Last thursday night we had a torrential downpour and the rain puddled up until it turned my cover on my tracker into a pool liner.

After about an hour of draining, I was able to remove the cover and found that I had about 3 inches of water in my boat.  Unfortunately, as some will forget to plug it before they launch, I forgot to unplug it after I took it out.  I guess I would rather forget to take it out than put it in.

Anyway, that got me to thinking about a support system for my cover.  I looked at bass pro, and the web and the 40 - 50 bucks for nothing more that posts seemed useless.  So I got a little inventive.

I went down to Lowes and picked up some 1/2 inch pvc pipe (6 sticks of 8'), 4 90's,  6 T's and went to cutting.  I put the 90's on the ends of two of them, then divided it up into thirds.  Cut it and put the T's in and reassebled it.  I laid the two 8 foot sections against  both sides and with the cover on inserted one end and bowed it till the cover was almost taut, then marked it, cut it with a hacksaw and then inserted it in the side I was working on.  Then did that for the other 3 keeping them approximately the same height and curve.  Came back after it was all together and glued everything but one connection on each cross support for dissasembly.

Now my cover fits taut, the water cannot pool, and it did not cost me more than 15 bucks for the whole setup.  One person can build it, set it up, and take it down without any help.  I have not taken any pics of it yet, but it would work on any boat and you can design it around anything in the way with a couple extra 90's.

I'd like to see a picture... I read and reread your post, and I ain't getting the picture... If you could post a pic or two, we would all get it... good idea though...

Just imagine a ladder that is three feet wider than the boat.  Set one side of the ladder inside the along the inside edge of the boat, then push till the 1/2 inch rungs bow up and it fits in the boat.  The pressure will keep it in place and the rungs will support the cover.   It is easily strong enough, probably overkill but hey, that's a good thing when it come to protecting your boat.  I have alot of pine trees in my yard and the needles slide right off now.  Plus there are cats around and there is now no flat surface for them to sit on.

When I get home I'll take a picture, I think it turned out to be just what I need and what a few others might need.

Here is one I just took.  No slams on the tracker please, she is serving me well and I paid cash.  My jeep in the background is off limits too.  I'll have to break this into 3 post to get the big picture.

Shot 2, yeah, I know I need to cut the lawn......... fish have been biting, it can wait.

that is excellent!  now I'm going to have to steel your idea.  thanks for posting... good job!

taa daa,,,,,, all nice and dry and my wallet did not get a soaking.  I know the trailer needs a bunk job and paint,,,, I'm working on it.

This winter will be a complete decking retrofit with lots of mods.

One last thing that will make it much easier to set up and take down.  

Last night I took a heat gun to the arches.  So now they dont have as much outward tension because it is pretty much in the bowed state naturally now.  You can still dissasemble it by pulling the arches out of the side rails, but it is only uncovered to fish or work on it but I dont dissasemble it for that, I just take it out in one piece.

Now I can just about one hand it back in place.

I did the same thing Monday and it got it's first test last night. No water in the boat but it did still make 3 little puddles on one side of the boat because the poles are about 2 inches below the side rail. MUCH better than it would have been without the supports. I didn't connect all the arches together but did put a T on each end with about 6 inches of pipe on either side in order to keep them up-right and it makes it a little easier to put in one brace at a time. now I just need to figure out how to stop the small puddeling. I might try just pulling the cover tighter with the straps.

By the way this is my first post to the site and I just wanted to say that I love it and have found tons of usefull information here.  

these work great around the edges to pull it tighter....

Posted by: trackernoleak

No slams on the tracker please, she is serving me well and I paid cash

No slam here.  I think I have just about the same boat as you.  mine is a '83 17ft tournament tx with a 50hp.  I also paid cash and I would NOT trade her for the world.  Great boat!  Also as far as gas goes, I barely have to fill the 6 gal tank.  Seems like to last forever.

Your not kidding about the gas, I quit carring a second tank after I went out three times and still had half a tank in the first 6 gallon can.  Just wasted weight for the lakes I fish on in my opinion.  I took it out and added a second battery up front, made it ride even better.  

My only complaint is the lack of storage and especially rod storage.  I'll take care of that this winter when I re-deck it and extend the front casting deck by two feet and put in the rod tubes down the center.  My only question will be do I use the golf tubes or make some out of 1.5-2" pvc, I havent done my homework on that one yet.

I'm also thinking about adding another post and seat for my 5 year old daughter when I extend the casting deck.  I think i could set it just in front of the console and centered on the deck.  For now I just picked her up a spyder seat that we put in there when she goes with us.

Mine is a 81, I know lots of folks have had problems with them but I guess I got blessed.  I was a bit skeptical when he claimed it did not leak a drop, but he was right.  I put a float switch in series with the pump and just leave it on when I'm out on the water just to be sure, but it stays bone dry (except for when it rained that day).

When I start the project this winter I'll document it with pics and pick everyones minds for suggestions.

I have a half raised deck in the front of my boat I would LOVE to raise it all the way up and make storage underneath.  But my wife likes to sit up there on the rail as we go slowly up the river she would be able to do that if I flattened it all out So, there it is gotta keep the wife happy.  

Since I moved my second battery to the front and I dont seem to need an extra tank.  I was thinking I might permanently center the tank and batt and partition off the back for two small storage bays on both outboards.  At least I could use it to store seat posts on the one side and oil, tools and spare parts on the other.