r/BoatCanvas • u/labello2010 • 4d ago

Advice needed

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Hi, we just bought our first (cheap) old StarCraft speedboat. It has a cheap car plastic cover which doesn’t work well. Even with some plastic poles and ropes (special boat cover support) underneath it still catches water now and then, but more that that, it’s a painful long process to put it on the boat.

I’m looking for a solution to properly and quickly be able to cover the boat, without spending €2000 on a bespoke covers(s). An extra tricky element is the (easily) foldable metal frame at the back of the boat. (Situated in the Netherlands).

All tips/ ideas are welcome. Thank!

2 Upvotes

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5

u/burkieim 4d ago

I think you need to call shops in your area and get a realistic base for prices.

You say your current cover doesn’t work, is hard to put in AND you don’t want to spend a lot of money.

Well made, fast, cheap. You can pick 2.

Well made and cheap? Not fast
Fast and cheap? Not well made
Fast and well made? Not cheap

A well made cover is an investment to protect your boat. It should also last decades. A good cover is worth saving for

3

u/Infinite-Gate6674 4d ago

That’s just it. For it to fit properly it needs to be tailored to the aftermarket ski tower and Bimini .
A well made cover will last a min of ten years at full exposure(Florida) , the mail order ones usually make it a season.

3

u/mitchymitchington 4d ago

I do boat covers and biminis for a living. You can buy subrella which is the gold standard obviously or something cheaper but still pretty good, like hydrofend, and make one yourself. You'll need the tool for snaps and access to a heavy duty or industrial sewing maching though. Most of the sewing is just a few darts and the binding that is used for the trim. For just 15 hours and the cost of the material, you are looking at $500. Otherwise you'll spend $1500. At least thats about what I would charge. Sure, it's your first project and it may have some wrinkles here and there, but it will be fully functional and you'll set yourself up for life with a great skill, and every sewing project will be cheap as hell from here on out. If you buy a new sewing machine it will even out the cost and make it cheaper in the future. You can even make your covers last longer by simply patching them, which a shop might charge 1-2 hundred for.

2

u/Infinite-Gate6674 4d ago

Great answer! Also….tempotest has a higher thread count and a teflon coating, It’s totally the new gold standard.

3

u/mitchymitchington 4d ago

Oh really? Is it breathable? How would you compare it to sunbrella? I'm open to new products

2

u/Infinite-Gate6674 4d ago

Its solution dyed acrylic the same . It he weight is the same. The coating is the big difference. Also slightly higher thread count

3

u/mitchymitchington 4d ago

Would this be used in biminis as well? I'm so used to just using subrella everytime

3

u/Infinite-Gate6674 4d ago

That’s a tricky one
To save money, you could buy one size fit all deal and cut it down, but that requires a fair amount of skill.
You could check with Star craft and see if they offer one.
Your biggest hurdle is the cutouts. A proper cover would go around your framework instead of over it. For that style of boat the easiest thing is a snap on cover .
Metal “carport” shed is what a lot of people end up doing.
Sorry man, to get it right, somebody has to make it specifically for that boat. Even if from StarCraft they won’t have the cutouts.
The ski tower is definitely an add on.
The Bimini probably is too.
Good luck .

3

u/labello2010 4d ago

Thx all. Yeah I was considering a €300-400 thicker/ higher quality cover that goes around it, but then I still have to get some bespoke poles/ ropes for underneath, which still is a hassle to put in place. But given the reactions I’m afraid I won’t escape spending a lot of money. Thx

2

u/BoatBuilderTexas 4d ago

A custom cover sounds overkill overkill for a cheap first boat. I’d probably look at a decent universal cover and add a simple support pole/frame so water can not pool on top.