Towing in rain?
 

Thought I would post this here. Heading on a long roadtrip next week. The weather doesn't look promising, wondering what to do about the cockpit cover not being fully snapped down the sides in the rear on the 42s. Would strong tape hold it on and not mess up the paint assuming you pull it off once you get there? Just curious how this gets done when mother nature does not cooperate.

Thanks in advance.

We use "shrink wrap tape". It works real well on the front and sides, but few things work well on the rear. Your best bet to work though, would be to over lay the tape on the cover 3-4 widths wide to make it stay.

If you dont have a full travel cover then use shrink wrap tape all around the edges. If the weather holds tow with no cover on.

i wouldnt tow with the cover at all with it being wet could make it rip if it gets windy just pull the carpet out just get a quick leather cleaner before you use it

Thanks for the input, hoping the weather holds off.

I would never pull my boat on a long road trip rain or shine with out at least a cock pit cover. Way to many bugs & road grime. Shrink tape edges, use pole supports & use rope from front bow rail to rear cleats and rope side to side from side cleats. I have never had a problem of any sort doing it this way.
Every one has there own way of doing things.

I found out about the tape the hard way.... was headed to ozarks with a cover on and piss pour rain... put some tie downs across the front thinking if the snaps let loose it would at least catch on that and not bloe away..... then I looked back and it was gone, took a 15 mile road trip back to find it on the side of the highway.

I have towed in the rain with just my cockpit cover a lot.

It's water proof, never had a problem. It does snap down past side glass, and over the back.

I would never use my full cover, not meant for it, I think it would flop around rubbing the gel and also catch so much air it would be like trying to pull a parachute.

I always tow with a strip of HULL PRESERVATION TAPE, not Shrink Wrap Tape; all the way across the front of the cover, and about 1/3 of the way down the sides.

Where to get this kind of tape?

Jamestown Distributers has it. Not cheap though.

use some galvanized self tapping sheet metal screws If you dont use galvanized they will rust

here in beautiful buffalo where it rains every weekend we use blue painters tape which you can get at any home depot. keeps the air from getting under the cover and pulls right off with no residue.

Aren't they about the same??

Outerlimits full covers go right to the bottom of the boat with straps about every 6ft. We have a full soft sock that goes on first. They work great and don't hurt the gel or paint. We never tow with a cockpit cover on.

That sounds like exactly what I need, I was getting ready to have one made. How do I get one?

www.dr-shrink.com is where I buy mine.

Shrink Wrap Tape is more sticky than Hull Preservation Tape. I've seen Shrink Wrap Tape pull off clearcoat before.

Shrink Wrap Tape is designed to bond shrink wrap to shrink wrap.
Hull Preservation Tape is designed to bond shrink wrap to the hull.
HPT works great for holding down the cockpit covers as well; as long as it's dry when you install it.

Been doing it this way for 10 years.

Thanks for the explanation Brian. I thought they were one in the same.

Who sells Shrink Wrap Tape?.. Can u buy it over the counter, or do u have to order it online...?.

Ben, I had a new cockpit cover made for my 42 and put turn buckles at the rear of the cover where it comes down to the rub rail. I also added 3 more snaps from the rear of the cockpit towards the stern. The last thing that the guy r did was to add bungee cord into each side of the cockpit cover from the rear seat all the way to the stern with hooks on the end. You pull these bungees tight when the cover is on and hook them to the D-Rings on the transom. My cover does not come loose. Call me if you want a better expalnation.

No SS? :D

http://www.dr-shrink.com/tape

Rich,

I have this factory setup (although mine has the straps about every 3'). It's a mixed bag IMO.

The pros are the sock has the potential to protect the paint from movement of the main cover. The cover itself is very secure and would be perfectly fine for towing... also seals the boat very well from the elements. No fears of it leaking water either.

The down sides are... Unless you're working in a clean-room environment, that giant sock picks up dirt and debris almost as well as a Swifter (which obviously can be a bad thing). The main cover is pretty heavy and cumbersome, and getting the two on togher can be a PITA, especially if you're by yourself. It's not a two minute ordeal and I promise you'll break a sweat putting it on, haha.

If you're looking for a cover for towing or even long term storage, this factory cover is a great setup. It helps if you have a couple of people to install it though. If you're looking for a full cover to quickly and easily throw over the boat during the week for some protection from the elements, I'd look elsewhere!

Just my 2 cents.

Thanks again for all the great helpful hints. Did not end pulling it so will just keep all the great ideas for the next time.

Thanks for the explanation, that does make sense. I'm having a new cockpit cover made (FYI, don't use that Starbrite waterproof spray on brand new canvas, it stains) and I'll probably also have him make me a mooring cover that covers the deck down to the rubrail and around the exhaust tips. That will provide some protection while the boat is on the lift and keep it relatively clean while it is on the rack. Plus, I can get it on and off myself. If the boat will be sitting around for a while in storage, or if I need to trailer it, then I can use the full cover.

Does the full cover set-up cover/protect the drives?

Mine does not. In fact, it stops at the back of hatch and is the only place I feel it's lacking as far as protection goes. With that said, you would not want it to cover the back if it was to be used for towing, so that's probably what the designer had in mind...

I might buy a cheap full length polyester cover for weekly duty, something light weight to keep the boat from being exposed, yet very quick and easy to install. I'm just not sure if I can stomach the poor fit! :D

Good Points Scot....:drink:

Yeah, I thought about doing the same thing. Washing the boat before you use it and after you use it gets old.