Re: trailering a 288 w/ factory cockpit cover ??
 

What you towed it. When? I only saw it on a lift or going by me. Oh ya now I remember it was last summer and Jeff towed it around :D :D :evilb:[/QUOTE]

I never said how many times. :D :D

Re: trailering a 288 w/ factory cockpit cover ??
 

I never said how many times. :D :D[/QUOTE]It did look good behind my truck!

Re: trailering a 288 w/ factory cockpit cover ??
 

When my boat was delivered, they taped the cockpit cover with a clear tape. made it from FLA to PA with no problem.

Re: trailering a 288 w/ factory cockpit cover ??
 

And that is where it still should be! :p :p

Re: trailering a 288 w/ factory cockpit cover ??
 

Chris,
Lay some towels over all of your exposed edges of the deck, i.e. the top of the windscreen, and around the tops of the gunwales, especially where you have paint on top of gelcoat. Keep the towels in place with shrinkwrap tape. You may also want to do the same over the bolsters and sunpad with towles or plastic to keep any dirt that may soak into the cockpit cover from seeping through to the vinyl.

Then, install your cockpit cover, and make sure your pole is bungeed into place (if you use/have one) so it cannot lift with the cover or after a big bump. Make sure you adjust the cockpit cover tight with the pole as high as possible to make it tight. Wrap the bungee cord around the cover a couple times, and hook the ends to the lower portion of the bolster to hold the pole down with tension. Wrap some tape around the point where the bungee is wrapped around the pole, to keep the bungee from slipping.

Open your deck hatch.
Install your cockpit cover.
Crawl IN your deck hatch into the boat, and adjust the pole and the towels. Tape the towels with shrinkwrap tape to keep them in place. Then climb out of the boat via the deck hatch. Remove part of the cover to get back in, to close the deck hatch and reinstall the cover fully.

I bought 4" wide shrinkwrap tape (online at West Marine) to seal all the leading edges of my cockpit cover when towing. You may want to seal all he edges to keep any wind from getting under the cover.

You will be fine towing as long as you do not let any air get under the cover which would allow it to pull the snaps loose.

If you have a windscreen like I do... I bought some of that insulated foam pipe wrap from Lowes/Home Depot, and place it over the edge of my windscreen between the windscreen and the cockpit cover (at all times including when towing).

Yep, I'm kinda anal on these things.

Re: trailering a 288 w/ factory cockpit cover ??
 

surely that would make sure you are ok. :D

Re: trailering a 288 w/ factory cockpit cover ??
 

Quit calling him Shirley!!

Re: trailering a 288 w/ factory cockpit cover ??
 

:D :D

Overkill is everything! :eek:

Re: trailering a 288 w/ factory cockpit cover ??
 

Thanks for all the info,, I am very picky about my stuff also, and if I chaffed up my wind-screen/paint I would be pretty ticked off. I will secure everything w/ tape and towels and the old crawl through the hatch dealio.. Thanks again...

Re: trailering a 288 w/ factory cockpit cover ??
 

make sure hatch is facing right way so wind doesnt catch it if you hit a bump.

I always tow with cockpit cover on. Keeps interior clean. I use 2 poles that poke out the top.

I would still rinse your boat drives and trailer when done. As stated above salt residue is everywhere until 2 good hard rainstorms. :D