Boat Covers

Whether your boat is power or sail, fishing or cruising, Black Dog Design, Inc. can fabricate protective covers in many styles and colors to suit your needs.  Follow the links here to pages showing a variety of designs for different types of boats.

Ski Boat Covers and Drop Skirts

Covers for ski boats or runabouts/cruisers can come in either partial or full coverage designs.

Covers for Sailboats and Their Rigging

Sailboat covers come in many styles, from full coverage to relatively minimal sun/rain screens.  Including covers for sails is important but adds complexity.  Pictured here are examples of this range of options.

 Party Barge Covers

Covers for party barges and deck boats may either fully cover the entire boat, or Black Dog Design can manufacture covers for the individual elements of the boat, such as the console, the top, or the upholstery.  All offer good protection for your boat during periods of non-use.

Covers For Boat Trailers

During the times that your boat is in the water, your expensive trailer is subject to rain and sun exposure.  Consider a custom cover for this important part of your investment.

Here are recent articles describing various boat cover projects completed by Black Dog Design, Inc.

 

A New Boat Trailer Cover

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You all may remember “A Tale of Two Boat Trailer Covers” from our blog a bit over a year ago, which showed the sad looking tarp that had given up the ghost after several bouts of bad weather, etc. Here’s the “before Black Dog” photo of that tarp:


Fine protection for this trailer by a $25 tarp.

Well, after some consideration, your intrepid webmaster decided that the trailer should get the same advantage that Black Dog Design customers have, and so a new trailer cover was commissioned. Here are the fantastic results (Click on the image below to view more photos of the new cover):

The new trailer cover that replaces the worn-out tarp. The bulge on the front-left covers the trailer’s spare tire.

This cover is expertly made and will protect the trailer for years.

This pouch provides access to the straps that tighten the cover around the trailer.

Full protection for the trailer’s tires. The strap underneath holds everything in place side to side.

Thank you to the Black Dog crew for another job well done!

 

Full Coverage and Convenience For Your Party Barge

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Some time back, Black Dog Design was asked to create a full coverage cover for a luxury party barge that would be convenient to install and remove. The solution for this boat stored in a slip at Mountain Harbor Resort’s Marina was to create a cover suspended from the rafters of the dock that could easily be lifted off the boat for the day’s adventures and also easily be replaced when the day was done. The full cover protects the boat from various critters, spider webs and poop, etc.

Here are a few pictures of the finished product. Contact Charles&Terrie at Black Dog Design to discuss a cover for your boat!

A Tale of Two Boat Trailer Covers

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Discount Store Tarp vs. Durable Professionally-Constructed Trailer Cover

There are many ways to protect your boat trailer, including storing it inside, or, if that is not possible/feasible, storing it outside and protecting it with a cover.  Here is a tale about the differences in cover quality and durability.

This:

Saving money with a discount store tarp for a boat trailer. Guess it's time to buy a new tarp!!!

Saving money with a discount store tarp for a boat trailer. Guess it’s time to buy a new tarp!!!
(Click on this image for the story in pictures!)

Or This:

A new design in boat trailer covers from Black Dog Design.(Click on this image to view more photos of the new boat trailer cover.)

A new design in boat trailer covers from Black Dog Design.
(Click on this image to view more photos of the new boat trailer cover.)

Please Note:  Our covers are fitted to your exact trailer, so we must have access to your trailer or to an exact match in order to produce your custom-built trailer cover.

A Beautiful Refit for a 1986 Cobalt

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It’s always fun to be able to provide both “before” and “after photos of the work that Black Dog Design provides for their many customers. This fine 1986 Cobalt is a perfect example.

This beauty would look better in the lake, but visit the picture gallery for more of the story.(Click on this image to visit the picture gallery.)

This beauty would look better in the lake, but visit the picture gallery for more of the story.
(Click on this image to visit the picture gallery.)

Not only did our customer wish their well-maintained classic to get new upholstery, they also added a new bimini and a lifting cover for the boat to protect it in the dock, yet be easily removable when the lake calls.  Have a look at the photos, and you’ll see what we mean.

Give us a call to discuss your project.  You’ll not be disappointed!

An Improved Design for Boat Trailer Covers

Black Dog Design, Inc. Posted on by

In today’s boating world, the boat’s trailer can be as beautifully crafted as the boat.

Many of us launch a boat, put it on a lift in the slip, and then park the trailer until sometime later. Letting your boat trailer sit unprotected in the weather for long periods of time can lead to deterioration of the frame and its tires. While the boat trailer covers we construct are not inexpensive, they certainly protect your investment and keep the trailer looking brand new.

