Covering a boat is essential for protecting it from the elements and preserving its value. With different usage styles and storage conditions, boat owners have several effective options to prevent water buildup and extend the life of their cover. In this article, Dan O’Reilly explains why proper coverage matters and how to keep your boat in dependable, ready-to-use condition.
Why do I need to cover my boat?
To keep your boat looking like new it will require a cover. Using a quality boat cover will prolong the life of your interior while keeping the exterior fiberglass looking new and shiny for years on end. The harmful UV rays, including unpredictable weather can wreak havoc on the condition of your boat.
What kind of things have you seen happen to bolts that are left uncovered?
I’ve seen boats that are 6 months old look very weathered within 3 to 4 months of being outside uncovered. Typically you’ll see the fiberglass start to haze up and oxidize which requires full wet sanding and polishing to bring back the beautiful shine. In addition to the fiberglass damage you’ll start to notice your vinyl drying out and notice the early signs of vinyl discoloration.

I have a custom-fit boat cover for my boat, but when it rains, it still causes a lot of pooling and it’s a hassle if I want to use my boat every week. What are some ways to keep the water from pooling up on the cover? What have you tried that works, and what doesn’t work?
Great question! I’m glad to hear that you’re using a custom cover for your boat to protect it from the elements. There are multiple ways to keep rain out of your boat cover. It’s a very common problem, and it can be frustrating for many boat owners. The first way to keep rainwater from pooling up in your cover is to use a boat cover support pole system that allows the center portion of the cover to be elevated, keeping rain off of the cover. The support poles come in various shapes and sizes as they are a universal solution that can be adapted to many covers. You’ll have to be sure to install the support poles every time the boat is covered, whether you’re going to be using the boat once a week or every day of the week.
How do you install these boat cover support poles?
The most common way to use boat cover support poles is to have the cover off of the boat and put the support poles in the center of the boat floor. This puts the polls directly in the center of the boat, allowing the water to runoff the cover. To do this you’ll need to use the strap system to ensure that the support pole is lined up perfect and not on an angle or you’ll have more issues later on. Once the various straps are secured to your boats handles or railings, the support pole should remain upright. At this stage, you can delicately put the cover over the top of the support pole structure and secure the cover straps to keep the cover tight all around the boat from the back to the front.
This is a lot of work that sounds really complicated. Could the pole pierce my boat cover?
If you’re using a lower quality support pole product: yes, we’ve seen the plastic boat cover support poles break due to the heavy weight of the water that has accumulated due to incorrect installation. The sharp pieces of plastic can pierce the cover from the inside out, creating more of a problem.
If I install the support poles correctly, how long will this take me at the end of my boating day?
The time you need to set up the boat cover support pole system varies depending on your type of boat. For larger bow riders, you’ll need to position the support poles down the middle of the floor and then secure the straps to the surrounding handles to ensure that both of the polls stay upright and tied together. For smaller boats under 17’ you’ll need just one support pole towards the back of the boat. The smaller boats can be done in about 20 minutes. Larger boats will take 25 minutes or more to set up the support poles correctly and cover your boat.

I’ve seen some people suggest making a PVC pipe system to go underneath the boat cover. How does that work? Where do I store the PVC structure?
PVC pipe supports have been very common for people who keep their boat covered as they provide similar performance to the boat cover support poles. Typically the owner of the boat will buy the materials at their local home store to fabricate the PVC structure based on their size of boat. The PVC structures can vary in shapes sizes and weight, but the fabrication depends on the person building the PVC support structure. While these structures can work to keep water out of your boat cover, they do come with some downsides. Storage is one of those downsides as most boat owners keep their boat at a marina or on a trailer at a storage lot / marina and the PVC structure becomes a problem when you’re out using the boat.
Another downside is the cost and know how to fabricate these PVC structures. These structures are recommended for people that store their boat for months at a time or seasonally.
I’ve seen people come up with some wild ideas. I’ve seen people inflate large beach balls to create a high point in the cockpit or try to use a pool noodle to elevate the cover. How do these solutions work at keeping rain out of my cover?
Boat owners have gotten very creative with ways to keep water out of their boat cover. Most boat owners don’t want to store their boat only to find 100 gallons of water waiting for them on them on the morning of a beautiful boat day. Keeping rainwater water in your cover can create all sorts of issues with mold and damage to your interior, including damage to your expensive windshield for your vessel. In my experience, using a large beach ball or pool noodle is not sufficient to keep water out of the cover as it does not lift the center of the cover high enough to offer any type of drainage off of the cover. In addition to not having the height needed to keep water off of the cover, you still have the issue of storing a very, very large beach ball that may or may not need to be deflated before stowage.
Talk to me about the boat cover pump. This seems like it would be by far the easiest way to prevent the water from pooling up in the cover. How does that work?
A boat cover pump is a great idea for a boat owners who use their boat often. The boat cover pump goes on top of your boat cover and automatically pumps the water out as it starts to accumulate. Some units have built-in solar charging to make this a 100% carefree operation. In our experience, the boat cover pump saves time when covering and uncovering your boat before and after use, making the automatic pump an easier option than setting up support poles.
Even with custom fit covers and proper boat cover support pole installation some boat owners have reported water pooling up and smaller nooks and crannies of the cover, especially in areas with heavy rain. The lightweight boat cover pump would excel in these areas ensuring no additional water is sitting on the cover.
What’s the main disadvantages of a boat cover pump?
While the boat cover pump does have a built in battery, to effectively utilize a boat cover pump, you’ll need to ensure you have enough sunshine to have the pump automatically charge while you’re away. If you park your boat in a shaded area, the pump may not be able to charge effectively.
To summarize, it sounds like covering a boat is a non-negotiable to ensure it stays in usable condition. Depending on the usage situation of the boat owner, there are many options to keep your boat cover clear of water.
That is correct. Whatever option you choose to keep your boat covered and free of rainwater, just ensure that you’re using a high-quality cover with the appropriate water removal system. Doing so will keep your boat cover looking new for years to come.