Towing, Canvas ON or OFF
 

Bought a trailer in the fall so now I'm towing the boat. Just wondering what you guys/girls do with your canvas. Do you leave it on or take it off when you tow your boat.

With my last boat I did some of both but I did notice that it was starting to take a toll on both the canvas and the boat.

Lets here your pros and cons.

Cordell

I tow with the cockpit cover on if its rainin. other wise I dont use any cover for that reason. Less drag also withit off.

C...if you tow with the cover it has to be a snug fit with lots of snaps...otherwise the cover moving around in the wind will constantly wear and chaffe your fiberglass and will leave a dull spot!!!! Really bad if it is on a colored part of your boat!!!! If the weather is half decent, we always tow with the cover off to avoid the chance of any damage.

DMan

I often tow with cockpit cover on in inclement weather. I will cover the front and sides with masking tape to keep wind from ripping it off, and I usually tie a rope across the top just across the bolsters, and down to the trailer, just to keep it on the boat incase the wind rips the front of it off the snaps. God forbid it launch off and land on someone's windsheild.

I have a generic full boat cover I bought from West Marine that I can tow with as well, but normally don't.

Same as everyone it seems......on if it's raining , off if it's nice!!

Lost one off of my brother in laws BAJA on the way up to the NYC poker run in 2001!! Don't know when or where but we looked back and it was gone!!! Hope there wasn't a yugo or a GEO spec behind us:D

Same as everone on if raining off if nice .

My cover is huge. It starts at the bow and snaps back all the way to the center console and snaps to it. There is a zipper that connects the second part of the cover that continues to the stern of the boat. There are two poles in the front and another one in the back to help support the weight. I never counted how many snaps there are but there are a lot of them.

Cordell

2

I always tow with the cockpit cover on.

One that big I would not tow with it on. I never tow with one no matter what the weather is, it's a boat it can get wet. A cover cost a lot to blow off or just the stress of the wind.

I almost always tow with the cockpit cover ON. I dont like road dirt getting into my upholstery and into the stitching. I do take shinkrap tape and tape down the front of the cover to the boat so wind doesnt get underneath and do the damage other people have mentioned.

I never tow with it on, I have had it fly off once and that was enough:rolleyes: I tow everywhere I go and I have only ran into a rain prob once, which I really didnt care about because like someone else already said "its a boat, its made to get wet":fish:

I tow any long distances with my full canvas on otherwise its TOPLESS

Went from NJ to NH last summer and had to get some stitching redone on the top of the windshield:rolleyes:
OK , so I towed home the same way and had to get the seam down the center redone at home:( . In defense of the cover , it was getting old:p

I only use the mooring cover for towing the AT, and only if the weather is bad, or going long distances. Pat had some terrific tape that left no residue behind for taping down the leading edge of the cover (keeps rain from getting underneath at 70+mph).

I do remember reading many years ago (I think it was in Hot Boat Magazine- late 80's maybe) about a young man who had just taken delivery of his brand new Eliminator and was on his way to the lake with it for his first family outing. He witnessed a passing car toss a cigarette into the boat interior. The boat caught fire while going down the highway, and he helplessly watched it burn to the trailer after getting to the shoulder - the fire extinguisher was in the boat.

It's for this reason the cover is always on when towing long trips, and I always have a Halon fire extinguisher in the truck.
Jim

90% of the time I tow with the cockpit cover on (just to keep the road grime out). There isn't a shortage of snaps on it so it is held in place very well.

Off, I've torn the cover 2x now. This time it is beyond repair.

Always off unless it's raining. But if it's raining I'm probably not towing the boat.

My boat has a custom paint job and I tow every place I go. I therefore always tow with the cockpit cover on. Mind you it is custom made for my boat and therefore fits very tight. I have never lost a cover and it doesn't rub or chip the boat. I feel it keeps road dirt out. Not to mention bird droppings. I also feel it makes my boat more areodymanic for towing.

Always on.

I put towels over seats and scoops. I would hate to see my engine hatch go flying over back if a pin broke or came loose. I have had two engine hatch pins fall apart and found a different brand last time and put a safety wire on it.

I always tow with the custom cover on, My cover fits snugly, a total of 27 snaps, have never had a problem, knock on wood:D

Always tow with mine ON. Full custom cover that fits like a glove. Gets a little air under it at highway speeds, but not much.

off

Cockpit on in rain ,otherwise off.
Dave

Mine is always on. I have made two trips to Florida and several to Cumberland from here in Indy and never had a problem.
Now if I lose it this weekend going to my local lake I'll be pissed.

Cockpit cover on always. If it's made right, it won't flap and rub.

Nice Condom Griff.

Naked if sunny, cockpit cover if in rain.

Full cover always on...cusom made, light-weight Sunbrella...no scratches or dulling. I won't go without a cover anymore, it's too hard cleaning the bugs off the upolstery in this part of the country.

always tow with the custom cover on, My cover fits snugly too

Cockpit cover on, and tape the front.

I towed 4 hours with it off once..... ONCE.... there was so much road dirt all over my WHITE interior.... ONCE.... So for long tows, cover goes on...

For 15 minute drive to lake, I tow with it off....

For long distance, the full cover always stays ON. For short trips to the ramp (only 2 miles for me) I use just the cockpit cover.

Long distances, I tow with the cover ON and tape teh front. From my house to the lake I tow with the cover off.

I try to trailer without a cover on. BUT like some before here have said inclement weather changes that picture .
I use shrinkwrap tape to hold the front of the cover down and about a foot or two down each side. Haven't lost a cover yet.

I agree with the bug thing too. The bugs are a ***** to get off my windscreen. Also, I invested in a set of these mudflaps last year. They were not the cheapy ones, but they move from truck to truck with the reciever, and are adjustable per truck/load. They really keep the rocks and chips down. Noticable difference in cleanliness of the boat since I bought them.

www.mudflaps.com

I have a full cover & a snap on cover. The snap on cover would start to blow off after getting up to 70mphs. So started towing with full cover. Full cover is custom made to fit boat. Have towed the last 3 years with full cover. After towing over 3000 miles in last 2 weeks with full cover the cover has rubbed the gelcoat, rub rail & the interior. I think I am only going to tow with cover on when it looks like rain only & leave cover off the rest of the time.

For short distance, the cover stays off. For towing long hauls from wisconsin to florida, I dont even bother. The only way to go is to shrink wrap.