it has held up.Wayne

I've had a couple of the Surlast MC covers for my boat. The first one lasted 3 summers before it needed to be replaced. My boat floats in a uncovered slip from the 4th of July to mid September. The Surlast eventually started ripping from the UV damage it received. The fit of the MC factory covers is great and I was able to pick them up pretty cheap on Ebay and from the classifieds on this site ($150-$200). I did tow with the cover on a couple of times and it did a good job. I'm pretty sure that there will be some scratching from using the MC cover while trailering as there was quite a bit on my boat when I bought it used. The previous owner towed the boat from San Diego to Sandpoint, ID with the factory cover on the boat. The previous owner was pretty much an idiot given the factory MC cover that came with the boat had pretty much been ruined by him on this trip. My guess is he didn't secure the cover properly and at some point it came off the boat breaking some of the buckles and other straps. The next cover I buy will be a Sunbrella cover from skiboatcovers.com.

[carlsonwa]

Old Cover



New Cover

[east tx skier]

I would advise against covering your boat when it's wet. Sunbrella breathes, but Sunbrella covers are treated for water and UV resistance. Bottom line is if you cover wet, you are going to have some mildew issues.

If you store outside, be sure your cover can have a detachable skirt so that your gel coat doesn't fade from being stored in the sun.

Finally, a truly trailerable cover isn't going to have any straps going to the trailer. The ratchet/turnbuckle works great for cinching up the draw string, but to have something really not move when you are on the highway, you need something like Rankin (out of business), Coversports, or Evolution. These three covers are all essentially the same design (Brent at Coversports and the guy that started Evolution are former Rankin employees). The covers are top notch and are truly trailerable. They are held on by velcro rubrail hooks, cinchable veclro rubrail hooks at the transom, and a turnbuckle on the draw string. No poles required.

Here's my Coversports cover. I have had it for about 3 years now and it has held up great.

[carlsonwa]

I pulled the trigger on that black one... It has a wratcheting loop around the perimeter of the boat as well as I had them add a few loops in case I wanted a little more tension to the trailer when towing..

[mlawler34]

Originally Posted by east tx skier

I would advise against covering your boat when it's wet. Sunbrella breathes, but Sunbrella covers are treated for water and UV resistance. Bottom line is if you cover wet, you are going to have some mildew issues.

If you store outside, be sure your cover can have a detachable skirt so that your gel coat doesn't fade from being stored in the sun.

Finally, a truly trailerable cover isn't going to have any straps going to the trailer. The ratchet/turnbuckle works great for cinching up the draw string, but to have something really not move when you are on the highway, you need something like Rankin (out of business), Coversports, or Evolution. These three covers are all essentially the same design (Brent at Coversports and the guy that started Evolution are former Rankin employees). The covers are top notch and are truly trailerable. They are held on by velcro rubrail hooks, cinchable veclro rubrail hooks at the transom, and a turnbuckle on the draw string. No poles required.

Here's my Coversports cover. I have had it for about 3 years now and it has held up great.

Im really interested in these two companies. The cover I have on my newly purchased 2004 Xstar is the old factory cover and i have to strap it down fairly well to tow with it. Plus if i leave it in the water, im not sure it would stay on by itself in high wind situations, since i dont have anywhere to strap it down.

What do one of these covers go for?

[carlsonwa]

I went with aquatop material. For good water repelling and trailering. Ran me just over $600.

[mlawler34]

Thats not bad. Would love to know what those Coversports or evolution go for. They look like they really do the job in all aspects.