Put Zipper In Middle Of Boat Cover?

Tooncrazy

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Tellico Lake, TN
Has anyone here tried placing a heavy duty zipper mid ship & side to side, on their toon cover? I'm thinking that by doing this the cover might be easier to handle and faster to install? Opinions, please.


Thank you.           
 
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Never really considered installing a zipper from starboard to port side I guess.  Might be kind of nice if you didn't want to uncover the whole boat.....leave the front half on for those cooler days.  Only drawback I can see is docking might be a challenge doing it that way.


I think the zipper will allow water to leak through unless you also install some kind of cover (like a storm fly on a tent that flaps over the zipper).


The wife and I have come up with a method that works pretty well for us as far as covering and uncovering our boat.   Keep in mind our dock doesn't have a walkway on both sides of the boat....only on the port side.  We start by unsnapping the front all the way across then go down the port side from bow to stern.  Once those snaps are loose the wife starts to lower the lift for the boat while I climb inside and fold the cover over about half way (port to starboard not bow to stern).....to the center poles or just past them.  Remove the poles and collapse them to the shortest amount.   Now that the port side is folded over you can unsnap all the starboard side from bow to stern and fold that over the port side.  The cover will be in about 1/4 of the width of the boat and can be rolled up either from bow to stern or the other way around.  We like to roll from stern to bow since we normally take the cover out to the car/truck for the day and that is just less stuff on the boat.  The poles go inside a rear lounger seat bottom when collapsed so they stay on the boat.


We have all poles marked with a line drawn around the pole for length and position on the boat number.  Number 1 is the bow pole and number 4 is the stern one.  You can't see any of the sharpie marks since they are all drawn on the inside portion of the poles.  Just grab the pole stretch them out to reveal what number and what length they need to be and your ready for the cover to be put back on.  Just take out the poles stretch them to length and lock them in with the adjusters.  Take the cover and unroll it across the seat (front to back)  and over the helm to the rear loungers.  Start on the starboard side and just go in reverse of the removal process.


Sounds like a lot of messing around but once you get a method that works for you it really doesn't take that long to cover and uncover the boat.
 
If it does work,it's going to leak water when it rains.

In our case the boat is kept in a covered boat house and the tent poles create enough pitch that may stop any water that makes it on to the cover top. The only pooling we get now is a small amount over the stern loungers.
 
Easy fix to keep the zipper from leaking. Have a flap added to cover the zipper. Like the flap used on trousers. Maybe heavy duty Velcro would work in place of a zipper. I like the idea. Let us how it works out. 
 
You could always add a Velcro overlap on the zipper to shed the water. I can fully cover or uncover mine in about 10 min. so really not a big deal unless you wanted to leave the front covered for cooler weather as stated in previous comment. If it were placed behind middle pole to deflect water to sides and front it could be used as cover from weather when camping.
 
We had an additional cover made that has a zipper mid way to quip lyrics cover when in the slip. It works great.  In the fall we are having a 1/2 enclosure made that will zip to the front half.
 
Misc. thoughts.


I have not heard the word "trousers" used since Sputnik launched! ;-)


Hearing the process to remove/reinstall the cover is enough to make me give up boating and take up stamp collecting.


I only install/remove my playpen cover once a season. Here is why:


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Misc. thoughts.


I have not heard the word "trousers" used since Sputnik launched! ;-)


Hearing the process to remove/reinstall the cover is enough to make me give up boating and take up stamp collecting.


I only install/remove my playpen cover once a season. Here is why:





That is where you store your boat and here is where I store mine.......also under a roof and out of the water. 


DSCN07521_zps54b516a1.jpg



You don't like dealing with the cover and I hate to trailer.  If I had to deal with hooking up the trailer and heading to the launch ramp every time I wanted to go out I'd probably give up boating.   We used to trailer our bayliner capri (30 minutes to the river and only an hour to the lake) and it got used about 3 times a year.  The Bennington gets used more than that on any given weekend.


