Another snap on cover question

[Blueliner]

Is it normal to collect a fair amount of water in the bilge when the boat is outside with the snap on cover? Got it back from winterization (sat outside for nearly 2 weeks) and now I have to go and vac out the water, everything is soaked. Keep in mind the dews are very heavy now, and there was a day or two of and on heavy rain while it was there. I figured the mechanic would ensure that it was dry before I picked it up. As far as I am aware the cover does not have any holes, water will pool on it. I am used to a dry boat as it is stored indoors with the cover off. Now I have an afternoon of work drying everything out. The rear bilge plug is too high and there is no engine floor plug, there is also a lot of water around in the center sack compartment. Carpet is all wet too.

Blueliner

[parrothd]

Raise the nose and drain the water, you should protect the cover with a tarp or fix the pooling. Once you fix the leakage it'll dry out, no sense in trying to dry it out...

[996scott]

In my experience, most covers will leak if water stays pooled up on it for a long period, especially if the cover is old. You can find some sprays that are supposed to help repel the water. I think Aero Space ( something like that) makes one. I have always been told not to put a tarp over a cover for long periods of time, ie winter storage. The reasoning is that the rubbing of the tarp over the cover will cause the cover to wear prematurely. I don't know if this is true or not but just what I have heard. You can always make something like a pole to push up on the cover from the inside so the water drains off and not pools up.

[parrothd]

Don't put the tarp on the cover, put it over the tower. It creates a tent keeping everything off the real cover..

[kaneboats]

Problem is your typical canvas cover is designed to repel water but not be water-proof. It is also designed to breathe a little bit so if drenched real bad it it going to let water in but also let water vapor out after the fact. If you put a tarp over it you get a situation where water sneaks in around the edges and then the tarp won't let water vapor out. So you get mildew real bad.

[Blueliner]

Thanks for the info, I suspected the snap cover has a two way aspect to it. The boat is indoor now till spring in a garage where it does not get below freezing (water pipes running along walls). I have removed the snap cover and hung it up, the tent tarp thing is what I was thinking to do after I am done with the cleaning/drying and maybe shampooing the carpet, it will keep the dust off. I shop vac'd about 20 gallons of water out of the bilge! by the tranny, have not done the centre sack area yet, it must be ahead of the tracking fins as the hull looks like it gets lower in that area holding in water.

[viking]

Thanks for the info, I suspected the snap cover has a two way aspect to it. The boat is indoor now till spring in a garage where it does not get below freezing (water pipes running along walls). I have removed the snap cover and hung it up, the tent tarp thing is what I was thinking to do after I am done with the cleaning/drying and maybe shampooing the carpet, it will keep the dust off. I shop vac'd about 20 gallons of water out of the bilge! by the tranny, have not done the centre sack area yet, it must be ahead of the tracking fins as the hull looks like it gets lower in that area holding in water.

Why didn't you just turn your bilge pump on and save yourself the work?

[trayson]

Thanks for the info, I suspected the snap cover has a two way aspect to it. The boat is indoor now till spring in a garage where it does not get below freezing (water pipes running along walls). I have removed the snap cover and hung it up, the tent tarp thing is what I was thinking to do after I am done with the cleaning/drying and maybe shampooing the carpet, it will keep the dust off. I shop vac'd about 20 gallons of water out of the bilge! by the tranny, have not done the centre sack area yet, it must be ahead of the tracking fins as the hull looks like it gets lower in that area holding in water.

If your garage where you store your boat doesn't get below freezing, then why even mother winterizing?

[Blueliner]

Why didn't you just turn your bilge pump on and save yourself the work?

Would that not have been evacuated of water during the winterizing?

[Blueliner]

If your garage where you store your boat doesn't get below freezing, then why even mother winterizing?

Its possible for a power outage to occur in the winter, cant afford to take a chance.