Snap In Bow And Cockpit Cover Opinions

[Hyper]

What are your thoughts on the snap on bow and cockpit tarps. I have them on my 18 footer and they are a real convenience. I think Moomba and Supra offer this but I'm not sure. I know CC, MC, BU and Tige don't.; why is that? Is it because it takes away from the lines of the boat. I've seen guys try to cover their boats with the one peice tarps for overnight moorage and that is a pain. Ive also seen these expensive boats hauled without covers because of the concern for rub wear. Not a big deal when the weather is sunny and clear but a rainy on the highway really sucks. I do know that Tige offers a pretty good tarp system that is able to be used for road travel. I posted this in my carpet question and did not get any answeres so I'm trying here. All opinions and or experiences are welcome, I'm buying a new boat in the spring so thats why I'm asking.

[deerfield]

Hyper - With respect to your questions regarding snap down covers, hopefully you will get good input from guys with practical experience. Got to be plenty of them here on the BB. But let me offer a few comments about the one piece mooring cover. It is a pain to use. My wife and kids have said on several occasions that they wish we had the two piece snap down cover. I hear this most often at the end of a day on the water when everyone wants to get home. The boat goes on a lift and then the full mooring cover goes on. This takes a good ten to fifteen minutes. Having said that, I would still opt for the full mooring cover. I'm anal about my stuff, particularly my Outback, and don't mind the extra time and effort required with the full cover. Keeps my boat dry and clean. Protects the deck as well as the interior from sun rays that tend to make things look dull over time. When trailering, I take the cover off. Got caught in the rain on a road trip from West Virginia back to Illinois. Made me wince but did not hurt my boat. The dirt washes off no problem. See what the two piece guys have to say and maybe ask your dealer. Could be that for your area of the county there's a good reason to go with one rather than the other. - Deerfield

[cab13367]

Hyper,

My 2006 LSV has the snap in covers from the factory and I love them although I don't use then very often. My boat is stored in the garage and I tow without a cover for day trips. Next week, I will be at a lake where I have a slip rented and the boat will be in the water continuously for 5 days so it will be much easier to cover it up in this situation.

I have two brothers that have boats without the snap in cover and we spent a week at one of their lakehouses where both their boats were tied up to the boat dock all week. When it looked like rain, we would put their full covers on and it was a PITA, and definitely NOT a one man job.

The snap in covers also fold up pretty compact - I have both of them stored in the very nose of the boat, under the triangular seat cushion in the bow.

Below is the only pic I have with the cover on. This was the day I picked up the boat. There is an adjustable pole that snaps into each cover from underneath and ensures that rain water won't pool on the cover. You can kind of see them in place in the pic.

Al

[501]

One thing no one talked about is keeping just the bow covered. Up north here in canada it gets quite cold in the spring and fall. We usually just leave the front bow cover snapped on, and with the window closed, little wind gets through and it keeps all the heat kind of trapped which is nice. Plus the little kids like to play under there as well. I actually like these covers quite a bit but my boat is stored in a car port so it's protected from direct rain or snow.

[deafgoose]

I have the snap in covers and the mooring cover. They both have pros and cons IMO.

The snap in covers are so easy to use but they let rain in. This made it impossible to keep the carpets dry since I keep my boat at the marina in the water all season.

The mooring cover is much better as far as keeping the boat dry but its lots of work to put on.

[Kelsey]

If you plan on trailering for long distances go for the bow cover. I keep mine in a garage with the cover on. No rain, just dust. When trailering, it does allow some dust / water in but keeps the majority out.

[sandm]

we have the bow/cockpit snap-in covers and, for the most part, I like them. nice to tow on a windy day with just the bow cover on. keeps the boards from flying out and most of the wind out of the cabin. I do say that I would probably prefer the 1-piece cover though. we have 2 snaps that came out of the gel to replace and the metal snap brackets on the windshield are kinda cheesy. our covers have had to be re-sewn in spots as well. one piece would eliminate all this.
we keep ours in a garage 24/7, so covers really aren't a big issue for us though. really only cover it when I come back from the lake and am going out the next day again, rather than fold down and put in the garage we just cover it up.

[jmvotto]

I love our but it stays on a cover hoist and we trail the boat maybe twice a year, no problems trailing with the snap on covers. we put in on every weekend after use. canopy was not installed yet, easier with boat in the lift.

[Whitewater]

And now for a completely different opinion:

When I was configuring my boat at the winter boat show, the rep suggested that I get both the bow and cockpit cover, as well as the full logo cover. I keep the boat in the water at our cottage from May - October. When I am up for the weekend, or for longer holidays, only the logo cover goes on at night. When we go back to the city I double wrap the boat - the bow and cockpit covers go on first - then I cover everything up with the logo cover. So far it works like a charm - not a drop of water gets in - when it is double wrapped.

I find the logo cover very easy and quick to install. However, since the boat is in the water, there is no way to attach the straps that pass under the hull - so I don't. I have only had the wind knock the cover off the side of the boat once this summer, and since I usually have the other covers underneath when I am not around I don't sweat it.

The logo cover is much easier and faster to install than the snap down covers, and unless you are really concerned about wind, it does a better job at keeping the water out, plus it keeps the sun (and bird crap, and tree sap etc) off the top of the boat.

[moombabound]

Four years using snap down covers on my previous two boats; I'll never do it again. Still have to clean the area around the covers edge. Doesn't protect the deck in full. Plus broken snaps, etc. I too was disappointed at how cumbersome the cargo cover was. When I picked up the boat the dealer demo'd how to install it and I was really disappointed. That's because my only frame of reference was a friends Malibu VTX, where the cover is a slick work of wonder. However, I got over it. For over-night use when no rain is forecast, don't bother with the poles. Even if there's light rain, the pooling is easy to dump off. No, it doesn't travel well but I travel twice/year. In fact, on a clear night (when using next morning) I now hook the side clips inside of the wake tower. Looks a bit sloppy but makes for an install I would say is a matter of minutes; way faster than snap-downs.

Notes:
- I store it under the front right bow seat. Take a file and round smooth the underside edge of the storage opening.
- If you have helpful guests untarping, don't let them lower the pole lengths for storage, as I found out just yesterday. All that tweaking gone for naught.