Boats experience a lot of wear and tear when it comes to weathering the elements on our beautiful Minnesota lakes. During the day, they’re exposed to the sun’s heat and UV rays, which causes damage to the interior of your boat. They’re also subjected to extreme summer storms that can damage the interior of your boat with hail and windblown debris. If you travel with your boat it is exposed to road debris as you travel from lake to lake. A well-fitted boat cover can protect your boat’s interior from all of these situations.
At Canvasworks in Cokato, we specialize in manufacturing custom boat covers for your Minnesota boat. In this blog post, we’ll talk about the reasons you should purchase a custom boat cover instead of a universal one off the shelf.
Protecting Your Boat’s Interior
In every blog about caring properly for your boat’s upholstery we mention that the most important thing you can do is to cover your boat. It’s the very first tip on our care document that we send out with every new upholstery purchase. Why do we mention the need to cover your boat properly so often? Because it’s true! Protecting the interior of your boat from UV rays, debris, and weather is the very best way to prolong the lifespan of your boat’s interior and protect your expensive boat.
Custom Fit Covers Protect Your Aftermarket Upgrades
Purchasing a custom fit cover means that your boat’s unique shape and aftermarket upgrades are all taken into account when the cover is being fit. Reinforcing is placed properly in spots were wear is likely to occur, this not only protects your boat, it extends the lifespan of the cover. This will also reduce wear and tear on your expensive aftermarket gear.
Protecting Your Boat’s Exterior
A custom fit boat cover, is just that, it’s manufactured so that it actually FITS YOUR BOAT. A proper fitting and installed boat cover isn’t going to flap in the wind at your dock or on the trailer, reducing the chances of wear and tear on the exterior of your boat. Our Road Armor ratchet strap covers can even protect the exterior of your boat from road debris because they are designed to come much further down the hull of your boat. This is especially important on long fishing trips to out of the way lakes that may require miles of travel on gravel roads.
Visual Appeal
Let’s face it. We’d all rather look at something that looks good. Custom boat covers are smooth with sleek lines that enhance the appearance of your boat wherever it may be. Which would you rather see in your driveway? A well-fit, taut boat cover or an ill-fitting, baggy boat cover?
The Problem With Universal Boat Covers
Unlike one of our custom fit boat covers, universal boat covers are not a good choice when it comes to protecting your boat. They have several factors against them. They’re usually available at a lower price point than custom covers due to being made of cheaper, lighter-weight material which ensures they don’t last as long as a heavy-duty custom cover. In addition, universal boat covers are meant to fit a wide range of boat styles and designs. Even aftermarket covers that say they are designed for a certain model of boat won’t fit as perfectly as a custom fit cover due to small design differences that happen in any manufacturing process.
Since they aren’t custom fit, they’re looser, which means the cover will flap in the wind, allowing waves and debris into your boat as well as rubbing on your boat’s exterior. The wear and tear a universal cover can take from all of this flapping, coupled with the lightweight material mentioned above, means they don’t last as long as a custom fit boat cover. This opens your boat up to unexpected exposure when the cover rips sooner than expected.
As you can see, when it comes to protecting your investment, a custom fit boat cover is the way to go. We regularly see 20-year-old boats that have been kept properly covered that have immaculate interiors. On the flip side, we’ve also seen many boats that are less than 10 years old that are in dire need of upholstery replacement. You may pay more up front, but as the old saying goes, “you get what you pay for”.
If you’d like to learn more about custom boat covers check out our blog post from November, in it we go over the different types of boat covers and their purposes. Making sure you’re using the right cover for the job is just as important as making sure your cover fits correctly.
Contact Canvasworks for Your Minnesota Custom Boat Cover
At Canvasworks in Cokato, we understand the importance of a perfectly fitted boat cover better than most. We manufacture custom boat covers using our state-of-the-art technology so you can enjoy your boat for many years on our beautiful Minnesota lakes.
To learn more about our custom marine products, visit our gallery. Connect with a member of our team by calling us at 320-559-0165 or contact us to discuss ideas for your custom boat cover today.