A new design in boat trailer covers from Black Dog Design.<br />(Click on this image to view more photos of the new boat trailer cover.)

A new design in boat trailer covers from Black Dog Design.
(Click on this image to view more photos of the new boat trailer cover.)

The covers are fitted as we would fit a boat cover, with drainage, ratchet and rope at the bottom for cinching tight, cover flaps for tires and rims, and coverage at the tongue.

The fabric is waterproof, has a very good life in the sun, and plenty of color options. We also use a GOR-TEX thread that does not break down in ultraviolet light.

If you are in the market for a trailer cover to protect your investment, please give us a call or come by to discuss your project.  

Thank you!

(Please note:  We must have access to your individual trailer to properly measure for a cover.  Or, You must provide us with a specific location where we can access an exact match for your trailer.)

Drop Skirts Extend Protection From The Sun

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This customer’s boat was really getting beat up by the sun on its port side.  Adding a custom drop skirt to the existing cover can help prevent fading and damage.

 

This custom drop skirt blends with the manufacturers covers and protects the sides of the boat from its nose all around, including the swim platform.

This custom drop skirt blends with the manufacturers covers and protects the sides of the boat from its nose all around, including the swim platform.

Sailboat Covers Galore!

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There was an article in a local magazine recently that featured a photograph of a sailboat dock at Mountain Harbor Resort.  We were pretty excited about the photograph, since we recognized that a number of the boats shown featured canvas work that was fabricated by the Black Dog Design Team.  So, not having received permission to use the magazine’s photo, we decided to grab a camera and take our own!

Much of Black Dog Design's work can be seen in this photograph of sailboats at Mountain Harbor.

Much of Black Dog Design’s work can be seen in this photograph of sailboats at Mountain Harbor.

The photograph above shows boat covers, bimini tops and frames, mainsail covers, line bags, helm covers, and even a cover to protect the boat name on the stern from the elements.

The custom covers on this Hunter sailboat not only protect the cockpit and bimini, but there is also a cover to protect the boat's artwork on its stern!

The custom covers on this Hunter sailboat not only protect the mainsail, cockpit and bimini, but there is also a cover to protect the boat’s artwork on its stern!

All projects are custom and require careful measurement and the making of patterns prior to cutting and sewing the fabrics. Bimini frames can be fabricated according to customers’ wishes and the space available on the boat. Black Dog Design can also create covers for windows and the cockpit areas as desired.

A Special Barge Set Up For Winter Fun

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This was a special order barge from Veranda Boat Company whose customer wanted to be able to use the boat in all seasons.  Veranda came to Black Dog Design to provide this special enclosure.

The clear enclosure with replaceable screen panels allow the owners of this party barge to enjoy it all year!

The clear enclosure with replaceable screen panels allow the owners of this party barge to enjoy it all year!

The clear panels zip onto the bimini top and zip to each other.

We also ended up making screen panels that could be changed out with the clear. These were ordered after the boat was shipped to Louisiana. The customer shipped the clear panels back to Black Dog Design, and they were used for a pattern to make the screen enclosure panels.

Screened panels can replace the clear windows in the enclosure for bug-free breezes in the summertime.

Screened panels can replace the clear windows in the enclosure for bug-free breezes in the summertime.

The wonderful thing about clear enclosures is how easily they heat up with very little sun in cold weather. The great thing about screen or scrim panels is that there is airflow through the boat, but bugs cannot get in. The scrim also has a sun protection factor and is a good choice for people who have sun issues yet still need to be out on the water with nature.

A Bright Red Cover and Drop Skirt for a Cobalt

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The very sweet couple who bought this new boat wanted us to make a boat cover to protect their new toy. They like red!

A beautiful full cover in red on this nice Cobalt.

A beautiful full cover in red on this nice Cobalt.

After the cover was complete, they decided to add a drop skirt for the side from nose to stern to cover the entire starboard side for sun protection.

The drop skirt added on the starboard side of this Cobalt to protect it from the sun.

The drop skirt added on the starboard side of this Cobalt to protect it from the sun.

The skirt is removable for towing the boat, yet the boat can be towed at highway speeds with the cover in place.

 

New Colors Spruce Up This Cruiser

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Our customers purchased this fine cruiser, but they were not happy with the canvas work that came with it.

New Sunbrella Blue Bimini and Tonneau Cover for this Cruiser

New Sunbrella Blue Bimini and Tonneau Cover for this Cruiser

Black Dog Design, Inc., created a new tonneau cover to protect the boat when in harbor and a new bimini top for the boat in a nice Sunbrella Blue that works nicely with the boat’s accents.

The customer is happy!