Covering Your Power Boat

There is nothing simpler you can do to extend the life and the looks of your power boat than covering it after you get through cleaning it up from a trip.
Obviously if you store your boat in a well ventilated shed or mini-warehouse unit, covering it wouldn't be quite as necessary. Also, if you have a 14-foot aluminum john boat, just turn it over. It is the same as covering it.
But if your power boat sits in the driveway or the yard between uses, covering it is absolutely crucial to its longevity.
If there is a tree anywhere in sight, you can bet you are going to find some in your power boat and it probably will be staining the finish. Pollen and mold are other culprits in wrecking your boat's looks. While rain doesn't hurt a boat, they are made to get wet after all, it can add to the chance of rust on any metal parts. During storms, there's a chance of flying debris hitting your boat as well. Then, of course, there are birds that just seem to target boats. If you live near the water, the bird mess is even worse.
If you aren't too worried about your deck since you use and clean your boat often, just covering the console and motor probably would be enough. The electronics and mechanics are the parts of your power boat that are most vulnerable to corrosion and you don't want that. Out in the middle of the water is no time to find out a cable has corroded in two.
But covering your entire boat is the best idea to keeping it in good shape. Just make sure it dries well before you do. Trapping in moisture is just as bad as not covering your boat.
As far as what type of cover you want for your boat, you can go the cheap route and just buy a sturdy, rectangular tarpaulin that's long enough to cover your power boat from bow to stern and wide enough to drape over it starboard and aft. Then all you need is eight or nine tie down straps.
If you are really serious about protecting your boat and you don't mind spending extra on your baby, then you can buy a specially made boat cover at a lot of outdoor shops. They usually have built in elastic and hooks to make it easier to tie down your boat. And, of course, you can go all out and get a shop that specializes in making them to customize a cover for your boat.
But whatever you buy, just remember that you can tell how lazy a boater is by the condition of his boat.
Florida-based EdgeWater Power Boats is a leading maker of unsinkable, v-hull boats for fishing, skiing and cruising.