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What's In Store, by Susan Klemond, Marine Textiles, August 1994
Protecting boats when they're not being used can be done in a number of ways. These articles examine some of the options available. One looks at the more traditional covers made from canvas and other fabrics that are used for mooring, trailering or other long-term storage. The second article focuses on shrink-wrapping and the trend toward reusable transport covers.
In deciding how to store a boat, it's necessary to ask nearly as many questions as when determining what type of boat to buy. The climate and geography of the region where the boat will be used, the place the boat will be kept, and the planned use all have bearing on the cover. Boat builders and dealers who can best anticipate questions like these and offer boat buyers covers that meet their needs will improve their relationship with these new and repeat customers.
Beyond offering covers designed to meet a range of conditions, manufacturers of custom covers are working with improved fabrics, changing manufacturing methods and continuing to innovate covers that are suited for mooring, trailering or storing boats.
Overall, there is a trend toward greater customization, says Peter Piusz, general manager at N.A. Taylor Co. Inc., Gloversville, N.Y. From motor hoods to grommets, a lot more work is being done to provide what the customer wants, he says.
Indicative of the desire to customize is a cover by Canvas Products Co. that enables customers to add cleat covers. A kit comes with the cover that requires just a pair of scissors, says John Pierce, market director at the Oak Park, Mich., company.
One factor in the move toward customization is that dealers are doing more in the cover business than before, meaning that they are more aware of customer needs, Piusz says.
Dealers are playing a larger role and will continue to do so, agrees Barry Batson, marketing director at Aldon Industries Inc., Bradenton, Fla. "I see in the future we will deal directly with the dealers for the OEM."
Innovations in fabrics are resulting in boat covers that possess the characteristics necessary to endure the rigors of regular usage and the elements. There is a trend away from polyester/cotton fabrics because of long-term wearability problems, says Bob McCall, president at Tumac's Covers, Pittsburgh. The covers look great out of the box, but as time passes, he says, "poly/cotton shows dirt, gets dirty and starts to rot out in a three-year period."
For these reasons, covers made out of coated-polyester fabrics such as the Graniteville Co.'s Aqualon and lighter weight Triton are gaining in popularity, he says. A fully supported winter cover made from the material will resist a load of snow and ice, McCall says. "You can't minimize the importance of support." However, he cited breathability as an advantage of poly/cotton.
Cotton breathes and since many boaters cover their boats when they're still well, this factor is very important, says Ron Anderson, sales engineer at Attwood Corp.'s canvas division, Lowell, Mich. The company offers all-cotton mooring and storage covers, and heavier covers for travel. Also, cotton is known for its strength and the fact that it will withstand UV rays better than polyester if the polyester is untreated, he says. As for shrinkage, most dyeing and finishing eliminates this problem, Anderson adds.
A woven, all-polyester fabric that Canvas Products Co. recommends for its covers is called Sundura. The fabric is water repellent, mildew and UV resistant, lightweight yet very strong, Pierce says. For customers, quality is an important feature of the fabric, he adds. "We truly believe boaters are looking for quality and will pay for it. They're not going to pay through the nose for something a little bit better, but give them something a lot better and they'll pay".
Although the fabric costs more, 97 percent of the company's covers are made from Sundura, he says. The fabric holds up well for covers used all over the country--including areas with high sun or high rain. Overall, the cover will enhance the boat's image, McCall says. "everything you sell as an accessory is a reflection on the boat," he says. "If you have a high-quality cover it will go along with the image of the boat."
There is currently a greater demand for poly-cotton and acrylic fabrics as opposed to traditional cotton, says N.A. Taylor's Piusz. While acrylic is still considered rather expensive, sales are increasing because it is seen as an all-weather product, he says. The company also offers poly/cotton and cotton trailer covers mostly to dealers, along with several OEMs for boats between 16 and 23 feet.
Half the mooring covers Aldan Industries sells are poly/cotton and half are acrylic, Batson says. For full-sided storage covers, a poly/cotton blend is the fabric of choice. The Glen Raven Mills' Sunbrella acrylic mooring covers are offered in a variety of colors, while the storage cover comes in the standard gray, he says.
Besides the universal gray, teals and aquas have been especially popular recently for boat covers, Canvas Products' Pierce says.
Besides the fabric itself, the way tops are manufactured is another factor in how they will stand up. Aldan Industries used to sew center seams on its covers but now it welds them for greater efficiency, Batson says. Acrylic tops are di-electrically welded, he says. "We weld every center seam on every cover we do." The method also helps the cover stand up better to the elements. "Anytime you put a stitch in any material, you allow for moisture of any kind-water-to get into the cockpit."
Regardless of the fabric used, Canvas Products uses all polyester thread and makes double-sewn, four-ply seams, Pierce says. Also, the company was the first to incorporate tie-down loops rather than grommets, he says. It uses rope instead of bungee cords because they're more stable and last longer. In addition, darts are double sewn or bound.
Attwood has replaced its shock cord with 114-inch nylon rope that can be pulled tighter, Anderson says. Also it doesn't attach motor hoods to the covers; it offers them separately so that they won't catch the wind, he says.
To make its cover trailerable, N.A. Taylor makes four ply seams between panels and fully reinforces stress points, Piusz says. In addition, it makes double-fold hems, he says.
Along with how a cover is made, where it is to be used is critical to selecting the right one. Climate is definitely an important factor in which Gover is used, says Aldan Industries' Batson. In the South, more boats can be stored in the water. In the North, however, if boats are stored outside, a full-sided storage cover is necessary, he says. Acrylic is not waterproof, and an acrylic sealer spray helps improve water repellency, Batson says.
Related more to usage patterns than the climate is a trend noted by Tumac's Covers among customers in the Northeast and Great Lakes areas. Because many boats are left alone all week, boaters prefer snaps on their covers to keep them secure in wind and other conditions, McCall says. The preference is unique to these regions, he adds.
N.A. Taylor doesn't cater to particular regions with specialized covers, Piusz says. All of its covers are all-weather products designed to hold up in any environment, he says.
The covers themselves can be used for more than one purpose, some manufacturers say. A mooring cover can also be used for storage, says Canvas Products' Pierce. The company makes mooring/trailering covers that come with a five-year warranty, he says. The covers must hold up to both heat and cold.
The cotton or poly/cotton trailering covers that are sold with new boats hold up in the winter but they need to be supported so that they don't pool, N.A. Taylor's Piusz says.
The uses 'and demands placed on covers designed for storage may vary. However, the primary goal does not: They are designed to protect the boat from the effects of the elements prevalent in' the area. The covers offered by OEMs should cater to their customers wherever they are and however they plan to use their boats.
Reprinted with Permission, Marine Textiles, August 1994
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