 In a few minutes I can be on the water and ready for a day on the lake.  Maybe just a short boat ride to grab a bite to eat at one of the 14 places around our lake.....food tastes better when you come by boat too :D :D    We normally go out in the morning when it's cooler and not so crazy on the lake come in after lunch then go back out later in the evening for a sunset cruise.  


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 It takes less than 10 minutes to cover the boat.  Takes even less time if we just snap the cover on just for the night (leave the poles out) to keep bugs and the occasional bird poop off the seats and floor. Takes less time to cover than it does to do the clean-up before we go out for the day and it protects my baby from the elements too.  A win win situation!
 
I think breaking the cover into more pieces would be even more confusing. The key is getting a routine down for removal. For me I start in the back and roll it to the bow when taking it off. Then when putting it on start at the bow and roll it back. Easy peasy.
 
We do the same lakeliving.  We don't have a choice, we have to put that cover on when not in use as we rent a slip that doesn't have a cover or a lift, take what you can get!  Our new boat cover has a zipper on the port side that goes about half way in towards the console.  Haven't noticed any leaking and boy is that nice to get out of after putting up the poles!  I'm really happy Bennington has added that to their covers!  I'll try and take a pic of it this weekend.
 
Careful with the slip. This was one of the marinas for a subdivision on our lake yesterday.....some people just don't care about others property.


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+1. Having read a few comments about covering/uncovering prior to taking delivery of our Benny, I was not looking forward to the task. However, our slip provides access to three sides and my wife and I have developed a "system" that gets it done in about five to six minutes max. We are getting so good we're thinking of joining a NASCAR pit crew... :)
 
I've mastered the art of the cover all by myself. I think the wife would slow me down!


It helps to have access to 3 sides.


Since mine is in the water all season, it gets covered at the end of the weekend and uncovered on "thirsty Thursday".


 
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Careful with the slip. This was one of the marinas for a subdivision on our lake yesterday.....some people just don't care about others property.

Oh I know it!  The pricks next to us last year put a scratch and dent in our door when taking their crap off of their boat and kept banging it on the door and side!  We moved down a few spots where the neighbor does care about their boat.  There is also a pillar in between the boats and I bought a bumper for that:  (that is our old boat that is in the pic)


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So far all as been good this season!  
 
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To get back on topic  :p


You can sort of see the zipper in the middle that goes about halfway in in this pic, right at the door.  I'll get a better pic this weekend.


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My cover came with a zipper at the port side door as well. Allows me to exit the boat after covering her up for the night.
 
Misc. thoughts.


I have not heard the word "trousers" used since Sputnik launched! ;-)


Hearing the process to remove/reinstall the cover is enough to make me give up boating and take up stamp collecting.


I only install/remove my playpen cover once a season. Here is why:



Fantastic place to house a boat, but those rats can find their way into that "garage". I left the rear gate open to mine, by accident one time (got in a hurry covering it). The next time I took off the cover a rat had gotten in a died between the seat back and the mooring cover. UGH! I haven't had any other issues after securing the cover. I hope you don't find them in/on yours. 


BTW, have I said "that is one beautiful boat"?
 
Careful with the slip. This was one of the marinas for a subdivision on our lake yesterday.....some people just don't care about others property.






Wow! Holy dented toons, Batman!
 
Fantastic place to house a boat, but those rats can find their way into that "garage". I left the rear gate open to mine, by accident one time (got in a hurry covering it). The next time I took off the cover a rat had gotten in a died between the seat back and the mooring cover. UGH! I haven't had any other issues after securing the cover. I hope you don't find them in/on yours. 


BTW, have I said "that is one beautiful boat"?

Thanks for the compliment, Randy. Eww, to the dead rat. I have wondered about critters (and birds, for that matter), especially because I keep those doors up as much as I can to facilitate air movement.


Nesting season is over in my neck of the woods, so hopefully I am good until fall. That's when most ground critters near me are looking for a winter home. I'll have to figure out some kind of trap system to minimize their attempts to stay.


Thanks for the reminder.
 
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