Fully fitted RIB cover Questions

[Hightower]

I'm starting to think about replacing the "Cheap" Blue ebay cover with a fully fitted one.

I'm thinking of doing this for various reasons, the main one is that I've not been so happy with the last cheap one I bought due to the general quality of it.

So I have some questions for those who do own fully fitted covers and would particularly like to here from anyone that has changed from the regular purchase of the cheaper covers to the fully fitted variety.

1..How long is the life expectancy of a fully fitted cover

2..Do you have to carry out annual waterproofing or maintenance

3..Do these covers breath or are they susceptible to moisture dampness problems

4..What sort of price should I expect to pay for such a cover (RIB is 6.2m long)


If you could answer any of the above questions it would be a great help to me.

[Maximus]

On our recent trip to Oban,I got a good look at 'Domino' and as well as being a Good looking, well founded, laid out boat!....Tony T' has the BEST cover I've yet to see!Great Fit,and Realy good Material..and about Half the Price of Some!!
Infact going to get one made for 'Raptor' when I visit that neck of the woods..Wolverhampton....
(Tempted to say Nr Birmingham instead)...but as a 'Prospect' 'Black Shadow supporter'...I did'nt think it would do my 'Prospects' much good!Eh Tony
Oh and I think it cost £400..his is 6.3

[Ian M]

Andy, the answer to all your questons is "depends!" It depends on what material you go for. There are some covers that are made especially light for carriage on-board, but these are not known for there longevity. As you may or may not know I have a fully fitted cover, made by Sanders. My previous boat also had a fully fitted cover, and the two are like chalk and cheese. The old boat had one in a sort of heavy weight PVC like material ( I do not know what it actually was!) It was still going strong after three years when I sold the boat. It didn't leak, but it ws heavy and stiff in cooler weather. A right pig to shift during the winter.
The new one is almost like a canvas material, again I did not take too much notice of what the material actually is It is much lighter than my previous one, and appears to be fairly rugged. Sanders said that I could expect at least 10 years out of their cover. Neither of my covers have required any sort of re-prooofing.
Of course, the downside is the cost; they ain't cheap! I went to several local places, and whilst Sanders were not the cheapest I liked the cut of their jib Seriously, they did all my latest upholstery for me, and did a very good job for a very picky customer There is also a place in Emsworth that aparently does a good job, but at the time I was after one they were very busy.
Oh, and you asked about breathing; I do not have any problems with moisture, except during particularly cold nights when condensation settles on everything. However, where mine sits is a great sun trap, so even during the winter it can get quite warm under the cover. So much so that I have had to get vents put in, as I was worried about the life of electronics, batteries etc.

[whisper]

Hi Andy, I would have never paid out for a custom cover however a newish all over boat cover came with my boat.

I have to say it is great and I would really recommend one. A custom cover will have air vents if required and reinforcing in all the right places too.

Have a word with a member called seagreen on here as I'm sure he can make custom covers

[C2 RIBS]

Andy I have made to measure for a few boats and the last one was Sails, Sailmaking, Sailmakers, Lymington, South Coast, Hampshire, Sanders, Saunders, Yacht, marine upholstery, dinghies, quality, boat, design, standard also as they make a few in that area and are priced as everyone else. 6-7 metre boats 6-700 quid with a few variences for cloth type

Condensation can be an issue all all types of covers, one great tip given to me a few years ago was placing cat litter into a plastic box in a few locations to take in moisture, also greenhouse bar heaters help if you have power close by. Leav all hatches and seats open to allow free flow of air and if you can have an open back to allow air to circulate.

I have tried two covers. old on top, and the above method and survived all winters, I accept I do use the boats but not as oftern as we would like .

Another cover maker you is good is Covercare - RIB Covers at Thornham Marina Emsworth

[willk]

I had a full cover made for my old 6.5m. It was made from the material that I associate with the curtain sides in trucks. It showed no signs of wear or fading after three years. It was however, as Ian says, a heavy pig to fit and worse in cold weather as it hardened. Ideally, it's the sort of thing you keep for the winter storms and remove in the spring. It survived flying branches, ice and leaves as though it hadn't been outside.

