Cover Riding Up During Towing

[Kraut]

The cover on my R20 tends to ride up over the rubrail when I'm towing. I noticed that there is a clip on each side right near the center of the boat. This spring I've seen a few picture here and elsewhere that appear to have a strap connected to that clip and then wrapped around the trailer (see images below). Are those straps intended to help keep the cover in place during trailering?

[BCRider]

I would say yes. You also need to make sure the strap that goes all the way around the boat is snugged up as much as possible.

[dilpickle]

Those side straps are for storage only to help keep shape when the cover gets rained or snowed on. They are not intended to be used while towing, the air pressure from towing will pull the cover down tight & can possibly rip the buckles out of your cover. I would also suggest tightening the ratchet up as much as possible & make sure you get the back buckles hooked on the tie down points.

[jeremiah.hough]

i feel your pain! My cover always rides up a little right in that area. I tried straps there but they fluttered in the wind pretty bad and didn't like them rubbing on the boat. I've read other places to just let it ride up a little. it drives me nuts but I guess i'll live with it. Good luck!

[boardman74]

DO NOT use the straps for towing. They will vibrate and damage your gel coat. Tighten the buckle and tower strap.

[JohnnieMo]

I used the straps on my first long trip. They lasted 20 minutes before they disappeared. In retrospect, perhaps the lack of those straps is why my boat cover always fills up with rain water now.

[Kraut]

Thanks for the feedback...

Good point, I didn't think about the straps flapping in the wind and damaging the gel coat. I tighten the buckel and usually check it part way through my trip. I only go ~80 miles in spring and fall and ~20 miles to and from storage, so I don't do a lot of towing. The cover overlaps the front of the boat well and with the back buckels around the tie down points it's not going to go anywhere. Just seems weird that it rides up above the rub rail about 1/2 way back. I guess others see the same thing so I'll stop worrying about it .

Boardman, I think I have seen in multiple threads here indicating that it is best to two without the tower strap. I have tried both ways and it seems to balloon less without the tower strap. Do the rest of you tow with or without the tower strap.

JohnnieMo, I use the tower strap if the boat has to sit out in the rain and it does a good job of keeping the cover up high enough so the water drains off.

[Iwndr]

Don't use the side straps, as mentioned earlier they are for storage. I do not use the tower strap either. It takes the place of the older style poles which you are not supposed to tow with. You want the cover to suck down into the boat. Do you have your docking cleats extended through the cover? If I have all four latched into the cover it doesn't move at all.

[JohnnieMo]

I use the center strap too but it doesn't stop the issue. The water pools just above the back corner seats. The it's hard to see in this pic.



Over time it gets extremely heavy and is difficult to get out of there.

Sent from my Passport

[dilpickle]

I use the center strap too but it doesn't stop the issue. The water pools just above the back corner seats. The it's hard to see in this pic.



Over time it gets extremely heavy and is difficult to get out of there.

Sent from my Passport

I find in those rare instances where you get a pool of water from forgetting one of those steps, a shop vac comes in very handy to remove the water without too much fuss

[IDBoating]

This thread started by talking about towing, but seems to be addressing water pooling too, so... didn't your cover come with adjustable poles that raise it up and keep water from pooling? Mine did and they work pretty well once their height is adjusted properly.

Our previous boat lacked those poles but we solved the problem with two big beach balls, one in the bow and one in the rear passenger area. Same effect of making the cover convex and causing the water to run off. It doesn't take much.

[JohnnieMo]

I do have a pole but I find it only marginally more effective than the tower strap (and far more challenging to install). Beachballs though.... that's a clever idea. I've tried an assortment of sticks and supports with little luck.

My eventual solution is overkill but effective.





Apologies for the hideous Mastercraft.... it was the only model I could find.

Sent from my Passport

[IDBoating]

Beachballs though.... that's a clever idea.

Cheap too. Any department store will have beach balls of various sizes. I got huge ones and set their inflation where they did the job. Really easy and you can fine tune them as the water teaches you what you need.

What graphics program is that?

[JohnnieMo]

It is called Sketchup. Originally built my Google and now owned by Trimble. Free to use for personal projects. It has a steep learning curve, but once you get started you can build almost anything. There is also a large database of 3D models that can be shared amongst the user community. I managed to find my three cars and a boat that was close enough to check fitment.

[xpjim1]

I have towing with the straps on for 10 years. No flapping, no scratches in gelcoat. Never store outside so snow and rain not an issue on the cover. I have 4 or 5 straps on each side of the cover