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Cover issues & Rain issues


harwalan

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I have a 2000 Malibu LSV Escape.  I bought it last year and it came with a cover.  The cover doesn't look original and is in two pieces.  One piece covers the bow and the other piece covers the windshield and everything back to the stern.  The cover attaches via snaps.  The cover itself is canvas and seems somewhat waterproof.  That said, even if it were completely waterproof, the shape over the cover wouldn't prevent water from entering the boat.  Anything that lands on the windshield will go right under the bow cover.  

I've seen other boats that have covers that wrap underneath the bow and seem like they would keep the rain out.  

I'm getting mildew inside my boat and need to solve this.  For outside storage, how do I keep the rain out?  Also, bonus points if your solution works for snow also.  (I'm in Utah and have been paying to have my boat shrink wrapped in the winter).  

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Used a Westland exact fit for the last 2 seasons. Fits great even with the tower and keeps the boat dry. I would recommend one for the price. Think mine is the sharkskin plus material 

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5 hours ago, Eagleboy99 said:

Just buy a $400 Westland cover for the whole thing.  The front "cover" - called a tonneau is useful in cooler weather.  I personally hate snps for covers.  YMMV

This looks great.  I suppose the tower on my boat did not come standard with the boat?  What's the best way to accommodate for the tower?

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My experience is that if the boat is stored outdoors, no cover will keep it dry and mildew free.  If you are dealing with accumulation of snow more than a few inches, I don't think any cover will hold up to that.  I have had dozens of covers on several boats.  Currently have the Evolution cover on my 23LSV and it is by far the best one I have seen or heard about.  But if left outside all winter, it would not prevent mildew from forming in the boat. Even if you keep the water out, the condensate from the cover will create enough moisture for mildew and to cause electronics to fail.

IMHO, a boat stored outside is a boat that will cause you nothing but trouble, regardless of what cover is on it.  My advice is to invest in covered storage for your boat.  Either rent a covered spot locally, or build/buy a structure to park your boat underneath.  You can get a Versa-Tube metal building for $3k, or if you are handy and have the space you could build a small pole structure with a metal roof for half of that cost.  If you plan to own a boat for a long time, this investment will pay for itself many times over.

I live in a very wet climate, so my experience might be extreme.  But these boats are expensive, and storing them outside (even with a cover) results in more maintenance costs, downtime, and reduced resale value.

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  • 4 weeks later...
On 8/11/2019 at 10:10 PM, KDCr7 said:

Used a Westland exact fit for the last 2 seasons. Fits great even with the tower and keeps the boat dry. I would recommend one for the price. Think mine is the sharkskin plus material 

What tower do you have? Does this work with a illusion tower? Did you need to do any mods to it? Can you post a pic of it? 

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To start you need one of these (or something like it):

https://www.amazon.com/Ironwood-Pacific-DryWave-Prevents-Basements/dp/B000BTAQIG

And a few buckets of this:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/DampRid-4-lb-Fragrance-Free-Hi-Capacity-Moisture-Absorber-FG50T/100391308?MERCH=REC-_-pipsem-_-NA-_-100391308-_-N

If you can get you boat under some sort of roof that would help a bunch, but you still need to circulate the air and use damprid to keep the mildew down.  I keep my boat under a car port and change the damp every month or two and don't have mildew problems even in the PacNW.

 

 

 

Edited by jjackkrash
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6 hours ago, CLTMalibu08 said:

What tower do you have? Does this work with a illusion tower? Did you need to do any mods to it? Can you post a pic of it? 

I have a Swoop tower. The Westland site has many models of boats with tower options to choose from. Not sure if your combo is available.

IMG_20190911_154717.jpg

IMG_20190911_154757.jpg

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