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Canapy Boat Lift Cover vs Boat Cover


MizzouMike

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Hello All...I have read a lot, and finally my first post....

I am trying to decide between buying an evolution cover for my boat or buying a canopy for my Shoremaster boat lift. Or both. I have the stock cover, but I do not think it would be adequate for leaving the boat on the lift with no canopy. Will the Evolution cover provide adequate protection with no canopy? Is it easy to put the cover on and off? I have an 08 RLXi with an illusion X Tower. The lift canopy is a slight drawback due to the tower. I prefer to trailer the boat with no cover. Please share your ideas...Thanks

Edited by MizzouMike
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My boat stays covered with that type of cover on our lift all year. The factory covers that need tie downs take more time to secure to the cradle but they will work. The towing cover doesn't require support poles like the factory covers do and just uses a drawstring to secure them.

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Well if you've read enough then you should know that Cory and Evolution covers are the best in the business in all phases Tease.gif I have never read anything negative about them and I love my cover!! For your application I would think just cover is all you need. Do you have a dock on both sides of the lift? Although not a neccessity it would make it easier to put on and adjust the cover. I think there might be a GB on them right now also!!

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Hello All...I have read a lot, and finally my first post....

I am trying to decide between buying an evolution cover for my boat or buying a bimini cover for my Shoremaster boat lift. Or both. I have the stock cover, but I do not think it would be adequate for leaving the boat on the lift with no Bimini. Will the Evolution cover provide adequate protection with no Bimini. Is it easy to put the cover on and off? I have an 08 RLXi with an illustion Tower. The lift bimini is a slight drawback due to the tower. I prefer to trailer the boat with no cover. Please share your ideas...Thanks

I leave my boat on the lift all year in the Florida sun. We do not have a canopy for the lift. This has as much to due with wind concerns as anything else. I did buy a Rankin cover for the boat. I also had them add zippers around the cover and provide additional skirts that are attached to the zippers and hang down from the cover. I use the skirts while the boat is on the lift to keep the sun off the boat. I can tell you that the boat is in the sun almost all year long and still looks as good as new. Someone else on our lake has a lift with a canopy. Their boat has definately had more sun fading than my boat has. The only bad thing about the cover is that it is not as easy as just putting the boat up on the canapy and being done for the day. I will tell you that even when I did have a canopy at a previous house we did put the boat cover on. The Rankin cover is very easy to put on and take off, and it is great to have it on while towing, especially if it is raining.

Let me know if you are interested and I can try to take a picture of the cover on the hoist.

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covered my boats for the past 10 years with good covers, and just this summer I added a lift with a canopy and will NEVER EVER go back to anything else. I have a similar set up (21LSV with an illusion tower) and the canopy on the lift works great. I set the height of the canopy on the lift to be about 1" above the tow ball on the tower when the lift is all the way up. I covered the boat with the canvas maybe twice this year, only because I knew I was going to be away for a week or two and wanted the added protection. You cant beat the convenience of the canopy, it kept the boat dry even in hard rain storms with driving rain, and kept the sun off the boat as well. Added to that that the boat can now dry out well (used to have major mold and mildew issues since we would cover the boat at the end of the day wet) - and have had none of those issues this year. I should have done this whole thing 10 years ago. The boat comes out of the water (or off the lift) at the end of the season and goes right in the garage.

I would still make sure you have a good quality cover - especially if you travel at all or keep the boat out side for any period of time, but all in all once you get a canopy for your lift you'll never go back!

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The old saying of two heads are better than one. If you can go with both cover and canopy you will be better off. If I could have a roof over my boat (neighborhood covenants don't allow) I would. As for the Evolution cover, I'll let you know when mine comes in the mail how it fits. I'm sure I'll be very happy with the Evolution cover.

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The old saying of two heads are better than one. If you can go with both cover and canopy you will be better off. If I could have a roof over my boat (neighborhood covenants don't allow) I would. As for the Evolution cover, I'll let you know when mine comes in the mail how it fits. I'm sure I'll be very happy with the Evolution cover.

I fully agree WMH. i only WISH I could have a lift and canopy, but marina does not allow them. My thinking says double coverage can only be a good thing except at purchase time.

