If you’re a boat owner there’s no better feeling than getting your boat out for some fun on the water. But trailering your boat to the water, as you know, naturally comes with hazards to be aware of. One such hazard is rock chips and road debris damaging your boat. We’ve all heard stories, and maybe it’s even happened to you, of paint getting chipped, hulls getting dented, and worse, a boat windshield being shattered. No thank you!
If you’ve been trailering your boat without protection and haven’t incurred any damage, you’re fortunate, but it doesn’t mean you should push your luck. Here are some simple ways to prevent your boat from being damaged while trailering:
1.) Boat Windshield Cover
Many boaters don’t consider a simple boat windshield cover when trailering, but it’s the “happy medium” of boat protection. If you’re not overly concerned at the potential of a few small dings to your boat’s hull, and you’re more worried about avoiding a shattered or cracked windshield, then a boat windshield cover is perfect for you.
The windshield cover is a great way to protect the most vulnerable area of your boat from road chips and bug splatter, is a fast on/off solution, and is easier to store versus a full trailering cover. It’s an optimal solution, especially if your trip to the water is a short one, and you can keep your towing speed reasonable.
(If you’re in the market for a boat windshield cover, be sure to give ours a look: Transhield Boat Windshield Cover)
2.) Trailering Cover
Having a trailering cover to accompany your boat is the best way to prevent road debris from dinging and denting painted surfaces and from stopping windshield cracks and breaks.
A good trailering cover should be fairly form-fitted and made from a durable, preferably waterproof material. Fit is important because you want the cover to be as aerodynamic as possible when traveling down the road. Plus, having a form-fit will ensure that the excess cover material doesn’t flap around in the wind, causing etching and scratching on your boat’s surface.
While trailering covers are great, and one of the most effective ways of protecting your boat, they come with drawbacks. Two obvious drawbacks are the on/off hassle factor and storage; it can be a nuisance, especially if you have a large boat, taking the cover on and off and finding a suitable place to store it.
But no matter which option you chose, it’s important to have some form of protection for your boat when trailering – even the shortest runs can expose your boat to damaging road hazards. Protection is cheap insurance compared to the cost of repairs to your boat’s surface and windshield, and the time it can take to repair.