DIY Side Skirts?

[MN Ryan]

Hi,
Curious if anyone has done a DYI side skirt? I'm just looking to keep the UV rays off of my boat in the driveway. I was thinking a "fence screen" material would fit the bill and be economical.

[SilentSeven]

Yup. I made my own from an old cotton/canvas boat cover that someone had given me. The cover had an existing cord drawstring around the edge and sewn on nylon trailer tie down straps simplifying the project.

To make the skirts, I cut the cover in half at the center line. I then flipped the sides to make the outter edge with the drawstring the top of the side skirt. I tied each drawstring end to the bow/stern lifting rings to tension the cover end to end. Then I used the tie straps (that were now on the upper edge) to loop midship around grab rails and the tower base to support the middle section of the cover. Once hung, I used some marking chalk and drew a bottom line to follow the boat and cut away the excess and finished with hem line.

Here are the skirts right after I finished them - the fabric is all wrinkled as the donor cover sat in a box for years. They look better now. You can see how I use the top cover to help hold them one and how they tie to the aft hand rails. If you look carefully, you can just see the tops of the tiedown straps at the gunnel - there are four with the most visible one wrapped around the tower. When I fabbed them, I did a little work in the back to wrap the skirts around the transom for improved cover and then use a poly trap with some tie straps to protect the stern. Didn't have sufficient fabric to make a stern cover.

Super happy with the results for what turned out to $0 and an afternoon's work. They have absolutely worked great.

Happy to try to answer any questions you have.

[MN Ryan]

Very nice! That looks like a cover from Brent Fleming. Does it cinch the side skirts pretty well?

[SilentSeven]

Yeah, it's a Brent cover. The one in the picture (quite tired) is the one that came with the boat; I have a new Brent made one now. The Brent cover works well to help hold up the skirts as it has a serious draw strap that rides below the gunnel. The cover hooks across the aft cockpit help as well.

From what I learned doing my cover, you need a good plan on how you'll support the cover both at the ends and in the middle. It wants to sag of course. I sort of dumb lucked into my solution. I wanted skirts and was thinking that I could cut up that old cover for source fabric. But then as I stared at it, i realized that the drawstring and tie down straps were perfect to solve the hanging problem. Once I realized that and a test proved it would work, the rest was really easy.

I think your sun fabric can work...I thought about using something like that. There are also light weight boat cover materials you might consider. The smaller and lighter the fabric, the simpler the construction and storage.

You might be able to do the same short cut I did by buying a cheap drawstring cover like this. Get one that's a couple feet longer than your boat so you have some extra fabric to work with in the bow area. My cover is a little short in the bow...just have a small lower section it doesn't cover perfectly. My boat is 20'6" and the donor cover was for like a 21-22 foot boat.

https://www.amazon.com/HAHASOLE-Wate...QU6R2WZ2O&th=1

[SilentSeven]

Oh...and pre-negotiate a deal with the wife on using the family sewing machine and good fabric scissors. My wife was sure I was trying to kill her stuff with this project. :)

[srock]

Over the tower with skits is the only way to go. Everything is protected, no ponding, and with mine no hold down straps required. I have one of Brets covers for traveling.

[MN Ryan]

That's not helpful. I have a nice cover from Brent--just looking to add some UV protection for the sides.