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I'd go with the canopy. Tarping your boat every night is a real pain in the a**. Might also depend on the location of your lift, if you are on a private dock I don't see why you'd need to tarp it as well as have it under the canopy. If it is shared among many boats/fishermen/swimmers/drunks you might want to tarp it up just to keep people out of it.

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I would say there isn't a lot of point in getting an Evolution cover if your not going to tow with it. It will offer NO sun protection on the sides or transom of the boat. I put mine on from inside the boat, starting at the bow & ending on the swimstep. It's not easy but it's possible.

I'd love to have a lift with a canopy. And I'd add side curtains or a cover that goes way down low on the boat. Rockon.gif

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I would say there isn't a lot of point in getting an Evolution cover if your not going to tow with it. It will offer NO sun protection on the sides or transom of the boat. I put mine on from inside the boat, starting at the bow & ending on the swimstep. It's not easy but it's possible.

I'd love to have a lift with a canopy. And I'd add side curtains or a cover that goes way down low on the boat. Rockon.gif

I have to agree with the above. My boat sat on a lift at my cottage for 3 summers with the stock cover. I don't notice any sun fade, but also not sure I would unless it was sitting against my same boat new. Although my boat is black and regal red, so I'd think it'd be noticable if it were there.

I'll hopefully be full time at a lake home this coming summer and will immediately buy a canopy for my lift, because it's a pain to put the cover on every night. There were some nights the first year I didn't put the cover on but quickly learned that the bugs would be glued onto the dew. My plan would be to leave uncovered and tucked under the canopy, unless I knew there was rain coming, or I wasn't going to use it for a few days.

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I cover mine lightly under the canopy. The canopy keeps the rain and sun out. The cover keeps the dust and bugs out and doesn't take long to put on since it doesn't need to be tied down real tight. The drawstring is adequate. I use a custom made road cover, because i cover when trailering but any generic cover would do in your case.

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I would say there isn't a lot of point in getting an Evolution cover if your not going to tow with it. It will offer NO sun protection on the sides or transom of the boat. I put mine on from inside the boat, starting at the bow & ending on the swimstep. It's not easy but it's possible.

I'd love to have a lift with a canopy. And I'd add side curtains or a cover that goes way down low on the boat. Rockon.gif

What is not easy about putting it on from inside the boat?

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Canopy for sure, works the best. However, it does introduce 2 things: spiders and birds. I don't mind either except when they poop. If you are around your boat a lot and use it a lot neither will be a problem. If you are gone for a week or two at a time, you may have guests. Barn swallows here in Michigan love to make nests in the undersides of canopies, and make a mess of things. In which case a cover is good to have with the canopy, but be prepared to be dive-bombed after you remove the nest the next time. It's really only a problem during their nesting season in the spring. Spider webs, same thing. After a week or two of a spider nesting above your upholstery and processing his daily kills, you will have a small but tough stain. We put up a small wind chime with a high pitch hanging from the back of the canopy and it seems helps keep all them critters away. But no way I'd go without a canopy, it makes everything so much easier.

Shop around for a canopy, not just the make from your lift. You can modify almost any canopy to fit, and many are WAY over priced. I have a Harbor Master lift with a Great Lakes canopy, and it looks and works perfectly.

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I have both as well. Having a canopy is really nice, but I use a cover as well. But you don't need to go high end on the cover as it is used mostly for dust, birds, and bugs. I hate covering up a wet boat even if I have a breathable cover.

If you have the money a seamark canopy would be the cats a**. I plan on upgrading when my vinyl canopy wears out.

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What is not easy about putting it on from inside the boat?

Maybe it's a Titan tower thing. You have to either zip things up around the front legs before you walk thru & close the windshield, or reach over the windshield to do it. Whichever way, people seem to forget & have to go back & do it.

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I cover under my lift also just keeps everything clean. No bugs spiders or bird poo.

ya$2,400 is about what they go for around my place. I can cover from in the boat and climb onto the swim platform and out to the dock. Its a bit of a pain but the boat is so much cleaner.

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  • 4 weeks later...

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