How do you clean your mooring cover?

[Sean R]

Now that I have the shipping cover on and the boat is up for storage, was wondering how you guys clean your mooring covers. My last few covers I've laid out on the driveway and scrubbed with mild soap and water, then hung dry on saw horses. It worked ok. Was think of taking to laundromat and using one of the giant frt loaders. Any thoughts on that? Good, bad or indifferent.

 

[2kwik4u]

I usually get the dirt and dust off mine by driving 65+mph in a rainstorm. Happens a few times a year. Cover looks great for the rest of season, I just don't get to plan when it gets cleaned.

 

[PatrickKolby]

Soak it in a tub of simple green then rinse it and let it dry. Grease the ratchet points and your good to go.

 

[Dixemon]

How long on average is everyone's mooring cover lasting?

 

[swatski]

How long on average is everyone's mooring cover lasting?

I would say ~4 maybe 5 years, if not towing with it, it would be a good run. My experience so far (n=2) with Yamaha premium covers. I just got a new one while waiting for my 2016 to give in, hope it will last through the winter but I'm not sure. Once they start falling apart there seems to be no going back.
I tend to use shipping covers when towing, that saves some live of mooring cover, but it'll still fall apart.

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[granpachuck]

Now that I have the shipping cover on and the boat is up for storage, was wondering how you guys clean your mooring covers. My last few covers I've laid out on the driveway and scrubbed with mild soap and water, then hung dry on saw horses. It worked ok. Was think of taking to laundromat and using one of the giant frt loaders. Any thoughts on that? Good, bad or indifferent.
View attachment 138712

There is a member here that put his cover in a commercial laundromat. It was completely ruined.

Fabric Guard after its cleaned.

 

[Sean R]

Good to know, thanks. No laundromat.

 

[2kwik4u]

How long on average is everyone's mooring cover lasting?

I've had mine 2 seasons and tow with it A LOT. Still looks brand new. With that said; it's stored in the garage when not out and about, so the UV exposure is very minimal for me. Wind and rain do more wear than UV in my case. I suspect I wouldn't be getting such great wear if it sat out in the sun all the time.

Wish I could get my hands on shipping covers. They're far nicer IMO. The interior is a soft felt lining, and the exterior is a plasticized coating of some sort. They're softer on the gelcoat, and better protected against rain. No holes for dock lines though, so that's a downside. I ran my shipping cover for two seasons with lots of towing before breaking down and getting the black "deluxe premium" cover.

 

[Bluewater272]

Mine is now 4 years old, full UV exposure from March - November every year. Cover is still in excellent condition, though the logo is starting to wear off. How do I clean it? Well, it gets rained on. LOL.

 

[Sean R]

My shipping cover didn't last the season on my 2017 190 but it was stored outside during the summer months. The sun and rain killed it. This year we upgraded to covered storage, for a small fee.

 

[anmut]

When storing the boat during the week, I slide a tarp over the cover/tower. Keeps everything protected from UV rays and allows the cover itself to stay dry. No need to clean then, just buy a new tarp. I also use a split pool noodle on the window edge when towing a good distance.

 

[wardial]

I wash my cover in a monstreous commercial washing machine every fall when putting the boat away for the season. Comes out perfect and immaculate.

 

[212s]

When storing the boat during the week, I slide a tarp over the cover/tower. Keeps everything protected from UV rays and allows the cover itself to stay dry. No need to clean then, just buy a new tarp. I also use a split pool noodle on the window edge when towing a good distance.

That's what I'm doing, tarp over cover to protect it. I have the shipping cover, but I don't think I'll be using it now. If I had indoor storage I'd use it there. I do the pool noodle trick all the time under the cover.

 

[212s]

Now that I have the shipping cover on and the boat is up for storage, was wondering how you guys clean your mooring covers.

I'll have to check the box, but I recall the cover may have came with some notes about care and use, including how to clean it properly like mild detergent and water, rinse, then let dry. I'll verify that...might have been for the bimini top.

 

[anmut]

I was considering having a custom cover made that's like the Yamaha cover. Goal would be to move the ratchet straps to the transom (like covers I see on tow boats) and add Velcro "seam" with extra material to the center of the cover. This could allow for using the cover for towing with the tower up, but by unrolling the extra material, would allow for covering the entire boat with the tower in the down position. Like a 2-in-1.

 

[drewkaree]

I'll clean it as best I can when it's on the trailer. I use a long handled brush (same one I use to clean the bottom-most part of the boat) and some car wash soap. We have an old crappy clothesline set up, and when done, I slide it off the boat onto the clothesline to dry, then drop the boat in the water and clean whatever needs to be touched up that might have leaked in.

As long as you have some place to put your cover to dry, you can do the same thing while the boat is on the trailer in your back yard. Maybe put some hooks in the joist of your garage and hang the cover upside down via those hooks?

 

[watdog]

How long on average is everyone's mooring cover lasting?

I have a 2018 and it's falling apart after only 2 years and I will not be wasting money on another Yamaha cover. Looking into something custom made with Sunbrella.

 

[PeterB]

Our cover is 4 years old and in good condition- just some logo disappearing. It is outside May- October for the last two years but under a covered slip and stored inside all winter and the first two years when trailering. For cleaning I hose it off when on the boat and occasionally scrub with a soft boat brush and boat soap- easy reach when the boat is in the slip. Rain seems to rinse it pretty effectively most of the time. It’s been trailered over 10,000 miles