Boat Cover while Boat is on a lift
Printed From: CorrectCraftFan.com
Category: Repairs and Maintenance
Forum Name: Boat Maintenance
Forum Discription: Discuss maintenance of your Correct Craft
URL: http://www.CorrectCraftFan.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=50982
Printed Date: January-29-2025 at 11:07pm
Topic: Boat Cover while Boat is on a lift
Posted By: marksa1458
Subject: Boat Cover while Boat is on a lift
Date Posted: November-17-2022 at 12:57pm
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My boat sits on an uncovered lift from May to October, where I slip doesn't allow canopies so I need to cover my boat. Historically, I have used a full cover with a drawstring and it has always been a pain to get the cover on the bow. Typically I have to do some sort of gymnastics with a miracle throw to get the front part of the cover over the bow and in the correct spot. My new to me Natique has snaps installed which aren't my favorite. They are already there and thinking that a cockpit style cover would be easier to manage but concerned that the windshield snaps may not be the best and UV damage to the dash through the windshield. A full cover might be the better way to go, but thought I would reach out here and see if there are any creative solutions or other ideas.  |
Replies:
Posted By: Riley
Date Posted: November-17-2022 at 1:12pm
| Very nice looking boat. I'd go with a full draw string cover. You should be able to unfold the cover up to the windshield while standing in the boat and push the front of the cover up over the bow and pull it back taught. As long as there's not a strong head wind... |
Posted By: TRBenj
Date Posted: November-17-2022 at 3:11pm
| 2 posts for common cover struggles in one week! Lol. Someone has to make a YouTube vid explaining the basics. |
Posted By: marksa1458
Date Posted: November-17-2022 at 3:32pm
This is what I do currently. Just didn't know if there is a better way
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Riley wrote:Posted By: Jonny Quest
Date Posted: November-17-2022 at 4:39pm
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Beautiful boat for sure. 2000 or 2001? ------------- Current 2003 Ski Nautique 206 Limited Previous 2001 Ski Nautique Open Bow 1994 Ski Nautique Open Bow Aqua skiing, ergo sum |
Posted By: marksa1458
Date Posted: November-17-2022 at 9:42pm
| 2000 |
Posted By: KENO
Date Posted: November-18-2022 at 7:55am
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Once upon a time i didn't like snap covers for some strange reason. I'd get cold and wet putting a cover on before reverting to those dastardly snaps. Then one of the kiddos found this project boat with a snap type Sunbrella cover. It was a custom from a cover shop, it fit good and tight and convenience wise you couldn't beat it and it covered the windshield with the snaps in the bottom of the frame. It also happened to fit better and keep water out better than any cover I had ever used before. This made covering the boat at the dock in about 8 feet of water a "snap" that took all of like maybe 3 minutes and nobody had to make a video to show me how to do it. Since you have the snaps already in place (looks like they're below the rub rail), I'd move the windshield snaps from the top to the bottom of the frame and get an estimate on a custom fitted Sunbrella or some other equivalent type fabric at a shop. I figure there's a place or 2 near you that could make one. Like lots of other things in life, you never know till you try it. I have to go and hide from the gang of snap hater guys now
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Posted By: TRBenj
Date Posted: November-18-2022 at 8:01am
Ken, one thing we’ll agree on is that snaps are the lowest common denominator option… no brain cells needed.
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Posted By: KENO
Date Posted: November-18-2022 at 8:31am
That's why they work for me.  Leave me alone now, I'm hiding out under my snap cover
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Posted By: Riley
Date Posted: November-18-2022 at 9:36am
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Some boats need snaps due to their design, there's no arguing about it. Even with all the Rube Goldburg bungees, straps and other attachments that Tim likes, they'll still pocket water. I had a Century Resorter with snaps in my yard all summer and never once did it pocket water. And it's easy to cover. CCFs are definately snap haters.
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Posted By: NCH20SKIER
Date Posted: November-18-2022 at 11:13am
The struggle with covers is real but it really comes down to a couple basic items:
With my dock set up I can cover the BFN (shown) in less than 5 minutes Covering the 206 with the tower is a PIA compared to the BFN but typically less than 10 minutes but just not as easy  ------------- '05 206 Limited '88 BFN |
Posted By: Riley
Date Posted: November-18-2022 at 11:50am
| Keeping a boat on a trailer or lift is much easier than covering on a mooring. The mooring covers that cover the platforms like on the slant backs usually require getting wet. Not always what I want to do. |
Posted By: TRBenj
Date Posted: November-18-2022 at 4:21pm
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You shouldn’t have to get wet to get the cover itself on- platform covering or not. But the bungees might require it. It doesn’t get much more basic than tent poles (I actually only use 1) and a few bungees… but if that’s rube goldburg then you got me. It comes down to making it tent, and then making it tight- and then it’ll shed. Leave it loose and it’ll pool. It’s really very simple. A good fitting cover goes a long way to achieving the above easily, and being able to put it on quickly… but I’ve put enough crappy covers on boats- universal covers or ones meant for entirely different makes/models to know you can make even suboptimal covers work with a few basic tactics. It’s not rocket surgery. This goes for moorings, lifts- with dock access all around or none- and on the trailer. Each presents it’s own challenges. |
Posted By: Riley
Date Posted: November-21-2022 at 1:51pm
| Tim, next time you're in Maine, I've got a perfect boat and cover for you to do your demo on so we can put it on youtube. |
Posted By: Hollywood
Date Posted: November-21-2022 at 5:06pm
| And he has to paddle back to shore from the mooring facing the wrong direction, otherwise it’s an invalid test for Maine. |
Posted By: marksa1458
Date Posted: November-21-2022 at 6:05pm
While we are making videos, if there is a section on the purpose/use of the removable bow stop that would be great  https://flic.kr/p/2o1DPpA" rel="nofollow">  There is a removable pin but the bow stop is locked in place by the set screw????
