Boat cover

[DinnerPail]

Just purchased a new boat and am looking at covers. Was wondering the pros and cons of snap on and tie down covers. Also makes and places to have done.

[musky hunter]

Without a doubt, a custom fitted snap on canvass cover is my choice, with two "tent poles" to keep the middle from sagging under the weight of rainwater. An alternative is the fiberglass hoops, but I think it's faster to do the tent poles. My cover does not need bungies or anything else for towing, the cover does not flap in the wind. I prefer canvass over vynil or anything plasticized because it doesn't shrink in cold weather. If you want to have the outboard covered as well, leave that a separate piece. Mine is sewn to the main boat cover and it's just a pain, I'm about ready to cut it off. The only downside, prepare to open your wallet to get one made like this.

[Down Deep]

I had a custom cover made with the snaps a couple of boats ago. I will never own another one. It came with bows and the bows would collapse when traveling. I complained to the canvas shop and they fitted it for center supports which were a pain in the a$$ to put up each time I covered the boat. The worse part was that by the time I pushed all the snaps closed with my thumb I needed a splint. Anyway it thought it would be a good idea. Now I have the regular canvas Lund cover and use bungees.

[LovenLifeGuy]

I purchased a lund explorer in 04 that came with the snap cover that lund makes for there boats, I hated it. The snaps broke a lot, but they were not hard to fix. It did not cover the carpeted bow or the splashwell and motor. I also hated that I had to take off my windshield to put it on. So, I went to rapid sports in ham lake and complained about the cover. They gave me the mooring (sp) cover that is designed for my boat for free (I didnt even buy my boat there). It takes a little more time to put on but it does the job so much better. It covers everything! I have both now and will never use the snap cover.

my .02 LovenLifeGuy

[FRESHWATER PETIE]

Stay away from the bungie cords. They like to scratch the boat up in the wind.

[Big-Al]

I rebuilt/repainted my Lund Mr Pike about eight years ago and bought a custom made snap on cover from The Canvas Shop in Embarrass. I could not be happier with it. I have not broken a single snap and have not had a single bit of wear on it. There is just enough elevation from the seats that no bows are necessary. It takes about 4 minutes to put it on and less to take it off. When I picked it up, the owner said that if I ever have any issues bring it back and she will fix it for free. Initially I thought I paid too much, much now that I have had it this long, it was worth every penny and then some.

[Rivernut]

I love the cover I have. Custom made @ Tarpsinc. in Savage. Had to leave the boat for a couple days. I have bungee cords, but I tied knots on the tarp end of the cords and only use "s" hooks @ the trailer end. Had tarp as long as the boat,10 years. Like knew. And that includes a couple of years outside for the winter. Not a fan of snaps myself.

[Down Deep]

The bungee straps that I use have hooks made of plastic which do not scratch the paint. I got the hooks and the cord in bulk packages at Northern Supply. They can be cut to size and are adjustable. I've been using them for 6 seasons with no problems.

[montanagriz]

LovinLifeGuy,

I also purchased a 2004 - 18' Lund Explorer last spring and the snap-on cover has been nothing but problems. On either my first or second trip, two of the little bungies that attach to the hooks in the splash well ripped apart. By the end of the summer all of them were gone and the actual cover itself began to rip down the middle from the wind whipping it around. I also had several broken snaps. I do really like how easy it is to get the thing off and on, but it seems to me there is a major design flaw with the way the wind rips the rear bungies off. If you look at some of the Crestliners, their snaps wrap all the way around the very back edge of the boat, and also have a vent to let some of that air flow through. I'm getting my boat out of storage on Tuesday and probably should speak with my dealer. I may be better off with a normal cover. Any others with the Lund snap-on covers experienced this problem?