Boat Covers - Important Or Not - You Decide

by Mark Petrelis

Some people consider boat covers an accessory. Nothing can be further than the truth. That's a pretty bold statement so let me explain.

A boat cover, when properly fitted, tremendously helps protect your boat investment. Now, if that investment is in the order of thirty, fifty, seventy thousand dollars, and the boat cover does its job properly to protect that investment, I don’t think the cover is an accessory, but rather a necessity.

A lot of people aren’t fully aware of all the benefits of a properly fitted boat cover. In fact, the benefits you can receive from something so simple may surprise you.

Below is a list of the benefits that a properly fitted boat cover can provide.

•  Keeps the boat clean from dust and debris
•  Repels water and moisture
•  Prevents mold
•  Prevents fading to the interior caused by the sun
•  Prevents parts from cracking from the suns rays
•  Keep animals out when boat is sitting
•  Helps discourage theft

So, as you can understand, the benefits from a properly fitted boat cover, make it a necessity, rather than as accessory.

What to look for when buying boat covers

Ok, hopefully you now understand and agree with the importance of a properly fitted boat cover. Notice I keep mentioning, a “properly” fitted boat cover. A boat cover has to fit snuggly enough so that there is nowhere that you have extra cover that needs to be folded up to take up the excess. Why, well most importantly, those folded areas are places that can and probably will trap moisture and lead to mold and mildew growth.

On the same note, a boat cover with gaps won’t give you the needed protection a properly fitted or custom fitted cover will. The last thing you, me, or any boater wants, is a family of rodents nesting in your boat if it’s going to be sitting for any length of time.

If you buy a custom-made boat cover, then you know that it will fit perfectly. If you go with a universal one, you’re not going to be guaranteed its going to fit as well as it really needs to, to get all the benefits from it.

Granted, a custom fitted boat cover is a bigger investment than a universal size cover. The key word here is, investment! It’s my opinion that the derived benefits, far out weigh the added investment cost incurred.

Another important aspect you want your boat cover to provide is protection from ultra-violet rays. So, obviously, the material your boat cover is made from has to provide ultra-violet ray protection.

You also want to make sure that the boat cover is water resistant. This may seem obvious, but sure enough, some of the cheaper ones don’t repel water but soak it up instead. Not a good scenario!

Next, make sure your boat cover is made from lightweight material. If you have to handle the cover a lot by yourself, you will thank me.

Did you know that some boat covers come with a warranty? This is a great feature because if the product rips or tears or simply doesn’t properly protect your boat, you can receive a refund. Of course, as with all warranties, read the fine print, if you know what I mean!

These are the key features that you should look for when purchasing a cover for your boat. A boat cover may be a sizable investment, but certainly an investment whose dividends pay off well. In my opinion, a boat cover offers tremendous protection for your boat, and its contents.

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