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Posted By: Gary S
Date Posted: November-21-2022 at 6:27pm
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I have wondered what that was for as well. When I did my own I left that part off,figured if I needed it I could do it then. 
------------- http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=1711&sort=&pagenum=1&yrstart=1966&yrend=1970" rel="nofollow - 69 Mustang HM SS 95 Nautique Super Sport |
Posted By: KENO
Date Posted: November-21-2022 at 6:59pm
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I'm simple minded and need to use snaps to cover a boat but what happens if you pull the pin, then remove the set screw and lift up the removable bow stop? I suppose you could also remove the set screw first, then remove the pin. I'd figure the set screw keeps things from rattling when it's tightened. That simple mind is also wondering why the chain is so looong? |
Posted By: marksa1458
Date Posted: November-21-2022 at 7:02pm
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For the chain, the Previous Owner did that when they removed the surge brake coupler and added the regular coupler. That is on the repair list. I didn't know if there was some sort of vertical folding tongue when you remove the bow stop or something.
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Posted By: Gary S
Date Posted: November-21-2022 at 7:21pm
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I don't recall lifting or removing the Ramlin style stop to install a cover, I thought you loosed that set screw and pivoted the stop forward then put on your cover. I see in pictures that I can find on the web that there is no bottom pivot bolt. But I copied mine off of Chris Mars's at the time new Ramlin so maybe his has a lower pivot bolt ? Can't see me adding that feature on my own but it works well. ------------- http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=1711&sort=&pagenum=1&yrstart=1966&yrend=1970" rel="nofollow - 69 Mustang HM SS 95 Nautique Super Sport |
Posted By: KENO
Date Posted: November-21-2022 at 7:38pm
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Here's a link to an old thread about Ram Lin trailers with a swing up tongue
http://www.correctcraftfan.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=40309&title=ramlin-trailer-swing-tongue-mod" rel="nofollow - link Remove the bow stop and swing the tongue up to gain quite a bit of storage space
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Posted By: Riley
Date Posted: November-21-2022 at 8:05pm
| My son's Ramlin has that same bow stop but it's mounted to the swing out part, so the bow stop has to be removed to swing the Toung. |
Posted By: Riley
Date Posted: November-21-2022 at 8:06pm
Kevin you guys take a few hundred foot canoe ride way too seriously.
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Posted By: Gary S
Date Posted: November-21-2022 at 8:34pm
Yea I don't know those are all 20+ year old trailers. Found this picture I have of Chris's trailer which is way newer, it is different and this is what I copied except for the set screw. You can see in my picture that my swing away tongue is about a foot forward of the stop where Chris's is right on. Whatever they did it works great and glad I have it instead of the original setup that was on mine ------------- http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=1711&sort=&pagenum=1&yrstart=1966&yrend=1970" rel="nofollow - 69 Mustang HM SS 95 Nautique Super Sport |
Posted By: marksa1458
Date Posted: November-21-2022 at 8:42pm
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I did some googling and didn’t find this thread. Thanks for sharing. That trailer is actually a prestige but they are identical to the Ramlin as far as I can tell. “My original 2000 RamLin had the old-school "hinge up" tongue which I hinged up and down before and after every use of the boat for 10 years. It can be done in 30 seconds. Pull out the bow stop, set it under the trailer, pull the main pin on the tongue, hinge it up and hook the safety chain to the bow eye to keep it hinged up. Easy and effective.” I will have to try this! |
Posted By: KENO
Date Posted: November-24-2022 at 7:29am
Here's a link to a PN thread with a video on installing a Cover Sports cover post #11. it's just sooo easy it's a SNAP ..................and takes a video to show the non rocket scientist or surgeon how to do it http://www.planetnautique.com/vb5/forum/other-related-topics/boat-covers-bimini-tops/659734-coversource-brent-fleming#post659959" rel="nofollow - link I'm way to simple minded for that evolution |
Posted By: gun-driver
Date Posted: December-10-2022 at 8:16am
I thought the lowest common denominator was Velcro
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Posted By: gun-driver
Date Posted: December-10-2022 at 8:19am
Yes it's made to flip up hence the extra slack of flexible brake line hanging down in the above picture.
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Posted By: marksa1458
Date Posted: January-23-2023 at 9:39am
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Just to circle back on this - I did figure out how to use the flip up tongue. Need to replace/fix the surge brake that was removed but will save that for another thread... https://flic.kr/p/2od33ms" rel="nofollow">  and with the bow stop neatly set in the bolt hole: https://flic.kr/p/2od3cpA" rel="nofollow">  Pretty slick really and having the extra room in the garage is a huge win!
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Posted By: Tomrupp
Date Posted: January-23-2023 at 9:51am
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Nice move! It looks like you got the trailered 196 down to about 21’ in total. ------------- Tom 94 Ski Nautique Open Bow 351 with Carb 95 Double Decker Aqua Patio with 50hp Honda (3 carbs). |
Posted By: Faceplant
Date Posted: January-23-2023 at 6:00pm
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Pretty slick set up . ------------- Feels like I am hanging 10 but in reality - probably hanging 6. |
Posted By: Mpost
Date Posted: January-24-2023 at 8:05am
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I do like those tip up tounges. Much better than the swing tounges I have had on a couple of fishing boat trailers. My bow stop is carpeted so I just lay it on the floor under the boat. Saves all that time mounting and tightening that bolt ------------- 84 SN Sold 98 SN Lund Pro V 1975 Alumacraft |