canvas boat cover
WHY THE NEED FOR CANVAS BOAT COVERS
Owning a boat does not involve a small amount of money. A pontoon boat for instance will set one back eight thousand five hundred to about thirty thousand dollars. Then there is still the maintenance, the yearly engine check ups, the upkeep and re-paints as well as acquisition of accessories such as additional furniture like chairs, mini bars, dinette, refrigerator, roof deck, built in toilet, etc. Add that to the gasoline expense that accumulates every time the boat is taken out.
And like most investments, it is important to provide proper boat care and maintenance. A boat’s simplest first line of defense is the boat cover. As it is subjected to the harmful effects of the sun, wind and water, having a proper boat cover minimizes these effects. It also provides the owner the added convenience of not having to dust off the boat when he or she is about to use it after a long, stagnant period in the storage area.
There are many kinds of boat cover. It could be made of vinyl, polyester, cotton, etc. different materials very depending on the intended use of the covers. A boat cover made of vinyl for instance, is best used if the boat is to hang outdoors while one that is made of cotton is better suited for garage storage and when a boat is being transported from one area to the next on a trailer.
One of the more popular type is the canvas boat cover. It is made out of about thirty-five percent cotton and sixty-five percent polyester. Canvas boat covers are water-resistant and durable. The fabric weighs about eight ounces per yard which makes it light weight and breathable. This helps keep the boat free from the plastic-like storage smell.
Canvas boat covers are available in different colors such as tan, navy blue, olive or jade green as well as funky colors such as bright orange or yellow, depending on the borrower’s preference. Manufacturers sell these in standard sizes. However, if the boat is custom made and do not meet the same measures as the standard canvas boat cover sizes, it would be important to provide the manufacturer with the exact size and dimensions of the boat.
When measuring one’s boat, it is best to use a tape that does not stretch or a non-elastic tape such as a steel tape or duct tape.
From here, an owner should find the center length. In finding the center length, one should start taking measures from the tip of the bow to the center of the stern. If the boat is equipped with any extensions one may add their length to the centerline dimension if one wants to have these areas covered.
Next step is to find the beam width. To do this, one needs to find the widest point of his or her boat. This is usually the center or middle part of the boat. When measuring beam width, one must remember to include the rub-rail. Most covers will fit boats with a beam and center-line measurement plus or minus six inches.
One must also remember to add one foot to the center-line length if one’s boat has rails exceeding six inches in height and to add one foot to the center-line length for trolling motor.
Source: http://www.bloggedadvice.com