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Boating Fabrics "101"

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Fabric Descriptions
Breathability - A Must!
A Key - Support!
How Fabrics are Weighted
Trailering Recommendations
Mooring/Storage Tips
Back to Fabric Options

Fabric Descriptions

7.6 oz. 100% Sun-DURA™ Polyester

7 Year Warranty

Great for TOWING, STORAGE, & MOORING. This state of the art 100% polyester is much more breathable than the fabrics available just a few years ago. Sun-DURA™ Polyester Marine fabric is manufactured by Glen Raven Inc., the same company that manufactures Sunbrella®, the #1 trusted name in marine fabrics. It's light weight makes it easy to handle and the tight weave of the fabric really keeps out the fine dust. If you have a large boat, you will appreciate the lighter weight of this fabric. This fabric has a full 7 year warranty. Also great for areas with high UV problems.

9.25 oz. 100% Acrylic Sunbrella®

10 Year Warranty

If you've ever seen a real nice looking awning, boat cover, or piece of patio furniture with exceptionally vibrant color, chances are it's made with the Sunbrella® fabric. These guys simply put out a great fabric and have done so for many, many years. Their outdoor fabrics are by far the most requested in the world. Made totally from woven acrylic fibers, the strength is far above average and using a special weave allows the fabric to not only be water-resistant, it is also extremely breathable. All Sunbrella® fabrics are warranted for a full 10 years.

14 oz. Vinyl w/ denim backing

White

A nice low cost fabric designed to be used in open air applications such as some bimini tops and also on OEM convertible tops. The denim backing is used to prevent the fabric from excessive stretching. Not for use on boat covers. This is a water-proof fabric. **Prop 65 Warning**

Breathability - A Must!

To avoid mold/mildew or possible dry-rot problems, your new boat cover must "breathe" adequately. One of the worst things you can do to your boat is to "lock-in" the moisture in your boat by enclosing it too tightly with a plastic or a vinyl type of covering.

The new Sun-DURA™ 100% marine polyester allows adequate circulation under the cover to help evacuate the moisture vapor that is present in most boat carpets, upholstery, and many bilges and hulls. The use of Vented Support Poles increases the air circulation under a cover greatly. Their use is highly recommended for boats with carpeting and upholstery as they help to continually remove moisture and support the cover to keep the rain draining off the cover.

Ideally the 100% Cotton fabric is the best for breathability, but it lacks sufficient strength for towing purposes and does not last long when exposed to excessive UV rays. If you plan on storing your boat on the water for the season and then storing it under a carport or in a building during the winter, 100% Cotton is a good fabric choice.

If you're considering a Custom fit cover, the Sunbrella® fabric may be for you if your budget allows. Unlike other man-made fabrics, the unique weave allows for proper ventilation and water resistance. If you're looking for a semi-custom fit cover, we suggest that you avoid the use of the Sunbrella® fabric due to the expense. The reasoning here is that on a custom fit cover we are confident that it will be a near perfect, if not perfect fit. On a semi-custom cover, your fit will be very good, but if it's not "perfect" you may feel that you have wasted a lot of money on a very nice fabric when it was not necessary.

Fabric Breathability
Proper breathability prevents mildew and dry rot

A Key to Your New Boat Cover's Life - Support!

If at all possible, properly support your boat cover to prevent water or snow accumulation on the cover. It's not the water that destroys most covers. The organisms that grow in the standing water on your cover will eat any natural cotton fibers in the fabric of your cover and cause it to fail prematurely! Also heavy water or snow accumulation can cause a cover to be pulled into your boat and place excessive strain on places in your cover that are not designed to take the pressure.

When using a cover support, be sure that the object supporting the cover is designed to spread out the strain on the fabric. A pole can poke through the best boat cover fabrics when the cover is tensioned downward with straps. Probably the best support system for the money is 1 or more Vented Support Poles. Some boats may need 2 (or more) of them to properly support the cover.

Proper Boat Cover Support

How Fabrics are Weight Rated

After speaking with thousands of internet customers, a fairly common question was in regards to the weight of boating fabrics. The question being this: How do they come up with 7 oz., 10 oz., 11 oz., etc. ratings?

Most fabrics are weighed on a scale in a 1 square yard piece. The weight of the fabric is the weight per square yard. As you can see, a 6.5 oz. fabric is a very thin and lightweight fabric in comparison to an 11 oz. fabric which is much thicker and heavier per yard.

Fabric Weight Comparison

Weight Rating Thickness
7.6 oz. Sun-DURA™ Lightweight
9.25 oz. Sunbrella® Medium
14 oz. Vinyl Heavy

Fabric weight measured per square yard

Trailering Cover Recommendations

Best Fabrics for Trailering:

  • Sun-DURA™ 100% Marine Polyester - Strong and durable
  • Sunbrella® 100% Acrylic - Premium quality, longest warranty
  • 100% Cotton - NOT recommended for trailering

For trailering a boat with the cover on, the cover needs to have some sort of man-made fabric fiber in the cover. Normally, boat cover manufacturers use polyester or other fabric to achieve a high degree of rip and tear resistance.

When trailering, always secure your cover onto the trailer itself. The use of some sort of tie down strap is preferred to bungee type cords as the straps allow you to more thoroughly "cinch" the cover down to help prevent air from entering the cover from the bow of the boat and "parachuting." This can destroy any cover and can be a hazard to following traffic as well. If you need to use both straps and bungees, use the straps up front and the bungees on the stern portion of the cover.

Padding Protection for Trailering

Pads should be used on trailering covers to protect both the boat and the cover in high wear areas. Our custom covers come with all the padding in just the right spots. To allow our customers to easily customize their new cover, we now offer "Peel-n-Stick" Ameri-Pads. These units are 10 inches wide and come in 6, 12, & 24 inch lengths. Ameri-Pads are a full 1/4" thick and made from a specially manufactured Non-abrasive Felt pad with a peel-n-stick adhesive backing.

Mooring/Storage Recommendations

Best Practices for Mooring

  • Choose covers with elastic/bungee cord sewn into the perimeter
  • Properly support covers to prevent water accumulation
  • Consider 100% Cotton for superior breathability when not trailering
Important: If you will be leaving the boat unattended for extended periods, supporting your cover becomes critical as excessive water or snow accumulation on a boat that's stored on the water could be a disaster!

Best Fabrics for Mooring/Storage

100% Cotton is the best fabric for storing a boat on or near the water due to its excellent breathability. However, it's not suitable for trailering.

50/50 11 oz. Poly/Cotton blend is a great alternative if you desire to trailer your boat with the cover on or if your boat is moored or stored in a high wind area. It comes with a 3 year warranty versus a 1 year warranty on the 100% cotton.

For long-term storage: When selecting a cover for mooring, try to get a cover with the elastic or bungee cord sewn into the perimeter rather than the draw-rope. It can be a real "pain" to properly place a boat cover when a draw-rope is working against you.

Outstanding Products, Pricing, & Service from the Professionals at
Ameri-Brand Products Inc.

To navigate through this section, or any other part of our web-site, simply use the drop-down menus located on either the left side, right side, or the top of this page.

Thank you for visiting us. We look forward to serving you.

Respectfully, The Specialists at Ameri-Brand Products Inc.

Call Toll-Free: 800-982-6966

International Orders

Fax: 530-589-2510 Int'l: 001-530-589-2887 Open M-F, 8AM to 5PM (PST)

Ameri- Brand Products Inc. 4619 Olive Hwy.
Oroville, Ca 95966

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