Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Tie That Cover Down

It's so nice to see the ice leaving the lake and the boats being towed from their winter storage. People are getting their summer places ready and spirits are high, thanks to the warmer temperatures that almost seem to take forever to show up.

It's also the time of year that so many cause unneeded repairs to their tarps and boat covers.
Just yesterday I saw a nice Lund fishing boat going down the road with just the front and back of it's cover tied down (Kinda reminds me of a Spinnaker sail). I always wonder why a person neglects to use all of the attachment points for tie-downs. They are there for a reason. To hold the cover on the boat during travel. They aren't decoration.

Now I really don't mind because that guy is going to make some canvas shop a few extra bucks when he notices the cover is starting to tear or even worse, blow off on the road. I would hate to be the one behind him when that happens. I wonder if that affects mileage with the extra drag. I might just try that myself this year just to see.

The travesty I see more often is the pickup truck or trailer with a tarp flapping away in the wind. Some of them sound pretty neat. It can be a unusual sound with the right material. I like it when it sounds like a huge Bumblebee. What I don't care for are the pieces of that cheap blue poly tarp that end up in the ditch. The Sheriff and Highway Patrol are watching for that and someone can be fined if pulled over by the right officer.

So please use all the places on that tarp or cover for the tie-downs. It will save you money on repairs and possibly from a fine. It doesn't take that much effort and your cover will thank you for it.