How you protect your boat at marina ?

[negrini]

I'm considering a full canvas covering the entire boat, but not sure about the real benefits. I do think my RIB lasts twice if protected under fwd triangle canvas, but this is mostly about glue and rubber. Do you cover your boat ? Do you feel the longer lasting gel shine, hatches, hardware, etc ... ? Any personal oppinion/experience is appreciated. Thanks.

[klem]

The simple matter is that yes, UV will degrade most materials. Shade is good but it must be done right. The canvas cannot touch the boat because it will hold moisture against it so it must be kept a few inches away.

My uncle has a very nice wooden boat which they built drop cloths that cover the topsides for. During a normal haulout, they would bung dozens of questionable spots of wood. Once the covers were used, it became a couple a year. I know this is a wooden boat as compared to a glass boat but some of the same stuff applies.