In another thread, I mentioned that a man I saw on the lake who had a beautiful Champion boat told me it was 25 years old. I was shocked; it looked showroom clean. He said his secret is he uses Baby Wipes with lanolin to wipe down the gelcoat and also the seats on a regular basis. And even more importantly, he keeps his boat stored inside a garage. And said that people make a mistake covering their boats with a cover (in humid areas like we have here) because it promotes mildew growth and just funks up everything. I can attest to a problem with mildew; I have used a cover. I don't have a garage. He meant enclosed garage, like one that is part of your house.

In that thread, someone said that he thinks you could buy a vented cover, and then use a fan running on low speed and it would prevent mildew. Anyone have knowledge of airflow preventing mildew?

I happen to have a fan kind of like this -- https://www.grainger.com/product/AIR-KING-Portable-Blower-Fan-1XGG2?functionCode=P2IDP2PCP

I would need to somehow calculate how much electricity a fan would use (and also the cost of a vented cover) versus the cost of building a carport. Although, building a carport that is not totally enclosed, I am not sure that would work. Non-enclosed carports are 'everywhere' around here. They look like this -- http://store.alansfactoryoutlet.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=12x21-Regular-Carport&gdftrk=gdfV28043_a_7c2612_a_7c10951_a_7c12x21_d_Regular_d_Carport&gclid=CjwKEAjw_ci3BRDSvfjortr--DQSJADU8f2jN-ZRDyRzHzUSxrNDEkroWA25MhGlHWROWJRk4FRYNBoCEtjw_wcB

Those cost $700, plus tax.

Building an enclosed carport attached to the house, or an enclosed 'shop,' wow, that would be really expensive! So, building a $700 carport and using a vented cover and low airflow fan... it's worth investigating.

The problem with just building the $700 carport and that's it... yes, it would keep rain off, but in the spring, you would have a horrendous problem with pollen. That stuff coats everything this time of year! And we have a bazillion dirt dauper wasps around here and they build their mud nests everywhere! My boat motor, they built nests INSIDE the motor. They find any tiny hole and crawl into the dark place and build nests. This could still happen if you have an attached garage or an enclosed shop, but less so if you usually keep the door closed.

Anyone have any comments?

Personally, I don't know how any man can get by without a garage or shop. Not just for his boat, but to get away from the wife and kids.

48 minutes ago, Nick B said:

Personally, I don't know how any man can get by without a garage or shop. Not just for his boat, but to get away from the wife and kids.

Totally agree. That is in the cards, but maybe not right now. Thinking of cheaper alternatives until settled into a house.

I keep my 98 Champion in the garage and it still looks great. My pontoon boat is another matter. It is stored on the trailer during the winter months here in Tennessee. The first couple of years of covered storage the interior was mildewed pretty bad and required hours of cleaning before we could use it. A few years ago I placed a 10 inch oscillating fan under the cover and just let it run on low for the entire winter, although I did check it occasionally. The interior still had some mildew but very minor compared to the winter storage without the fan. Bottom line is the fan works on a vented pontoon boat cover, not sure on a bass boat, but I would sure give it a try....

There's a product on the market called BTS (Bow To Stern), that's essentially a fiberglass wax, and vinyl/rubber protectant. You can also use it on plexiglass cowlings.

But here's the kicker - it has built-in mold and mildew inhibitors, as well as 100% UV protection.  Plus you can use it on the carpet.

If you're following along, that means you can spray it all over your boat, including the storage compartments and trailer tires.

I've been using it on my boat for the better part of 10 years now, and it still looks brand new.

34 minutes ago, Glenn said:

There's a product on the market called BTS (Bow To Stern), that's essentially a fiberglass wax, and vinyl/rubber protectant. You can also use it on plexiglass cowlings.

But here's the kicker - it has built-in mold and mildew inhibitors, as well as 100% UV protection.  Plus you can use it on the carpet.

If you're following along, that means you can spray it all over your boat, including the storage compartments and trailer tires.

I've been using it on my boat for the better part of 10 years now, and it still looks brand new.

How often / when do you spray your boat?

What do you use to spray it on?

Do you keep your boat under a cover, open, in a garage or just what?

Do you know if it works on aluminum boats, too?

Thanks for the tip on that product.

41 minutes ago, livemusic said:

How often / when do you spray your boat?

Every 3-6 months, depending on how often I use the boat.

41 minutes ago, livemusic said:

What do you use to spray it on?

It comes in a spray bottle.  Spray it on, wipe it off.  I just use a cotton rag (I buy rags in bulk at Costco).

42 minutes ago, livemusic said:

Do you keep your boat under a cover, open, in a garage or just what?

I keep my boat in a garage.

43 minutes ago, livemusic said:

Do you know if it works on aluminum boats, too?

My previous boat was an aluminum boat that I stored outside with a cover.  That's when I started using the product, and it worked fine on it.