Next time out I'll be using something lighter for the "summer" months.

[Searider]

Hi Andy

Covercare made the canvass fitted cover for our boat back in about 2006. Still going strong. I think it was about £400 back then. Worth every penny.

Have had one or two repairs and have had it laundered twice. Re-proofed it once.

Will be taking it back to Covercare to be modified to be an "afloat" cover when we get the new tubes in the spring.

[PeterM]

Originally Posted by Ian M

Andy, the answer to all your questons is "depends!" It depends on what material you go for. There are some covers that are made especially light for carriage on-board, but these are not known for there longevity. As you may or may not know I have a fully fitted cover, made by Sanders. My previous boat also had a fully fitted cover, and the two are like chalk and cheese. The old boat had one in a sort of heavy weight PVC like material ( I do not know what it actually was!) It was still going strong after three years when I sold the boat. It didn't leak, but it ws heavy and stiff in cooler weather. A right pig to shift during the winter.
The new one is almost like a canvas material, again I did not take too much notice of what the material actually is It is much lighter than my previous one, and appears to be fairly rugged. Sanders said that I could expect at least 10 years out of their cover. Neither of my covers have required any sort of re-prooofing.
Of course, the downside is the cost; they ain't cheap! I went to several local places, and whilst Sanders were not the cheapest I liked the cut of their jib Seriously, they did all my latest upholstery for me, and did a very good job for a very picky customer There is also a place in Emsworth that aparently does a good job, but at the time I was after one they were very busy.
Oh, and you asked about breathing; I do not have any problems with moisture, except during particularly cold nights when condensation settles on everything. However, where mine sits is a great sun trap, so even during the winter it can get quite warm under the cover. So much so that I have had to get vents put in, as I was worried about the life of electronics, batteries etc.

+ 1 for Sanders , they fixed the damage to the old boats cover and made the fitted cover for Streaker . I was ( literally) speechless at the level of service and job they did - just the best. I wanted to drop the cover off early for repairs and they are there from 6am in Feb ! It was dark and very cold, but a warm welcome , and were happy for me to take it away and invoice me afterwards. Worth the money for the tailoring

[tonto]

My new(ish) rib came with a cover manufactured by JB yacht Services of Sarisbury Green, Southampton.

It is extremely well made, tailored canvas, heavy duty, but also flexible. It fits my 6.5M Ocean pro like a glove. Has been tailored to fit round the A frame, and it looks the business.

I have the receipt, which says 675 plus Vat.

I would certainly reccomend them, in my limited experience of them so far.

[Hightower]

Thanks for all your answers. I'm still having to get my head around the Circa £700 price tag for something that might only last 10 years. That seems a bit steep for a cover that will still need an occasional repair and reproofing. I've had my current RIB since 2007 and have spent just under £200 on the Ebay covers and £30 on water proofer.

What I need to do is to speak to a couple of cover makers and get a much cheaper price to make the purchase worthwhile. A good start is probably Covercare.

[David G]

These people made me one about 10 years ago. Still OK today with slight wear at console corners.
Frameset for Discussion

Didn't fit perfectly but that was my measuring I suspect as I did not take the boat to them.

Was around £200 for a 5.2m boat.

[Festinghouse]

you say you want a cheaper price? - you will get a crap cover. having made my own fitted cover two years ago i know how much decent material actually costs, add to that the hours of work it takes and you soon see where the money is. people ask me if i can make them a cover cheap, and i tell them it will cost at least 500. you need to look at the value of the boat you are trying to protect.

