Covering poll

[srock]

I cover when the time is convienent but its often wet and in humid Florida on a lift. I have never have had a problem. I do prop the seats for air movement. Bug and spider juice is a bigger problem is left uncovered.

[DizzyG]

I think it depends on how wet you get things. 90% of the time our carpet is nearly dry so I just wipe off the seats, trunks and the rest of the boat and cover it. When we ride most people towel off before getting back into the main part of the boat. The life jackets when wet are hung on the pylon so they don't get the carpet soaked. IT works really well, the carpet is rarely soaked/wet and we don't need to really let it dry out too much. Some days though, things just get wet, either from unfamiliar people or just normal lake stuff. So occasionally I'll let it sit uncovered for a few hours to dry out, the problem is the trees in the area tend to drop all sorts of crap in it and then I have to vacuum

[bsoss]

Mine stays on my lift uncovered. I make sure there is nothing left on the boat each night. If I expect rain, I'll throw the cover on. My cover is a hassle to put on when the boat is on the lift. The new covers malibu gives you are sweet when you can walk around the boat, otherwise, they tend to come off of the rub rail. We use our boat pretty much daily during the season so I avoid placing the cover if I can.

[KSilva]

Our family just got a 08 VLX. We purchased the black rachet tight cover for it, but had a quick question.

I see people towing with these covers and see others not towing with these covers. Is it a good idea to tow with the cover on? Does it cause any damage? There are no staps, just rachets tight.

I don't travel very far to the lake from my house.. approx. 45min...

Thanks in advance

[Max]

In the lift with a canopy ... uncovered unless the weather is going to be extreme.

We used to leave it in the water all summer and would cover stright after use with no Mould issues

I have a heat lamp now up in the roof of the lift so we can sit out in it at night without the dew forming nice with the stereo and a few bevvy's if its rainging or windy (UK Based Bu Lover)

[Killer]

I leave the boat in the water for a few days at a time, and then it sits on the trailer under tree shade, but no garage,. I am going to buy a temp. shelter which will help keep the UV off it as it sits on the lot most of the time.

I always wipe the seats down and the deck after use. the hull gets washed every few weeks and a coat of wax a few times a year. after washing I apply a spray detailer and make sure everything's dry.

when I put the cover on when its in the water I also make sure its as dry as possible, but its better to put the cover on at night and not get the dew, then to go away a little wet.

I also lift the seats and am looking at somekind of ventilator/dehumidifier for it.

UV is one of the most damaging things so my vote is to put the cover on if its outside. you can always wipe it down and clean it, but its much harder to restore vinyl and gelcoat.

[REW]

Unfortunately the Bu. does not fit in the garage. so I cover it when we get home and get it cleaned out. It is usually pretty dry when we get home even with a short drive to the lake. If for some reason (Kids) it looks as though a flood went through the boat I will leave it open for the rest of the day to help with the drying, also open it up on dry days in the winter to let it air out a bit as well. As mentioned earler the covers are pretty breathable so I havent had any mildue problems.

Quick question, Are the stock covers from 2004 towable? It has three tent polls, secures under the rub rail. I haven't towed with it yet but it would have been nice last year on our way to Cashiers NC during a rain strom.

[electricjohn]

When on vacation where the boat is moored for 3 weeks straight, we only cover it if steady or overnight rain is forcasted. Since the boat can get used at anytime day or night, it is not worth covering.

After a day trip in which the boat will come home very wet, I leave the cover off till it is totally dry. That could be the next day or longer. Once covered, it goes into its car tent.

[Bobby Light]

Sleeps in the garage and never covered when in garage. If it's ever outside it's always covered unless I'm letting it dry out for some reason, I never leave the boat uncovered unattended.

[Soon2BV]

i usually towed the boat home (4+ hours) uncovered so it was dry when i pull in the drive.

if we got rained in on the drive, then i would uncover it in the sun for a day to let it dry out.

i had to keep it covered in the drive to keep out leaves, dust, small sticks, etc - i have a lot of trees on the lot.

when we had storage at the lake, it was covered and protected so we left everything open (hatches, seat cushions, etc.) and let it dry that way.

If we are able to invest in a new bu, my plan is to buy a king canopy type of shelter to keep the boat under when it is "home".

[srintx]

It's usually dark when I get home, so I leave it open toss the wet gear out, open a couple of hatches and clean it up and cover the next day.

Same here, maybe with a few days added since it's covered...

[Lance B. Johnson]

Mine is in the garage, and I leave it uncovered all the time. I usually will open up the garage door to allow more airflow

[mellen_mpz]

thats the great thing about phoenix........sucker dries FAST!!!! I let mine sit overnight to dry out though. Mostly because I am BEAT after a typical day on the lake!

[Swampy]

I normally put a cover on in the garage, but I make sure everything is good and dry first. If I don't, things will start to smell a bit musty. I think the previous owner may not have let it dry out as well as he should have.

This may be a bit off topic, but has anyone figured out a good way to get that musty smell out of carpet?

[mellen_mpz]

I had posted a thread a few months back about how to cover my boat since I leave it outside. Here was the final solution. I found a big 20'x30' truck cargo tarp to throw over the whole boat (with the factory cover already on) then I tie that up underneath with tie-downs. It isnt super thick so it breathes well. havent had any problems with mold or anything but its always dry before I put the cover on. Heres a pic:

[Macutak]

I have been concerned that covering it with water still in there (yes I pull the T plugs) might eventually damage electronics. Any opinions on that? I am in a desert area so not much humidity and I would think the humidity is lower than most places even with the cover on and water in the bilge.

So I have felt OK aout covering it and have had no mildew problems except when the carpet was wet with something left on the floor.

[David78337]

I previously lived in a wetter climate and would always use a dehumidifier.

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