Boat covers for hauling

[Dino]

I am having the Z25 trailored this next week and was wondering what is the best way to cover it while its in transit.
The trip is 1600 miles and I have heard
nightmare stories of damage and grime.
I know there is also a chance of damage from the wind if its not covered properly.
Any advise is appreciated.
Thanks Dino

[MOP]

Shrink wrap seems to be about the best, but be sure to put some cushioning on the boats under side. We just got delivery on a new Stamas found a gouge 1"X1/2"X3/16" deep from something rocketing off the road.

[Digger]

Dino, the benefit of a full cover, if it fits right, is obvious. No road grime. However, for a boat your size it is a difficult proposition to trailer with a cover. A cockpit cover will work if it fits tightly and all the snaps are in good shape, whether or not you can tow with it at highway speed depends on where and how it attaches to the boat's windshield, if you have one. A cockpit cover that snaps to the top of the windshield frame will probably not work, because air will get underneath and rip it off. If the cover snaps down at the bottom of the windshield, so that it protects the glass, you will probably be ok, because the wind actually helps hold it in place. But I still caution that the snaps have to be close together and in good shape so that air can't get underneath. A full cover, besides being very expensive, is hard to rig for highway speed, because you need a buttload of snaps down the hull. Or, you may have a cover that uses tiedowns which attach at the hem of the cover and are tied off to the trailer to hold it in place. This can be a problem as the tiedowns will start to flap at highway speed, and if they do they will damage gelcoat and paint in a very short period of time. Another problem with full covers is they need to fit tight, otherwise they will tend to flap. An added bonus is some of that flapping may be occurring at the cockpit or toward the stern, where you can't see it happening from your vantage point in the tow vehicle. All that being said, I have a custom full cover that I use but it is unsuitable for towing, so I simply tow without a cover. I've towed coast to coast this way, and many points in between. Yes there is some road grime to clean up at the end but thats just elbow grease. No cover is going to protect your boat from impact damage (unless its made of kevlar). If it's a one time long tow you're looking at I would recommend shrink wrap.

[Eugene Nahemow]

Shrink Wrap!!

I have shipped three boats across the country.
Two from Florida and one from Mass. The only way is shrink wrap. Covers take a lot of abuse on long journeys.

[McGary911]

Make sure your tow vehicle has no leaks.....it is very difficult to get differential oil off the front\sides of your donzi. (but I finally did :) ). Never a bad idea to make sure you have a fresh coat of wax so the grime wont stick as easily.

Wonder if its possible to get hold of some cosmoline that they put on new cars before theyre shipped to the dealers? Never heard of it done to a boat. Wonder how that would work??

[MOP]

Try CRC rust preventitive it dries like Cosmoline and does not stain.