Need a Year-Round Plan for Protecting a Trailered Boat from UV and Mildew
I need to find a method that I can use to protect a 18-ft fiberglass
boat from UV and mildew through out the year. The boat is on a
trailer. Currently, I use a vinyl boat cover to protect the boat.
This method works fine in fall and winter. The vinyl boat cover
protects the boat from snow and UV in the cold winter. That boat cover
doesn't wrap very tight around the boat and the outside temperature is
dry and cold, and the boat has a T-top that creates a large air space
under the boat cover; therefore, I don't worry about mildew growing
inside the boat in the winter. But I am wondering what will happen in
spring and summer.The vinyl boat cover is not breathable. In spring when the weather is
warm and the humidity level goes up, I think moisture will start
condensing in the underside of the boat cover, and I am afraid that
mildew will start growing under the boat cover and inside the boat.
One way that I hope will minimize the problem is by putting some
fenders along the gunwale of the boat to create channels for air to
circulate in and out under the boat cover. But I am not sure if this
is good enough to prevent mildew from growing. Any idea? The other option is not to cover the boat at all, and let it exposed to
sun and rain. But I don't like this because the boat is not
"rain-water tight" and I am afraid that rain water will find its way
inside the boat, and create mildew problem in the interior of the boat.
Therefore, I prefer to put the boat cover over the boat all year
round. By the way, I live in Northern New Jersey where the humidity level can
be high during the spring and early summer. Thanks. Jay Chan |
jaykchan
Dec 14
2005
|
| Thanks for the idea. I will see which option is the most practical for |
jaykchan
Dec 15
|
| I have never had a mold or mildew problem in any my boats after coming off
of winter storage and I never cleaned them prior to covering them with
Lysol. The boat interior would however be cleaned and properly prepared
(cabin drawers open, mattresses raised, fridge clean-empty-door open, etc).
The key is ventilation and keeping the interior dry. |
Dec 15
|
| I always has this idea in the back of my head. But I am not sure if
the local community likes to see a portable garage showing up in my
driveway. This is the reason why I stick with the more conventional
approach to cover my boat. Jay Chan |
jaykchan
Dec 15
|
| Personally, I hate the sight of boats and RV's stored in driveways also. |
Bill
Dec 15
|
| JimC, It is sold in supermarkets and mass merchandisers such as Target, Wal-Mart
and Kmart. It is not popular, so it is on the top shelf and takes up one
row, so you have to look for it. http://www.walgreens.com/store/product.jsp?id=prod1190&CATID=100468&skuid=sku301190&V=G&ec=frgl_614632 The only thing I use it for to clean up my boat, so I don't get mildew. I
hate the smell, it smells like a hospital, but it only lasts a few hours. |
Wm
Dec 14
|
| http://www.walgreens.com/store/product.jsp?id=prod1190&CATID=100468&skuid=sku301190&V=G&ec=frgl_614632 |
Jim
Dec 14
|
| Thanks Mr. Smithers, that's just the thing that I need for many uses around
the marina.
It sure is a lot less expensive than the spray cans and it makes gallons of
cleaner. Jim C. |
Jim
Dec 14
|
| Thanks for everyone who has replied. Seem like this is a good idea to buy Lysol concentrate, mixing it in a
garden sprayer and spray the interior of the boat and the underside of
the boat cover. This is something that I will definitely try when
spring comes. Adding a vent to the boat cover sounds like a good idea to cool the
boat cover to extend the useful life of the boat cover, and also to
help air circulation. I am just not sure exactly how to add a vent to
the boat cover that I have already been using (as comparing to order
the vents as an option in the process of ordering a new boat cover).
Seem like the actual implementation of this idea can be difficult. Oh
well... As of buying breathable material for boat cover, I cannot do this. The
reason is that the boat has a T-top and I have a hard time finding any
boat cover that fit over the T-top. In fact, I am counting myself as
lucky when I find the expensive vinyl boat cover ($575) that can cover
a boat with a T-top. Therefore, my option is quite limited. Jay Chan jaykchan@hotmail.com wrote: |
jaykchan
Dec 14
|
| Buy one of those portable garages. Costco has them at times for a couple of
hundred. |
Bill
Dec 15
|
| Put some vents on the cover. Here is one that might work: http://tinyurl.com/chp6h You could also fabricate a vent similar to this: http://tinyurl.com/ayn38 |
Dec 14
|
| I would invest a little bit of money and buy a cover made out of Sunbrella. |
Wm
Dec 14
|
| Before you put the boat under it's cover, be sure to wipe the interior
surfaces with a Lysol type spray. Just spray and wipe the interior so
that the mildew will not grow. As others have pointed out, a breathable
cover is best and be sure to put in vents. Jim C. |
Jim
Dec 14
|
| Interesting. Before putting the boats away for the winter and after
removing everything that can be removed on which mold might grow, I put
on a nose and mouth mask and BOMB the cabins and underdecks with cans of
lysol. Seems to work. |
Harry
Dec 14
|
| JimC,
Instead of using Lysol spray, I purchase Lysol concentrate and mix it in a
bucket. I use a sponge to wipe down everything. For those areas where some
mildew set in, I use OxiClean to remove the stain. |
Wm
Dec 14
|
| Jim C. |
Jim
Dec 14
|
