Rain and Boat Covers

[buzzaro]

Anyone know of something to put under a boat cover to make it dome and keep water from pooling in it? Ive thought about a fiberglass rod or popping a small dome tent underneath it or something. Anything some of you guys have used with success?
Im learning you guys love pics, now if only i could make them show up myself.......

[MagicMtnDan]

Here are your pics
http://www2.***boat.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=12710
http://www2.***boat.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=12711

[MagicMtnDan]

If you're handy you could make an 'A' frame out of some 2x4's.

[deltarat]

For years I used to lay towels down on the seats of my jet boat, then I would lay ply wood down over the inside of the boat and put the cover on over the ply wood. Worked like a charm. When the rain got real bad I would put an inner tube on top of the ply wood to form a dome.

[BarryMac]

Overtons carries these Item #35066. Buy it off the link on www.havasudoug.com
http://www.overtons.com/graphics/products/large/35066L.jpg

[Her454]

When I had to keep the boat outside I layed a blanket across the seats and stood up a Furniture dolly (the smaller ones) in between the seats and put the boat cover over it. It was a tight fight, the dolly stands straight up and the rain rolls right off.

[Waldo]

I use an adjustable shower rod and prop it up right where the "dip" is. My boat is in a storage garage, but it leaks sometimes when rain is heavy.

[Jbb]

prop (http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/producte/10001/-1/10001/22168/0/0/boat%20cover%20prop/All_2/mode+matchallpartial/0/0)

[uvindex]

Boy do I know that problem! :)
From looking at your pictures, here's something that's worked for me that might work in your case: two plastic trashcans, turned upside down. They're nice 'cause they're durable, waterproof, and require no assembly.
One like this, for example:
http://www.hardwarestore.com/media/product/149112_front200.jpg
Good luck!

[SummitKarl]

I made stand up rack out of PVC that runs the length of the cockpit
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/520/2734pvcrack.JPG

[sea2lake]

i used some 3" pvc pipe and made a box out of it,ie. 8 corners, and stood it in the middle of the deck to hold the cover up

[sea2lake]

kind of like SummitKarl did
kind of hard on the skiis though summit -lol

[Hardly Satisfied]

get a indoor storage, than you won't have that problem

[desertbird]

For $39.99 at West Marine? What a joke.
I used a stick of 1 1/2 ABS I had laying around (free), a tennis ball (free from neighbor), and some rope to make "guy" lines from cleat to pole to cleat.
VIOLA! Save the $40 for a night out at Sizzler with your ol lady! :)

[buzzaro]

get a indoor storage, than you won't have that problem
We're discovering quickly that storage is gonna be a problem. Starting to think weve outgrown this house already and we dont even have kids yet. :messedup:
http://www.***boat.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=12714
http://www.***boat.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=12715
:cool: I think i got the pic thing figured out

[Waldo]

get a indoor storage, than you won't have that problem
Not always true. Ours is stored indoor and, as I stated above, it leaks with heavy rain.

[Boat Loan Guy]

I use some adjustable stands that I bought at home depot, the stands have rollers on the top so the cover slides right over. Cost was about 12 bucks.

[Brady Bunch]

I used 3" PVC and built a backbone similiar to Summit's.....

[a catered life]

pay one of the locals to stand under the cover during the rain :p

[Jbb]

For $39.99 at West Marine? What a joke.
I used a stick of 1 1/2 ABS I had laying around (free), a tennis ball (free from neighbor), and some rope to make "guy" lines from cleat to pole to cleat.
VIOLA! Save the $40 for a night out at Sizzler with your ol lady! :)
Only $39.99 in So Cal....

[buzzaro]

pay one of the locals to stand under the cover during the rain :p
I think it'd be about a 20 minute drive to find some "locals", best I could do would be a starving college student I think. Good idea though :p

[lucky]

blew up my tube and stuck it between the seats when IT USE TO BE OUT SIDE :)

[Beer-30]

You could either cut 3/4" PVC to length (however many pieces you need) and put end caps on.
Or
Mine came with two adjustable shower rods, like previously mentioned. Works great. Any hardware store.

[Partycattin]

Buzz.
I was in Roseville about a week ago. You guys are getting pounded by rain. Make sure that boat doesn't float away on ya!

