G23 cover options

[biggator]

So.. short story.

lion90 and I both got Gs.. we both keep our boats on lifts 100% of the time (no trailers) and like our previous boats, we wanted covers that go over the WHOLE boat, including swim platform. First, I have NO idea why Nautique doesn't offer a normal cover that goes over the platform.. I can't recall ever seeing another boat with a 2-piece cover like the factory one, but I digress.

So.. we ordered from boatcoversdirect (carver).. and they had a cover for a G23 w/ platform. Sweet! Lion's old cover came from them and was great.. so good, right?

Well.. boats came home yesterday - and.. well..
My cover: completely freaking wrong boat. It looks like it's meant for a 19 or 20' boat with a Titan tower.. Fail.
His cover: they actually sent the proper G23 cover, but holy crap I can't imagine they ever tried to fit it on an actual G23 before finalizing their template. The thing only goes about 1" below the rubrail at the nose.. so it took two of us about 45 minutes of wrestling to get the thing on. Total fail.

SOOOOO.... any other good aftermarket cover options? The factory cover is super nice, but it may be a huge pain to deal with a 2-piece cover.. I'd like a normal cover that gets the platform, too.

Thanks!

[Miljack]

My experience on the platform being integrated into the main cover is that most of the "trailer-able" covers won't accomplish this. If the mfg of the cover is using tension to hold it tight around the rub-rail, putting the end out at the end of the platform makes it difficult to get enough tension into the cover.
I tried to get Coversports to do a platform cover and sides, and he wouldn't ('99 Pro Air). I ended up having a separate platform cover zipped to the main cover with elastic bungies to hold it around the platform, I would sit on the sunpad/rear of the boat and use my feet to push the platform cover over, it worked pretty well, but wasn't easy!

The other option would be a Touchless cover=$$$

[TRBenj]

If he was ordering a Carver, clearly he wasnt expecting a trailerable cover. He said his boat stays on a lift 100% of the time. A trailerable cover would be more expensive and a pain to put on. Mooring cover would be the way to go for sure.

Id call Westland, Skiboatcovers and Angola canvas to see if they have patterns for the G yet. Those are the 3 options for decent "off the shelf" mooring covers that I can think of. If they dont, youre probably looking at a custom (local) job.

[NautiqueJeff]

You know my thoughts on the factory cover -- I love it. You can use it with the tower up or down, and it is a great fit. Takes all of about five minutes for one person to put on from start to finish. I towed from Florida to Virginia with the factory cover on (tower down) and it worked great. It didn't move a bit.

It does not cover the platform though, but for the functionality gained versus another brand, I think it is worth the platform requiring a separate cover.

It does use poles, but they connect to the cleats in a cool way to keep it from pooling water. Once it is initially set up, it is very quick to put on and take off.

[wakeboarder3780]

If you keep your boats on your lifts 100% of the time I think that absolute best thing you could do is get the touchless cover suggested by Miljack. If you haven't seen them they are super slick. Covers up the entire boat from sun / rain exposure, no wrestling with covers - ever. When you go out to ride hit a button and let it roll up for you. Done with your sets for the day? Touch a button and let it roll back down. I am honestly counting the days until we move to lake front property so we can quit screwing with covers.

http://www.touchlesscover.com/boat-covers.php

[biggator]

If you keep your boats on your lifts 100% of the time I think that absolute best thing you could do is get the touchless cover suggested by Miljack. If you haven't seen them they are super slick. Covers up the entire boat from sun / rain exposure, no wrestling with covers - ever. When you go out to ride hit a button and let it roll up for you. Done with your sets for the day? Touch a button and let it roll back down. I am honestly counting the days until we move to lake front property so we can quit screwing with covers.

http://www.touchlesscover.com/boat-covers.php

How much are those things? Looks badass.

Jeff - Did you get the platform cover? I haven't seen a picture of what it looks like - how much transom is exposed? How does it go on?

I may just suck it up and get the factory cover w/ platform and deal with the 2-piece.

Can anyone answer me why Nautique doesn't make a cover like this? My Malibu came with one standard - pretty sure MCs do as well.

[lion90]

How much are those things? Looks badass.

Jeff - Did you get the platform cover? I haven't seen a picture of what it looks like - how much transom is exposed? How does it go on?

I may just suck it up and get the factory cover w/ platform and deal with the 2-piece.

Can anyone answer me why Nautique doesn't make a cover like this? My Malibu came with one standard - pretty sure MCs do as well.

Or get the factory cover and see if a platform skirt can be added on after the fact, just something that is attached to the back of the cover and can be elastically slipped over the platform.

[NautiqueJeff]

Hey, that might be a perfect solution. I did not get the platform cover. Mine sits in a garage when not in use, so it is not a big deal for me. The factory cover comes down to the rub rail, but that's it.

[biggator]

Hey, that might be a perfect solution. I did not get the platform cover. Mine sits in a garage when not in use, so it is not a big deal for me. The factory cover comes down to the rub rail, but that's it.

That's my concern.. lion and I both get sun on our transoms (that sounds dirty).. so if there's a strip of gelcoat getting exposed between the cover/platform cover.. that's a no-go.

[nauty220]

Check out the the link from wake world http://www.wakeworld.com/forum/showthread.php?t=792330


http://www.worldsbestboatcover.com/MarineConcepts2/

[perry386]

If you keep your boats on your lifts 100% of the time I think that absolute best thing you could do is get the touchless cover suggested by Miljack. If you haven't seen them they are super slick. Covers up the entire boat from sun / rain exposure, no wrestling with covers - ever. When you go out to ride hit a button and let it roll up for you. Done with your sets for the day? Touch a button and let it roll back down. I am honestly counting the days until we move to lake front property so we can quit screwing with covers.

http://www.touchlesscover.com/boat-covers.php

Oh how nice it would be to be rich! That is the coolest thing ever.

[biggator]

lion pointed out that we may not be able to do something like the touchless.. not because of neighborhood, but because of the corps of engineers - they have all kinds of restrictions on what you can use on docks (for instance, they don't allow boathouses anymore).

Right now - I'm thinking I'll give Carver a shot to get it right.. and if they can't - I'll get the factory cover (assuming a canvas guy can make some kind of add-on to cover the platform)

[wakeboarder3780]

I believe the cost of a touchless is around 3k - but don't quote me. You'd have to contact them to be sure (just like any other cover builder). It's a shame prices aren't more readily available, but I can definitely say I will be buying the touchless in the future just from the sheer ease of use (that could also be read as "my sheer lazyness"). With me though, my wife isn't really into the whole wakeboarding scene and she *hates* covering, trailering, etc. The happier I can keep her, the more I get to ride so I have a real incentive to get the touchless

Edit: Woops should have read the latest post, didn't see there was a page 2, my bad.

[OKWAKEBDR]

My experience with the touchless cover. They are GREAT at keeping the sun off the boat and the rain out, are less likely to cause mold, and for ease of use. However, they will not keep the bugs, wasp nests, birds, etc. out.

[BrettG]

Hey Jeff how does that work? Specifically when the tower is down and cover over the top. Does that leave the tower leg holes exposed or did they address that somehow? I saw your pictures in another thread but could not tell.