What is considered a good boat cover and how long should they last? I'm about to take ownership of a 1989 Lowe Crappie boat and would like to find a good cover for it. I expect to build a open sided pole barn to help keep it out of the weather but expect a good cover will be needed for now and won't hurt after the barn is built as well.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

I made a skeleton framework in 2 pieces (fore and aft) from 3/4 inch PVC pipe.It is peaked in the middle (higher) with lower sides, and highest midships, lower fore and aft. I place a good quality canvas tarp over this framework and hold it down with bungie cords. You can buy a couple tarps for the cost of a fitted boat cover. This works very well for me.

I had a custom canvas cover made when I bought my boat in 2005. The boat is stored outside year round and during the winter I cover it with the blue tarps. It's been repaired once and the repairs are going to outlast the cover. I have waterproofed it myself once myself an once professionaly. I didn't see any difference between the two. I'll give the cover another few years before it needs replacing.

You can spend a bunch of $$ and have a custom cover made but unless you're really planning on trailering the boat with the cover on it's not necessary.

A few tips I've learned over the years.

In a fully exposed to the enviroment storage situation, one of those cheaper boat covers will probably last anywhere from 3-5 years.

That's IF you keep a tarp over the top of the cover and keep the cover elevated for proper water run-off and check on the boat during longer periods of storage to make sure no water has gotten under the tarps and pooled on the cover.

I also strongly recommend the heavy duty tarps.  These are most often found in stores with silver on one side and brown on the other.  Standard, regular tarps just don't hold up and you'll be replacing them up to 3 times a year if the boat is stored outside all the time.

Once you get that boat under a pole barn the need for tarps is moot.  You're still going to want to buy or build a system for keeping the cover propped up off the boat along with providing for water runoff.  With the cover propped up, it also helps with air flow through the boat underneath.