Noob mooring cover questions

[psoundboater]

Not sure how my wife would feel about that!

[20mm]

Thanks for all the advice, got the big cover on and it covers the boat down to the strip and the back of the boat almost over part of the drive. My neighbors helped be get it on the boat and said as far as covers go it was a nice one. Has a Texas Boat Covers patch on the back. Texted the former owner and he said it was original boat cover, almost 18 years old. Has a cinch line and latch at the back of each side of the boat to tighten it up. Hope I did not go too crazy with mothballs and dryer sheets. Thought I would share some pics.

[psoundboater]

Looks like a great cover. I McGivered some kitchen scrub pads (new) to block the vent holes in my mooring cover. Used Gorilla tape to secure them. Not the best solution but it made me feel better. My cover fits more loosely around the poles so I needed tie-wraps to tighten things up (I actually removed my bimini cover pole set completely and stored in my basement). One suggestion - have you got any way to physically isolate your lift from the boat house? I cannot tell from the pics but if you could do that, you would really decrease the ability of any critters to get onto the boat, much less into it! Good luck!

[20mm]

Looks like a great cover. I McGivered some kitchen scrub pads (new) to block the vent holes in my mooring cover. Used Gorilla tape to secure them. Not the best solution but it made me feel better. My cover fits more loosely around the poles so I needed tie-wraps to tighten things up (I actually removed my bimini cover pole set completely and stored in my basement). One suggestion - have you got any way to physically isolate your lift from the boat house? I cannot tell from the pics but if you could do that, you would really decrease the ability of any critters to get onto the boat, much less into it! Good luck!

Thanks for the suggestions, might do that as well around the poles / tower openings. I went a bit crazy with the mothballs and dryer sheets so I hope it keeps most of the creepy crawlies out. Put one bag under each of the rear removable cushions which sit right below those openings. Also in the bathroom and the front compartment ahead of the helm. Two buckets of damprid. Also used insecticide all around the dock and lift arms. If I could spray the roof of the dock I would. Can't remove the lift as it is fixed to the dock but that would be ideal to keep them away. I will be back down there soon to check it out and make any adjustments. Got both bimini tops off along with all the poles, carpet is out along with the bow and cockpit covers. My wife is not thrilled as all this stuff is now taking up one of the closets in our lake house - as you can see in the pic not like it's being used for much, just one of those fold up wagons. Getting those huge stainless bimini top supports up four floors and into the closet was....uhh..fun.

[psoundboater]

I have nice sliding doors so could bring the entire bimini assembly into my basement in one piece and drop it in my storage room. So that part was good. I only have a CS23 so no toilet and less space - only used dryer sheets as I hate the smell of moth balls! Put them in all the storage areas and put in one bucket of damprid. This is my first winter with the boat so will see what happens. My marina said almost everyone else just puts the cover on and takes it off in the Spring! Hopefully the little that I did encourages the varmints to move to another boat! Good luck with yours.

[20mm]

I have nice sliding doors so could bring the entire bimini assembly into my basement in one piece and drop it in my storage room. So that part was good. I only have a CS23 so no toilet and less space - only used dryer sheets as I hate the smell of moth balls! Put them in all the storage areas and put in one bucket of damprid. This is my first winter with the boat so will see what happens. My marina said almost everyone else just puts the cover on and takes it off in the Spring! Hopefully the little that I did encourages the varmints to move to another boat! Good luck with yours.

I probably need to rethink the mothball situation and invest in more dryer sheets. Funny thing is my neighbors who helped me out basically had the same reaction, ie "Throw that cover on and you are good." They were getting a kick out of my preparation efforts to say the least. Guess some might get to that point but don't think I ever could. My boat is 18 years old and you would never know it - want to keep it that way. Glad you had an easier time than i did getting all that stuff into your house.

[Plastik]

Have a winter cover made in material called top gun or aqualon

This is beautiful. You use that on its own over winterization and have no mildew on seats/cushions? Presume you use ONLY this cover vs this on top of the tonneaus?

[ajcampen]

Have a winter cover made in material called top gun or aqualon

This is beautiful. You use that on its own over winterization and have no mildew on seats/cushions? Presume you use ONLY this cover vs this on top of the tonneaus?

My boat lives on a trailer outside year around. I found that the mooring cover let’s water in...so I went a different route. I have a summer over the tower cover and a winter over the tower cover that goes down past my boot stripe. Boat is bone dry now and no issues at all. Boat is as clean in the spring as I left it in the fall.

[ForeverCobalt]

I also save all those silica gel packets that you get in shipping things and put those in areas to capture moisture. Seems to work pretty well when I stored cars for an extended period