Best top covers for outside storage in the winter

E

emesquita

New Member
Oct 28, 2021
4
Boat Info
340 Sundancer, 1989
Engines
twin 454 Mercruiser V8 engines
Hello fellow boaters,

I bought an used 340 Sundancer this summer and I am now getting ready to take out of the water for the winter :-(
Shrink wrap is always an option, but I am wondering if anyone would recommend a heavy duty top cover that fits a 340 Sundancer.
Any insights are greatly appreciated.
Cheers,

Eduardo.
 
emesquita said:
Hello fellow boaters,

I bought an used 340 Sundancer this summer and I am now getting ready to take out of the water for the winter :-(
Shrink wrap is always an option, but I am wondering if anyone would recommend a heavy duty top cover that fits a 340 Sundancer.
Any insights are greatly appreciated.
Cheers,

Eduardo.
Click to expand...
Eduardo,
I have a 330 Sundancer and I'm interested in this topic as well. My neighbor purchased an old canvas for his boat. He didn't shrinkwrap and had no issues last winter.
 
emesquita said:
Hello fellow boaters,

I bought an used 340 Sundancer this summer and I am now getting ready to take out of the water for the winter :-(
Shrink wrap is always an option, but I am wondering if anyone would recommend a heavy duty top cover that fits a 340 Sundancer.
Any insights are greatly appreciated.
Cheers,

Eduardo.
Click to expand...
Location? Makes a difference.
 
7k for a cover that I have to install and store plus make wood supports for vs 1200 per year shrink wrap and someone else does all the work. Difficult decision. Wish I knew if we'll keep her 5 years or 10 years. A bigger delta would make it easier to decide.
 
I plan to have a fisher made for our 410. Had it on the 290 and it was amazing. Relatively easy to install and let’s the boat breath. As long as the frame is set up right it supported 3-4’ of snow without issue and as soon as the sun peeks out it would slide off like shrink

CAF18F02-92C1-4679-9751-FD1630A5A171.jpeg
 
emesquita said:
Hello fellow boaters,

I bought an used 340 Sundancer this summer and I am now getting ready to take out of the water for the winter :-(
Shrink wrap is always an option, but I am wondering if anyone would recommend a heavy duty top cover that fits a 340 Sundancer.
Any insights are greatly appreciated.
Cheers,

Eduardo.
Click to expand...
I have a 340 and purchased a fisher cover for it 3 years ago and it works great. Takes 2 people to get it on and take off, weighs maybe 150#. I used all 2 inch pvc, marked, labeled, using small set screws, one per joint, to keep it together. Have 4 stands going up from pulpit to arch tied off w shrink webbing to keep them put. Pretty easy once you get it all set up.
 
takeachance said:
I have a 340 and purchased a fisher cover for it 3 years ago and it works great. Takes 2 people to get it on and take off, weighs maybe 150#. I used all 2 inch pvc, marked, labeled, using small set screws, one per joint, to keep it together. Have 4 stands going up from pulpit to arch tied off w shrink webbing to keep them put. Pretty easy once you get it all set up.
Click to expand...
Thanks for sharing this info. Would you mind sharing how much did your cover cost?
 
This will be my first year storing outside for my 1989 250 DA. The Fisher covers are just too pricey for me. I contacted Budge covers and they said they don’t have anything big enough despite their website show covers that look like they will fit. Anyone found anything else that’s reasonably good and cost effective?
 
Pirate Lady said:
Make a frame out of pvc pipe, cover with big blue tarp. Cheap and reusable.
Click to expand...
Thats similar to what I used to do with my previous boat, a 1979 260DA. I would run twine from the bow railing over the windshield to the stern railing with a few side to side as well. Then I put a big blue tarp over it. I would secure the tarp grommets to the trim tab pistons in the rear & fill gallon jugs from the antifreeze & bleach & hang them on the sides tied through the tarp grommets. This way the tarp stayed tight all winter. That system worked well for many years, for me at least. YMMV
 
Tarps don’t last up in western NY either. Every year people try and they’re out there in January retying or removing them all together. The wind rips through, inflates the tarp, and shreds it. Last year a boat was lifted off its stands and slammed back down when the tarp inflated, thankfully it only leaned over and didn’t actually tip

even shrink will occasionally rip if the boat isn’t protected from the north western wind. We’re usually fortunate to be tucked behind a building
 
WOW! just wow. Now I get why some people put them underground in a mine.
Here we have thousands of boats wrapped in non biodegradable shrink wrap, and we get maybe an inch or two twice a year. The proliferation of junk shrink wrap around here is a real landfill problem. Some marinas are now refusing to let you but it in their dumpster.
I wouldn’t be surprised if very soon the landfill won’t take it. It’s really unnecessary around here.
 
Last edited:
There must be some reason that the majority of boaters storing outside use shrink wrap. It sure isn’t the cost of covers.
 
I’ve used tarps for 20 years. Not the blue, but the heavier duty. Used to get a several winters out of them. Now lucky to get 2. But it’s cheap, easy and if secured right will last all winter.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum statistics

Threads
113,095
Messages
1,425,835
Members
61,017
Latest member
IslandGirls1020
Back
Top