How to Make a Trailerable Boat Cover

SKU: X-HT-300162
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Details

Details

Driving down the highway at high speeds can be rough on your boat cover. A special, tight-fitting trailerable cover is recommended to stand up to those high winds. A custom cover will provide the best fit and longevity when trailering. You can get a custom cover for less when you sew it yourself. Learn how to pattern, sew and install your own trailerable boat cover in our comprehensive how-to video.

We made this trailering cover for the Powerboat Makeover project, a 1982 Regal 245 XL Ambassador, which belongs to Brian, a manager at Sailrite®. He wanted a tight-fitting, low profile cover for transporting his boat to and from the lake. Brian wanted to keep this project relatively low-cost and simple so we kept to a pretty basic design. He also opted to pattern the fabric directly on the boat—a timesaving measure. From this base video, you can customize your boat cover to include other features and details to perfectly suit your needs.

To create this highly durable cover, Brian chose to use Top Gun® 1S fabric. Top Gun 1S features color and coating on only one-side, which ensures that no dye will rub off on your boat. It’s made from high-quality polyester and the top side features an acrylic coating to add to its durability. While this fabric inherently has great abrasion resistance, Brian still added chafe resistant patches of Shelter-Rite® vinyl to corners and other abrasion points.

Not only will this video teach you step-by-step how to sew your own trailerable boat cover, but it also outlines many helpful sewing techniques such as how-to sew a semi-flat felled seam, darts and binding, how to install vents and fasteners, and much more! A much requested design choice, this cover also features a zipper aft, for easy entrance into the boat while the cover is on.

  • Discussing Cover Design – 0:55 min.
  • Determining Fabric Required – 5:24 min.
  • Cutting Fabric Panels to Size – 8:46 min.
  • Sewing Fabric Panels Together – 10:02 min.
  • Patterning Cover – 22:25 min.
  • Clean Up Pattern Lines – 32:29 min.
  • Sewing Darts – 36:24 min.
  • Adding Edge Reinforcement – 41:40 min.
  • Sewing Binding on Edges – 49:05 min.
  • Installing Stayput Shock Cord Clips Aft – 55:51 min.
  • Installing Snaps – 1:00:35 min.
  • Marking Cover for Chafe, Vents, Zipper, Support Poles – 1:10:45 min.
  • Installing Vents – 1:14:14 min.
  • Installing Vent Caps – 1:21:48 min.
  • Sewing Chafe Reinforcement Patches 1:27:55 min.
  • Installing Zipper Opening – 1:34:06 min.
  • Materials List – 1:54:01 min.
  • Marine Cover Fabric (we used Top Gun® 1S in Royal Blue #120444)
  • Seamstick 3/8" Basting Tape for Canvas # 129
  • Tex 90 Polyester or Lifetime thread (we used Sailrite® Lifetime Thread in Black #107130)
  • Filament Strapping Tape 3/4" #5643
  • 3" Tape Shelter-Rite (we used Black #104222)
  • Shelter-Rite Fabric (we used Black #1120121)
  • Marine Binding (we used 1" Top Notch 9 Bias Binding in Black #120940)
  • Shock Cord Lacing Knob Black #100371
  • Stayput Shock Cord Cover Clip Black #100369
  • Pull-The-DOT®(One Way) Snap – Socket #555050
  • SnapRite®; Pull-The-DOT (One Way) Snap Button 1/4" Barrel #104299
  • DOT® Snap Fastener Normal Action Socket (Nickel Plated) #333050
  • SnapRite® Snap Fastener Button Silver 11/64" Barrel (Nickel Plated Brass) #104151
  • Cam-Lock Support Poles - Snap & Swedge Tip #105131
  • Phifertex® Vinyl Mesh (we used Black #388)
  • Vent-Aire Medium Vinyl Black Ventilator #120113
  • Sewable Boat Vent Pole Cap #120619
  • YKK® AquaGuard® Continuous Water Repellent Zipper Chain #10 Black #104431
  • YKK® AquaGuard® Reverse Tab Slider #10 Black Non-Lock Pull #104435
  • Rubber Swivel Pad Pole Base For Cam-Lock Support Poles #105133
  • Scribe-All Water Soluble Marking Pencil (White #120681 or Black #120682)
  • Gingher® Scissors #19104 (right-handed)
  • Sailrite® Ultrafeed® LS Walking Foot Sewing Machine #300500
  • Deluxe 5-1/2" Magnetic Sewing Guide #103597
  • Spring Clamp #50211
  • Marking Chalk for Fabrics #102464
  • Multiuse Pins 1-1/2" #102985
  • Clear Acrylic Ruler 6" x 24 #102400
  • Sailrite® Canvas Patterning Ruler #107040
  • Sailrite® 1" Swing-Away Straight Binder #100103
  • Sailrite® Edge Hotknife Package (110V) #103800
  • Stayput Spin Cut 1/4" (6mm) Tool #103437
  • Premium Cutting Block 5" x 5" #103651
  • Quick Fit Kit in Waterproof Box - Snap Positioning System #102565
  • Sailrite® SnapRite® System Complete Kit #104500
  • Pres-N-Snap Installation Tool #109011
  • Scratch Awl Yellow #2354