cover durability

S

ssobol

Active member
For those of you that have boat covers from Angola Canvas, how durable are the covers (e.g. how many years do they tend to last)?

The cover I use on my boat is on it's last legs and I starting to consider replacements.

My boat came with a cut down pool cover from the PO. It has lasted at least 5 years (probably more). A new pool cover is less than the Angola Canvas cover but I wonder which is more durable. The quote I got from Angola was ~$900. A new pool cover is $500-600. The problem with the pool cover is it is heavy and hard to maneuver when cold. It is very waterproof though.
 
I have gotten 10 to 11 years out of Sunbrella material. The point which tends to wear the most is re-enforced on the Angola covers. I don't know if they use Tenara thread at Angola. I didn't ask for it, but it is the most UV resistant, and costs more--harder to sew, so is more expensive. To get 11 years or more, you might have to do some re-stitching--not all that expensive.

Another consideration in your area, is the occasional snow load. You may want some support between the bow, and forward cabin top--even a rope, to your "Go Light" mount, if it is solid, will prevent some strain on the cover over the bow. I would use some thin but strong cordage.

I don't like fully occlusive covers without ventilation (such as a "coup" around the bow anchor loller, and some ventilation about the motor well aft, The Sunbrell also "breaths" to some degree. A fully occlusive cover does not--and I judge the "pool cover" to be of a heavy plastic. I use plastic tarps on my 18 foot Caracal cat, and the best last at the most 2 years. They have an area of ventilation at the front and back for flow of air.
 
The pool cover is not a tight fit. It hangs down the sides a ways and is tied via the straps to the trailer. The are openings for air at the front (under the bow rail) and at the back (through the cut down transom gap, the cover goes over the motor). I have had no issues with mold or mildew.

For snow loads I have put a brace across the cockpit to support the cover in case there is a lot of snow. This is mostly to allow water to be shed as the snow melts. Before I put this in, there could be many gallons of water sitting on the cover over the cockpit when we picked up the boat from the winter storage lot. The brace lets the water drain off by itself.
 
ssobol":1zllrzdy said:
is tied via the straps to the trailer.
Click to expand...

A bit off the O/P's topic but some recommend that over the winter months the straps be taken around tight to the hull (keel hauled) and tied as opposed to directly down to the trailer. Apparently it makes it harder for rodents like mice, etc. to climb up into your cockpit.

Regards, Rob
 
We have an Angola cover made from Aqualon, the material they recommended for snow loads. It's seen 5 Montana winters, many sub zero weeks, lots of snow and wind and is just like new. Be sure to get the motor cover, this keeps snow out of the motor well, which can turn to ice. If I were ordering today, I would add 12 inches to better cover the sides/color band from the sun, and add a vent for the warm sunny days. Photos are in our album.

Kevin
 
We got ours in Sept of 2010 and it is Sunbrella, so it was the costliest option. I wanted the ability for it to "breathe" as the PNW is notoriously wet. It is on all winter and gets put on and taken off in spring, summer & fall when we use the boat. It is outdoors, in our RV spot.

It is still holding together. The water-proofing is gone (no longer beads up, but it does not leak) and it is very dirty/green/moldy on the sides that do not get sun in the winters. But even the stitching is still holding up.

I hope it will last another 5-6 yrs. By then I will retire and boat will go into a shop (pole barn) I am building at our retirement property.

EDIT: I have tried to clean it w/ a deck brush and mild detergent w/ a tad bit of bleach per the Sunbrella's instructions. Most of the green comes off, but returns after one winter. It's a gigantic PIA, so I've pretty much given up. :mrgreen:
 
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