Multiple Cover Tips

One of the most difficult parts of using multiple covers on a boat is remembering which cover belongs on what part of the boat. The more covers you have, especially if they are similar in size and shape, the more difficult this task may be. As the owner a yacht maintenance company for over 20 years, I have a few tips that might prove helpful.

If the it is not completely obvious which cover applies to each part of your boat, then I recommend marking each one on the underneath side with permanent marker. A simple mark of "port window 1" or PW1 for short will suffice. Putting an arrow pointing to which side goes on top is important because many covers only go on one way and in one particular direction. Just make sure you remember you code. Writing it down on paper along with a simple diagram might prove most useful.

Try to take off and stack the covers the same way every time. Even if you have used the above tip on marking your covers, this will be a real time saver in the long run. You need to decide which order makes the most sense to you. Top to bottom, front to back, side to side? Each particular boat the owner will discover the way that works best for them. My usual order was top deck covers, stacked front (bow) to back (stern), then main deck covers port (left side facing forward) from bow to stern, then starboard (right side facing forward) bow to stern. Obviously, you will need to flip the stack over if you want to recover in the exact order or put them back on in the reverse order if you do not.

Besides this, if they do get mixed up, and you have marked them properly, you will be able to get them back on but it might take a bit longer. If you have not marked them stay calm and try to eyeball them against where you think they go. If it feels like they have to be stretched too much to fit or are sagging you either have the wrong cover or have it on incorrectly. This is especially true of boats with many windows with separate covers. The windows are the same size but the covers fit differently based on where the fasteners are placed. The top of the cover has to be in place and can’t be put on upside down even though the window and cover are square. Once you’ve been through this frustrating process and have all the covers in the right place, you might now want to take the "marking your covers" advice.

If you want information on the upkeep of your boat covers see our page Boat Covers Care and Cleaning.