Mooring cover advice 97 SN

[KillerMike]

I have a 1997 SN 196, I just picked up the boat and it came with a crappy generic trailer cover.
The boat is going to be in the water full time at a friends house on a lake. I wont put the boat in the water until I have a good cover for it figured out because of where his doc is located (tree's, birds, ducks) the interior of my boat would be ruined instantly like his was.
Now I dont care so much about longevity as I usually don't keep boats for longer than a season or 2 at most.
I am more concerned with ease of putting it on when I am done using the boat and it staying on without me worrying about it.
I am stuck with having one custom made?
Looks like anyone who wants to make me a custom cover wants to use atleast a couple snaps and a rope tie in the back.
Everyone I have talked to wants 650-900$ to do it.
I have no problem spending money on a good cover that will keep my interior nice but before I take a week - 2 weeks of having my boat at a upholstery shop, I am checking if ANYONE knows of a descent BLACK or PURPLE (colors of my boat) cover that I can order online that isnt a total piece of crap.
I have called several companies that make nautique covers that I have read about on this forum and it is about 650$ and 2 weeks out.
If anyone has any other ideas for me in the mean time please let me know.
Thanks guys!

[BrennanK]

You are not going to find a cover that will fit well on the internet. You will have to spend the money and get one made for your boat.
I really like my Cover Sports/Rankin, but I wouldn't want to use it as a mooring cover it is a pain to get on and off at the dock. Luckily it only happens once a year.

[KillerMike]

I actually saw your black one and figured it would be perfect, looked pretty easy to put on with the straps and stuff on the back, was exactly what I was looking for but I guess its not one I would want? How long would it really take to put on dockside?

[MTRBTR]

Call Zach at N3 boatworks in Indiana. I have a 97 and he has a bunch of nice covers on close out very cheap.
I got a very nice one patterned for my exact model for a song.

[BrennanK]

I actually saw your black one and figured it would be perfect, looked pretty easy to put on with the straps and stuff on the back, was exactly what I was looking for but I guess its not one I would want? How long would it really take to put on dockside?

There are a few problems with my style cover. The first is that I have no cleats and there are no provisions for cleats in the cover. So all I have is the front bow eyelet and the back lift ring to secure my boat to the dock. If I was at the dock long term I would definitely want some more lines holding my boat. I guess it depends on the lake and what it's like. The second issue is that to put the cover on you have to have access to both rub rails and the rear of the boat. There are 'J' style hooks that clamp onto the rub rails. It can be a little tricky to get the ones to seat on the side of the boat away from the dock (water side). That is because you really cannot be in the boat when securing the 'J' hooks. You basically slip the nose portion over the boat and walk it all the way back to the rear. Then you install the center main strap to put a little tension on the cover so you can put on the 'J' hooks without them falling off. When the boat is on the trailer this is easy as you can just walk all the way around the boat. After that is done you have to stand on the platform and install the rest of the tie downs and then you have to hop from the platform to the dock.

It isn't really bad, I think I might have made it sound worse then it is. After some practice I can do it by myself in about 3 minutes. If it is wavy though you're going to get wet. The waves splash on the platform and cover your backside while you're bent down finishing the tie downs. It is kind a delicate dance. If you are nimble you can do it.

If you want some more detail on that cover let me know.

[KillerMike]

There are a few problems with my style cover. The first is that I have no cleats and there are no provisions for cleats in the cover. So all I have is the front bow eyelet and the back lift ring to secure my boat to the dock. If I was at the dock long term I would definitely want some more lines holding my boat. I guess it depends on the lake and what it's like. The second issue is that to put the cover on you have to have access to both rub rails and the rear of the boat. There are 'J' style hooks that clamp onto the rub rails. It can be a little tricky to get the ones to seat on the side of the boat away from the dock (water side). That is because you really cannot be in the boat when securing the 'J' hooks. You basically slip the nose portion over the boat and walk it all the way back to the rear. Then you install the center main strap to put a little tension on the cover so you can put on the 'J' hooks without them falling off. When the boat is on the trailer this is easy as you can just walk all the way around the boat. After that is done you have to stand on the platform and install the rest of the tie downs and then you have to hop from the platform to the dock.

It isn't really bad, I think I might have made it sound worse then it is. After some practice I can do it by myself in about 3 minutes. If it is wavy though you're going to get wet. The waves splash on the platform and cover your backside while you're bent down finishing the tie downs. It is kind a delicate dance. If you are nimble you can do it.

