thunder jet boat Owners

[mountain man]

What does everybody do for winter storage / cover right now i pay for storage. Does anybody have ideas. They tell me if i tarp it the tarp will rub the paint and scratch it and rub on the aluminum and turn it black. Would appreciate any ideas and thoughts THANKS MM

 

[Cuba Libre]

You had your aluminum boat painted?? OK-- I wont ask "why" because i come from the school that bought a tin boat so that I dont have to spend hrs cleaning paint or gelcoat. Rinse in fresh water and its into the garage.... But thats just me. If you are worried about your paint why not put a buffer under the tarp ? A large plastic table cloth that has the soft fiber backing on it will protect your boat from the tarp.

 

[hutch]

Canadian tire puts boat covers on sale for dirt cheap, I take my top off and use the cover. Hardest problem is sagging and all the ways you can use 2x4's to keep it tight

 

[mountain man]

The boat has paint on the half hard top and 4 inches on the sides but yes that is why i bought a aluminum boat also. That is what i thought of doing also with the soft fabric under the tarp. Yes the sagging is what i was worried about also. Thank you gentleman m/m

 

[sly_karma]

Does shrink wrap work for you?

 

[Sangstercraft]

I just used a large white tarp and tied it down real well, but careful of where the water will pool up when it rains. So far no chaffing of the paint.

 

[JAC]

Depending on where u live tarps can make mold issue because they don't breathe

 

[bones]

Buy a shrink wrap vent or 3 and glue them into you tarp. Then add then 120v dehumidifier. That's what a good shrink wrapper will do. If it is done right mold issues will be isolated to just a pillow or something.

 

[Franko Manini]

I have a decent boat cover that fits my 20' Luxor. I got it on sale last year about this time, at Princess Auto. It is waterproof and has held up very well. My boat is a soft-top so I take the top down, make sure it is dry, then wrap it up in the zip on cover. This is just a cover that can go on the top when it is wrapped around the arches that support the top. Then I push the arch forward with the top and its cover on, and it sits at the top of the windshield. This provides a nice cushion of the boat cover to sit on. I run a long 2x4 between the windshield and the transom and that gives the boat cover a nice peak and slope. Once it is cinched down water doesn't pool in it.

The cover itself has a couple of vents in it which provide decent circulation. But to make sure I don't get mold forming I also run a heater/dehumidifier all winter. You only need to raise the temp ever so slightly to prevent condensation inside the boat. Works like a hot damn.

http://www.amazon.com/Caframo-Stor-Dry-9406-Circulator-Dehumidifier/dp/B00OM5RDC2

It only takes me about 15 minutes extra to uncover the boat and snap the top back on if I want to nip out for a day of fishing so I think it's well worth the effort of covering the boat and running the heater/fan thing. I use my boat year round, but there were periods where I could not get out for up to 8 weeks. Even with this length of time under wraps, I never saw a single mold or mildew spot on the boat upholstery or the cover itself.



Franko

MILF (Man, I Love Fishing)