Ratcheted Boat Cover

[Darren Henry]

Mine are loose in a pocket made by hemming the edge of the cover just as you would do with a rope normally. The only difference being the last couple of feet on which ever side of the transom you you want the ratchet on. As you can see; there I cut it long enough to  pass behind the ratchet and fold over to the velcro strip above.

I've never tried sewing it into the hem;but physics would be in favour of it moving independently from the canvas.

you wouldn't have chafing of the webbing against the fabric.

There is no chafing. This method draws the hem of the cover far tighter than any two people standing on dry ground behind the boat could ever draw a rope and tie it off on the opposing handles,and poly web doesn't stretch like rope over time. Once you cinch that bad boy down; it ain't goin' nowhere. That's why I use this in applications like Mike's second picture, you don't require straps under the boat.

[Mike]

let me ask you this Darren on that red cover I did being tight form fitting  to the hull the cover cant rise up off the bow due to the angle but at the transom of a boat with a flat transom  the cover could rise up unless tied down or under the boat .
unlike the red stern angled lso securing the cover from rising




I want to make a cover in mine the seafoam green boat I posted before full to covering the full side of the hull. normaly I don't cover the full hull and with a few strap midship at the stern I run the strapthrough the two tie down rings on the transom of the boat generally about 6" or so down below the rubrail securing positivily the cover as on the centerconsole on this lift


so what im asking is if a make a cover covering the full hull side like the red cover on mine not being able to run the strap through the tiedown rings do you think the ratchet dtrap would hold the cover down tight to the bottom not sneaking up the side in the wind without me at least having one strap under the boat right at the back where I have to only access to do so with my dock

[Darren Henry]

I hadn't ever worried about the stern as my strap generally fits just under the motor mount so can't go anywhere.

Where the circumference of the boat is so much less down at the hem [because of the taper on the bow and sides] I can't see how it could creep up. You could always put a strap where you dock is---wouldn't be too awkward to do up if you had a pole and hook to reach under the boat to grab it--- just to be sure.You folks get a little more breeze than we do up here. Anything over 50 MPH is front page news around here.