Please Tell Me Exactly How You Put On Your Boat Cover...

[hethj7]

Just for newcomers reading this, the 303 referenced should be the fabric guard and not the vinyl protectant we all use. I seem to recall a detailed thread a while back on that topic.

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Edited June 3, 2014 by hethj7

[AndyP]

Still waiting to hear how afun does it...

I start at the bow and work my way back, ideally with someone on the other side keeping up. I don't use poles unless I'm traveling a long ways.

Was waiting for someone to call it the bow.

[DocPhil]

If you place the poles on a bag of milk, they will stay in place while you tighten the cover.

Am I the only one that has no clue what a "bag of milk" is?

Since when did milk start coming in bags?!?

Or do you mean "milk bags"? You know? "Milk bags"....

[Afun]

Still waiting to hear how afun does it...

I start at the bow and work my way back, ideally with someone on the other side keeping up. I don't use poles unless I'm traveling a long ways.

Well, I start at the nose loop the strap around the crank. Then I attach the first pole. I walk all the way back with the cover. I lift the middle section of the cover over the window then close it. I then attach the driver side velcros to the tower. I then put the middle pole which is the tallest. I then remove the cap for the table and insert the last pole in the hole so it won't move. I walk the rest of the cover to the back and attach the straps to the loops. I jump off the boat at this time and finish the port side velcros to the tower. I then use the crappy ratchet and tighten. Then I have a beer while I rant about how much I hate putting on the cover.

[Afun]

Am I the only one that has no clue what a "bag of milk" is?

Since when did milk start coming in bags?!?

Or do you mean "milk bags"? You know? "Milk bags"....

Oh please don't start this....

[RTS]

Am I the only one that has no clue what a "bag of milk" is?

Since when did milk start coming in bags?!?

Or do you mean "milk bags"? You know? "Milk bags"....

Read through the Original Afun Boat Ramp Scrap thread...the discussion of milk bags starts about 5 or 6 pages in. Pictures and everything.

[-BS-]

Somewhere I got the impression there might be a problem if 303 came in contact with the fiberglass or vinyl. The bottle itself says, "Not for vinyl, clear vinyl, plastics, rubber, fiberglass or imitation suede."

Anyone have any issues with it? BS, apparently you've treated the cover while it's on the boat & not had any issues, right?

Yeah I hear ya Bill. The first 3 years, I tried to lay it out and treat it and it never worked.......AT ALL. Even that Aqua Tite stuff you recommended failed miserably. I quickly came to the conclusion it wasn't the product, it was the method of application. Soooooo, even though it said not to let it come in contact with vinyl, etc...I just said screw it and tried. Worked like a charm. Although I definitely was as careful as I could be to not get it on the gel. Boat was in the water, so that helped bc it was below me. I checked like crazy the next time I went to the boat and didn't notice any spots or discoloration. I really think having it stretched taught like that was the key. I think before I was treating it, then stretching the fibers away from each other and 'breaking the seal'. Maybe not? Who knows.

Look, I hate the cover with the passion period. Bimini comes in second place. I just hate it. Its going back in the barn next week.

If those hangtytes eliminate the poles, it will be worth the purchase.

Last time it was cover first, then tower..... I thought? Now it's cover THEN bimini? Man Afun...........wanna trade boats? I'll even rip those flaps off the back and let you keep 'em!

Well, after I read that & that the 303 shouldn't come in contact with the fiberglass, I took the cover off, ran a strip of packaging stretch wrap around the entire boat, then put the cover back on. Then sprayed it. 2 bottles of it. Over the course of about a week. The bottle says it should be done in 70 degree temps.... it may have touched 70 during the day but was definitely not that warm at night. Wondering if maybe I should do it in the summer rather than the spring. And not bother with the stretch wrap.

All the time. But I have a Rankin (predecessor to the Evo) & don't use poles.

That's a good idea: stretch wrap. Although that might be a goat-roping trying to do that in the slip. Did you wrap it on the water?

Oh and one thing I did do was stuff a couple towels under the cover to create space between the vinyl upholstery and the cover.

Also good idea on 2 bottles. I only had one and had to reeeeeeaaaallllly stretch it. Wish I had 2.

And yeah, I think it was only like 75-80 (not at night tho) and mine worked fine. The cover was about 150* tho. It was cooking off as I sprayed it.

Edited June 3, 2014 by -BS-

[-BS-]

My cover has poles and I was TIRED of dealing with them.

Everyone is saying this. Am I missing something? I put the pole in when it's going to rain. And when I have to do that, it takes about 9 extra seconds. And that's a safe estimate.

Just for newcomers reading this, the 303 referenced should be the fabric guard and not the vinyl protectant we all use. I seem to recall a detailed thread a while back on that topic. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Are people still using that 303 vinyl protectant?? Now that stuff I do HATE. With a passion. What a mess.

[-BS-]

Well, I start at the nose loop the strap around the crank. Then I attach the first pole. I walk all the way back with the cover. I lift the middle section of the cover over the window then close it. I then attach the driver side velcros to the tower. I then put the middle pole which is the tallest. I then remove the cap for the table and insert the last pole in the hole so it won't move. I walk the rest of the cover to the back and attach the straps to the loops. I jump off the boat at this time and finish the port side velcros to the tower. I then use the crappy ratchet and tighten. Then I have a beer while I rant about how much I hate putting on the cover.

Dude. Are you TRYING to get Andy P to murder you?

[isellacuras]

I find it funny that afun will sit and wait 20 min to fill his dong sacks with the pnp method but absolutely hates to put his cover on and put his Bimini up which both take about 2 min. I think he's just looking for more reasons to post away.

[Afun]

Dude. Are you TRYING to get Andy P to murder you?

