Quick Overview
FEATURES
QUALITY
PRICE
Pros
Cons
Purchasing a boat is a big investment. As most boat owners know, buying a decent cover is important to making sure you don’t have to keep spending more money on repairs and refurbishments.
There are a few ways that you can go if you want to protect your boat. You can go the most expensive route and buy a custom-fitted cover for upward of $1,000. You could go cheap and chuck a tarp over it, but that’s not really going to do much. Or you can buy a universal boat cover, making a compromise between price and protection.
Seamander Boat Cover
This boat cover from Seamander is a low-end option that is designed to keep the wind, rain, and harmful UV rays away from your boat without making you break into your savings. It will work for mooring, long-term storage, and for trailering, and it should last for at least a few years. It comes in a range of sizes and colors and will fit a good variety of hull shapes.
Who is this product for?
Seamander’s boat cover is a good low-end boat cover for boat owners on a budget who want to make sure that their boat is protected. They’re good for at least a few years and are lightweight enough to be easy to install solo or with a friend.
They’re not so great for boaters who store their vessels somewhere with extended periods of sunny weather or really heavy rain, but will certainly do the trick in relatively milder climates.
What’s included?
When you buy a Seamander boat cover, you can expect the following to be included:
- 600D marine-grade polyester cover – double PU coated, double-stitched seams
- 11 adjustable straps with quick-release buckles
- Mesh storage bag
- 2-year limited warranty
It doesn’t come with a support pole or frame, which is recommended to ensure that water isn’t allowed to pool on the surface and drip through.
Overview of features
These boat covers are made from 600D marine-grade woven polyester canvas, which has a double coating of PU (Polyurethane) on the inside. This means that, despite being relatively lightweight, they have solid waterproofing, as long as you make sure there’s nowhere for water to pool on the cover. It has interlocking double-stitched seams that use marine-grade thread, which increases their durability in bad weather and when trailering.
A total of 11 adjustable straps are included, which are very useful for attaching the cover securely to a trailer. The straps include quick-release buckles, so they’re easy to attach and remove, and this goes with the relative lightness of the cover to make it simple for one or two people to fit it. The hem also has elasticated cording made from industrial-grade shock cord sewn into it, which helps to ensure that the cover fits more snugly against the hull, keeping it secure in wet and windy conditions.
The cover comes in seven different colors and a range of sizes to fit a variety of hull types. They go from 14’-16’ long and 68” wide up to 23’-24’ long and 102” wide, though you might do well to buy the size above if your boat’s measurements are at the maximum length. This range is impressive, as many manufacturers only supply covers in one or two colors.
The cover is missing reinforcements on the corners, which is desirable for longer trailer journeys, and it also doesn’t have any vents, which could be helpful for reducing moisture. The material is breathable, though, and if you leave some space for airflow, this isn’t too much of a problem. The lack of a storage frame is also a shame, though not that unusual, so you should look into buying one or make one yourself from things you have at home.
How to install it
If you need some advice on how to correctly fit your universal boat cover, you should take a look at this YouTube tutorial:
Alternative
If you need a cover that’s even better for trailering, or you live somewhere with more extreme weather conditions, you should check out the covers made by RVMasking. They are reinforced at the corners, have metal buckles rather than plastic, and are slightly thicker at 800D, meaning they’ll last longer at higher speeds on the highway, as well as in worse weather. They are a fair bit more expensive, though, but you get what you pay for.
Conclusion
If you own a boat and don’t want to spend a fortune on a boat cover, then Seamander’s range of boat covers are definitely worth your attention. They’re very reasonably priced, while still providing a good standard of protection for your boats. Plus, with a good range of colors and sizes available, you should easily be able to find one that looks and fits just right.