Do you live in an area that gets snow?
It’s that time of the year when I am getting lots of questions about winter storage for boats. Please note the below if you are in a snowy area.
Each shovel full of snow weights a lot. A cubic foot of light fluffy snow can weigh 15 pounds or more. If you have a 20 foot boat, that is 160 Square feet, 6” of snow= 80 cubic feet x 15 pounds = 1,200 pounds.
Any weight on the cover accelerates the aging of the fabric. I am sure you wouldn’t allow your whole family lay on the cover.
Please remember a cover is a piece of fabric, not a tin roof. If you expect your cover to last, you might want to consider not letting weight accumulate on it.
It is also not recommended to tarp a cover. The tarp hinders the covers ability to transfer moisture out of the boat trapping moisture inside allowing perfect conditions for mold/mildew growth. The cover needs to breath; the excess heat bakes the cover. The tarp will also accelerate aging of the fabric.
FYI, boat manufactures recommend shrink wrap for winter snow. If you are going to shrink wrap, do so without the boat cover on the boat.