Andy P?

I find it funny that afun will sit and wait 20 min to fill his dong sacks with the pnp method but absolutely hates to put his cover on and put his Bimini up which both take about 2 min. I think he's just looking for more reasons to post away.

Sorry to burst your bubble...it takes the PNP under 10 minutes to fill my big huge sacks.

[-BS-]

Andy P?

Yeah. The dude that was ribbing us for calling the bow "the front" .......like 4 posts ago?

C'mon Afun. Pay attention. My jokes aren't funny when I have to explain them to you. And I only have a limited amount of them.

Edited June 3, 2014 by -BS-

[Afun]

Yeah. The dude that was ribbing us for calling the bow "the front" .......like 4 posts ago?

Oh yeah...and the fender a bumper...I forget who that was

[justgary]

Oh please don't start this....

And I still crack up at the thought of several pages of technical discussion about how to pour milk from a bag....

[justgary]

Are people still using that 303 vinyl protectant?? Now that stuff I do HATE. With a passion. What a mess.

[Justgary quietly raises his hand. The room falls silent.]

[Justgary, in a tiny voice]: "Yes, sir. I use 303 Vinyl Protectant. I rather like it. It protects my vinyl."

[The crowd gasps.]

[Dare2goBare]

[Justgary quietly raises his hand. The room falls silent.]

[Justgary, in a tiny voice]: "Yes, sir. I use 303 Vinyl Protectant. I rather like it. It protects my vinyl."

[The crowd gasps.]

Lol.....+1...,,.,, LMAO....

Good commentary!!!

[Slayer]

This thread is pretty freaking sweet! I love the fact that there's been little commentary on the "exact" manner in which one puts the cover on the boat.....

[Afun]

Yeah. The dude that was ribbing us for calling the bow "the front" .......like 4 posts ago?

C'mon Afun. Pay attention. My jokes aren't funny when I have to explain them to you. And I only have a limited amount of them.

I still laugh Jesus....HaHa

[-BS-]

[Justgary quietly raises his hand. The room falls silent.]

[Justgary, in a tiny voice]: "Yes, sir. I use 303 Vinyl Protectant. I rather like it. It protects my vinyl."

[The crowd gasps.]

Soooooooooo funny.

But don't you get it all over your feet when you get on the boat? I used to hate that stuff. I'd use it and be all proud that I was protecting my vinyl from that mean ol' sun..................then like every person for the next 2 weeks would track it all over tarnation. Slippery board, slippery swim deck, slippery carpet. I used to have to scuff my feet on the wakeskate grip tape so I could go for a surf! I'd take binding lube and try to wash the surfboard off. What a zoo.

[justgary]

Slippery board, slippery swim deck, slippery carpet. I used to have to scuff my feet on the wakeskate grip tape so I could go for a surf! I'd take binding lube and try to wash the surfboard off. What a zoo.

I must be using it wrong.

Maybe it just bakes in better down here or something, but I haven't noticed it getting everywhere. Well, except where I put it. Which is kind of everywhere... I wipe everything above the rub rail with the damp 303 rag, gelcoat and all. I just don't use the whole bottle. One good coat at the beginning of the season, and then damp wipes with it after every trip. Spritz the rag, wipe the vinyl. Wipe the gelcoat. Nothing crazy.

And if your board is slippery, you need Mr. Zog's Sex Wax. Don't blame it on 303.

[jonredcorn]

Since Cory has been backlogged 3 months on making my cover until July, I'm using the factory cover, which no longer holds water out. Has anyone ever put waterproofing on the junky factory covers?

Until the Evo cover comes, I'll have to get some more poles to keep the factory cover high and use the milk bags to keep it tight.

Edit: I always thought the pole goes between the milk bags?....errrr what are we talking about?

Edited June 3, 2014 by jonredcorn

[MalibuNation]

jonredcorn, a lot of us use:
http://www.303products.com/303r-fabric-guard-16oz.html
on the factory cover.

I'd wash the cover before water proofing ... find yourself an 50-80lb washer and just add soap. I would avoid bleach. For me I wash it a 2nd time with no soap.

[wakebrdr94]

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[Levi900RR]

When I'm moored, I start at the nose & roll it back. When I get to the front tower legs I zip up the front & run the drawstring into the middle section. Then step back, close the window, pull the cover back to the rear legs, run the drawstring to the front section & hook it up, then zip the cover up around rear legs. Then pull the cover to the rear, secure all 5 straps & the drawstring & I'm done. At that point I'm standing on the swimstep & can step on the dock.

I have a D ring in the middle of the cover right below the tower & can run a bungee to the tower, similar to the Hangtyte setup. But the only time I use it is when there is torrential rain or heavy snow going to fall on the cover. And usually the boat wouldn't be in the water during times like that. But I can secure the bungee about the time I'm zipping up around the rear tower legs.

Pretty funny that there is a product like Hangtyte out there when guys like Cory have been installing that for quite a while now. Looks like the patent dates back to August of 2011 & I know for a fact that I've had it on my own boat for longer than that. And I got the idea from Cory who had installed them for a couple years before that.

Bill, do you not really sweat the rub rail hooks while your moored? I seem to remember when I had the Evo on my Skier I had to walk around to boat in the water to make sure the rub rail hooks were seated.

[bamabonners]

no poles on mine, never any puddling

Seriously though, for Malibu I rolled the cover from back to front when taking it off. To put it back on, i would lay it on the swim platform and pull the nose portion up and throw it over the windshield. Then, fromg the ground I would go to the front side of the boat and grab the cover and place it over the nose. Then, i would do around the tower and ratchet the back. Done.

If I had to use poles for outside storage, i sent my son uder the cover to do it after do the velcro around the tower.