[tony t]

Originally Posted by Maximus

On our recent trip to Oban,I got a good look at 'Domino' and as well as being a Good looking, well founded, laid out boat!....Tony T' has the BEST cover I've yet to see!Great Fit,and Realy good Material..and about Half the Price of Some!!
Infact going to get one made for 'Raptor' when I visit that neck of the woods..Wolverhampton....
(Tempted to say Nr Birmingham instead)...but as a 'Prospect' 'Black Shadow supporter'...I did'nt think it would do my 'Prospects' much good!Eh Tony
Oh and I think it cost £400..his is 6.3

Yes Maximus if you want to be BS member never call me a brummie
Fully waterproof lightweight cover, fantastic fit and it folds up so small you can fit it into a tesco carry bag

[Hightower]

Originally Posted by Festinghouse

you say you want a cheaper price? - you will get a crap cover. having made my own fitted cover two years ago i know how much decent material actually costs, add to that the hours of work it takes and you soon see where the money is. people ask me if i can make them a cover cheap, and i tell them it will cost at least 500. you need to look at the value of the boat you are trying to protect.

I have to disagree with your first statement. I've been using the cheap Ebay covers for over 5 years now. I've had two, the first lasted surprisingly well, the second one less so and although I can probably eek out one more winter I am looking at other options (hence this thread) but they have protected my boat really well.

I do understand the complexities in selecting the right materials and producing a correctly designed cover and agree this will come at a price, but as a customer it's not unreasonable to weigh up all the options in seeking good value for money.


£700 is a lot of money and if one was to spend this amount on a cover I would want at least 15 years life expectancy and for it to be pretty maintenance free to make it a worthwhile purchase.

[Hightower]

Originally Posted by tony t

Yes Maximus if you want to be BS member never call me a brummie
Fully waterproof lightweight cover, fantastic fit and it folds up so small you can fit it into a tesco carry bag

Attachment 72239

That's a smart looking cover. What sort on guarantee did you get for life expectancy?

[Bigmuz7]

I think Forth Marine textiles made all four of mine, and each one was made to measure, out of PVC (like curtainside material as mentioned) with wear patches on the areas where it lay over consoles, engine etc.

They are heavy, but a very snug fit as they were tailor made, and could be tied down with as many lashings as I cared to specify to the maker. All were about £450 and varied from 5.8 to 6.3m.

Tonys cover looks snug

[Portholme]

I have console covers made by sea swan which are great. My business partner has a sea swan cover for his searider 5.4 that was so good I've just ordered one for mine. About £450 from memory. The guy that runs the business couldn't be more helpful either

[Ian M]

Originally Posted by Hightower

£700 is a lot of money and if one was to spend this amount on a cover I would want at least 15 years life expectancy and for it to be pretty maintenance free to make it a worthwhile purchase.

Andy, Sanders felt safe enough to quote 10 years, in my experience if a commercial concern is willing to commit itself like that, they will always err on the side of caution. I'm hoping for quite a bit more than 10 years from my cover. My cover is also massive, going over a box cover on top of my A frame which covers my anchor light and antennas, as well as console etc. So certainly plenty of material in it, and no maintenance. I am happy that it was money well spent....................

[GJ0KYZ]

I have a full fabric cover on my Ribcraft 6.8 that can be put on whilst the boat's afloat. It was made by Ribcraft and cost £500 four years ago. I've had a few repairs made this year but nothing serious and could see it lasting for quite some time yet. I think they're absolutely essential if you're boat is kept outside or on a mooring. Forget waterproofing; that only lasts a few months at best. I don't bother proofing mine any more.

[Dry Run]

Here at KB Dry Stack customers boats are generally kept with their covers on. They are removed before launching and replaced on recovery - so we know a lot about various types of boat covers.

If you are looking to buy an overall cover, In general, I would say this: -

Some RIB manufacturters own covers are great (Ribcraft, Scorpion, Ribeye and particularly Cobra) some are not!

By great I mean that they are easy to put on and off, they fit properly, are lightweight but "up to the job", stay on in high winds, are reinfoced at all the places where they rub, are breathable but watertight and cover most of the boat.

If you want one made that does all that, I would recommend CoverCare (I have one of theirs on my Humber and it ticks all the boxes when considering the above points).

You are looking at £700 though! Maybe look at it as "reassuringly expensive"?