If you want some more detail on that cover let me know.

Yea give me some more info. The thing is with this lake is that its VERY small, not much wave action unless there are boats already out there....and even at that on 4th of july weekend there may be 6 or 7 at the VERY most. Its not in a spot where if there was a storm then it would be affected. I just want to be able to not worry about it blowing off and be able to do it myself in a few minutes. I also have a large dock so jumping from the platform to the dock isnt really an issue. I am making my decision tomorrow after calling the place in Indiana mentioned above (thanks!), and going to a local custom place tomorrow. Either way shoot me a link to that cover. Thanks

[BrennanK]

Unfortunately, I do not have a link. The cover was custom make by Brent with Cover Sports. It is quite popular around here, but he is hard to get a hold of.
Search around a little for Cover Spots covers.

Here is one with a few more of my cover, including the 'J' hooks:
http://www.planetnautique.com/vb3/sh...ersports-cover

Here is East Tx Skiers cover which is exactly like mine only red:
http://www.planetnautique.com/vb3/sh...ersports-Cover

[BrennanK]

Got his phone number.
I just called it and the answering machine said it was Cover Sports.
Give him a call tomorrow, but don't be surprised when it takes a while for him to get back to you.
His business practices are a little wonky, but his product is absolutely top notch.

425-491-9641

[chris196]

I used a cover bought off the internet on a 98 SN when I had it in a marina. Now, it's not a complete tight fit, but I made it work and it in the end it worked better for me than a tight cover. I made a frame out of pvc which straddled the engine box and went in front of the back seat. This allowed the cover to stay up and not retain water. It also allowed me to hang wet things from it (ski vests, gloves, etc). It kept them off the floor and everything was nice and dry when I returned. This was a marina so I couldn't just leave things lying around and it was a pain to keep hauling things back and forth every time. The last element and an important one is that I had many tie off points on both sides of the boat along the dock. The cover had a number of tie off spots and I'd bungee from there to the dock. This system actually worked better for me than a super tight cover because there were a few gaps on the sides here and there which allowed air flow to help dry out the wet things.
My cover never came off. Liberal use of bungees is the key.

It took a couple of months to come to this solution, but after this I never had any problems with any musty, mildewy type issues.

[TRBenj]

The trailerable covers like Coversports and Rankin are great- very precise fit, high quality material. I have a Rankin and orchestrated several group buys for them a few years ago (before they went under). What the trailerable covers are NOT good at is ease of installation. They make lousy mooring covers, IMHO. I keep my boats on lifts and I do not use my Rankin unless the boat is on the trailer. The fit is so precise on the Rankin that it takes 10 minutes to put on, even if I only want a quick cover for the dew overnight. You also need to be able to get around 3 sides of the boat, so unless you have a horseshoe shaped dock, youre getting wet or will spend a bunch of time jockeying the boat around. Too much work for me on an every day basis. Trailerable covers are also very expensive (usually $800+).

A mooring cover does not fit as tightly and can be installed in <1 minute, and that is what I use when the boats are on the lifts. They usually require tenting to shed water- I use a PVC section over the pylon and a support pole in the rear... and bungees to hold the cover down tight. Mooring covers are generally cheaper (figure $500-550 for a 19-20' inboard). I have a Westland that is pretty decent, but Angola Canvas and Skiboatcovers.com are the 2 places I'd try first. I have a very strong preference for Sunbrella, as the lesser materials (poly, poly blend, cotten, canvas, etc) either dont breathe as well or last as long.

Just my 2 cents.

[s_kelley2000]

Call Zach at N3 boatworks in Indiana. I have a 97 and he has a bunch of nice covers on close out very cheap.
I got a very nice one patterned for my exact model for a song.

I would definitely second checking in with Zach at N3 to see if he might have a new old stock cover that fits your boat. You might not be able to get the color you want but if he has something that works it will be a smoking deal. I got one for my 99 and even after factoring in getting the tower legs and cleat cut outs by a professional I will be waaay under the $500 or $600 you are expecting to spend. I just noticed you are in Framingham, let me know if you want the info for a great interior and cover guy in Ashland and I can get you his info.

[KillerMike]

I ordered one from n3 they had one left. It was not the color I wanted but for the price I couldnt pass it up, ill make it work. Thanks for the advice guys!