Santee Cooper Cats - CatfishUSA

Santee Cooper Cats - Catfish USA

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Are you covered? What you need to know about canvas.

There is no product that is more instrumental to the immediate and long-term
appearance and life of your boat than canvas.

These days you can't even buy a pontton or a deck boat without some sort of
canvas that comes standard. And, if you are remodeling, one of the best things
you can do to enhance the appearance of your boat is to add canvas.

But, of all the material on boatscanvas is probably one of the most
mis-understood and often most often neglected. The common thought tends to
be that canvas is there to protect and therefore, by some reason of logic,
doesn't need to be protected or taken care of itself.

Countless are the marinas where canvas boat covers can be found severly
beaten, ripped, faded, leaking, downright ugly or ineffective in what they are
meant to do.

Like any product, canvas has its life span. Despite the inherent problems, you
can prolong the life of your canvas and make it look good in the process. Simply
keep it clean and protect it well. You will be suprised what the canvas can do
for you in return.

Before you start cleaning your canvas you should fiorst examine for broken or
chaffed stitching and seams. Do the drip test by pouring a cup of water onto the
indent in the canvas. If it instantly leaks through (some acrylics are only
water-repellant and eventually leak), apply a quality water repellant. Replace
when canvas tears (natural fibers) or becomes very soft and pliable (acrylics).

Keep it Clean:

Cleaning a boat's canvas is, in some ways, more important than cleaning its hull
and bright work. Canvas is more prone to water and moss damage. And, those
bird droppings that discolor it are more than just unsightly. They can add to the
deterioration. So wash it!

Soap, water and vinegar should do the job. While washing continue to check for
worn spots. Let it dry a few days and then spray it with water repellant. The
repellant goes on best in warm weather.

Never put your canvas in the washing machine, as it will probably shrink. The
whole idea of the cover is to protect the boat from getting dirty so if the cover
itself is mucky then it is doing a good job.

Just store it:

Unless you have an indoor storage facility to keep your pontoon or deck boat in
while not in use, the elements of Mother Nature are just waiting to wreak havoc
on your precious craft.

Even covered slips, as nice as they are, don't eliminate all the destructive
elements. A boat cover is your best means of protection.

Believe it or not, the sun is enemy number one, UV rays are very destructive
over time. They will fade and stiffen your vinyl and fade your carpet. Mold and
Mildews are also damaging.

But, just throwing a canvas cover on your boat won't necessarily do. You have
got to "install" it correctly. The worst thing you can do is not prop it up in the
middle, thus allowing a place for ice and water to pool. Eventually the weight of
the moisture will stretch to the bottom, breaking boat parts and maybe even
ripping the canvas in the process.

Leaveing your canvas cover improperly secured to the boat is a big no-no as
well. Even a little loodse area where wind can get under may turn into a huge
rip over the course of several months.

Many boat covers come with eyelets and rope. If yours doesn't you may want to
run some rope over the top of the canvas tying it onto the trailer or boat railing
as you zigzag up and down, back and forth, crossing over every square yard of
the cover.

Be aware also that sharp corners on your boat such as windshields can spell
doom for your cover. Some cover manufacturers like Taylor Made, will build
reinforcements where your sharp edges are. If you are getting a custom made
cover, be sure to have extra material or padding added in at the right spots.

If you are storing your boat in an RV lot, a good thing to do is request a slot in
between two large camping trailers or motor homes. These big objects will
provide your smaller boat with some wind and sun protection. Be careful about
storing it next to a building though, or you may find that accumulated roof snow
delivered a crashing blow to your craft sometime during the winter. Even water
that runs off the roof during a rainstorm can be very hard on your cover and
your boat.

Trees aren't all that great either. Though they will provide great shade and be a
decent windbreak, they will tend to sap all over your boat and cover, some
worse than others. The result you're left with is a sticky mess.

Conclusion
Do not neglect your canvas. If treated properly and protected, you can keep it
looking new for many years to come. Its main purpose is to protect your boat,
but there is no reason why it has to look worn, beaten, ripped, or faded.
Through proper maintainence and following these tips you can be the envy at
your dock.

Source: Pontoon and Deck boat

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