[buzzaro]

Buzz.
I was in Roseville about a week ago. You guys are getting pounded by rain. Make sure that boat doesn't float away on ya!
I'm hoping to make it to the Folsom lake ramp......without my trailer :confused:

[beever_retreever]

I use a telescoping painter's rod. Picked it up for $8.00 at the do-it-center. You'll still get some sitting water in some of the gaps though, but for 8 bucks, it's good for a temp solution.

[SummitKarl]

kind of like SummitKarl did
kind of hard on the skiis though summit -lol
yes they are currently under going a 5 yr test on Bio Degrading :rollside:

[BOBALOO]

I have my queen sized air mattress under the cover right now. works perfect.

[Captain Dan]

I used 3" PVC and built a backbone similiar to Summit's.....
I used 1" pvc, schedule 40 and in one week at Havasu under the cover out in the sun last July, the fittings actually melted! Not into a pool, but softened, disfigured and rehardened. I had to cut it apart. Never seen that before.....

[ZZ-Man]

Try a Sonotube at Home Depot cut to size round cardboard.

[Just Tool'n]

I make a tent pole from 1" PVC pipe, use a piece of card board up against the canvas, so as not to wear a hole in it, I do it in the main compartment, & the open bow section.
Boat looks like an old big top tent, never a water problem.
A guy that works for me, calls me yesterday, said his kid hears a load bang on monday night.
He comes home on tuesday for lunch, looks on the side of his house, the jack for the touinge of his boat had given way.
Looks on the cover, it is all pooled up on it like yours.
He owns a pool maintance company, so he gets out his pump, that has a gallon flow meter on it, pumps 175 gallons off of the cover.
So he pulls the cover off now, the boat is full of water!
Puts the pump in, pumps out like 1300 gallons of water out of the boat!
No wonder the tongue jack could not hold up under this weight!

[ThongMagnet]

Anyone know of something to put under a boat cover to make it dome and keep water from pooling in it? Ive thought about a fiberglass rod or popping a small dome tent underneath it or something. Anything some of you guys have used with success?
Im learning you guys love pics, now if only i could make them show up myself.......
Before I built a 20x30 foot garage, I first put on my nice boat cover using bungees to hold it on tight. Then I put a cheap vtec cover over that (using the original cover to support it. Then I bought a cheap blue tarp and bungee tied it down over the vtec cover. By layering the boat with covers, it supports the top cover. The best part is your nice cover never see's the sun, and will last for 10+ years, the blue tarp will only last for one season, but no water will get in the boat.
I moved back east for 16 months and left my boat at an outdoor storage facility, and used it 6 times. I never had any problems, except with the blue tarp falling apart after a year, but replaced it before I had any problems. No dust, no riped cover, just a boat that looked like the way I left it. I tried the pole, and the frame route, but they were too much of a hassle, and easy to scratch the gel-coat and tear the interior.
Layering woorks great.

[buzzaro]

Before I built a 20x30 foot garage, I first put on my nice boat cover using bungees to hold it on tight. Then I put a cheap vtec cover over that (using the original cover to support it. Then I bought a cheap blue tarp and bungee tied it down over the vtec cover. By layering the boat with covers, it supports the top cover. The best part is your nice cover never see's the sun, and will last for 10+ years, the blue tarp will only last for one season, but no water will get in the boat.
I moved back east for 16 months and left my boat at an outdoor storage facility, and used it 6 times. I never had any problems, except with the blue tarp falling apart after a year, but replaced it before I had any problems. No dust, no riped cover, just a boat that looked like the way I left it. I tried the pole, and the frame route, but they were too much of a hassle, and easy to scratch the gel-coat and tear the interior.
Layering woorks great.
Good idea w/ the blue tarp, I like that.

[Rev. Williams]

When I had this problem I just went to a Pool Supply store and bought 2 HUGE beachballs. Drop them in the seats and covered it up !!

[Blacksheep]

blew up my tube and stuck it between the seats when IT USE TO BE OUT SIDE :)
I did the same thing. I have one in the bow and one in the back between the driver and passenger bolsters. Works great.
I use to use adjustable poles like you find on pontoon covers but that started to stretch the cover. The tubes work great because you can blow them up as big as you need to to get the right tension.