# Plywood Boat Cover



## Frank R (Jun 9, 2015)

I hate my brand new boat cover. I have had it on for a week and it has rained twice. I have had to tug on the canvas in a few spots because it accumulates a little bit of water here and there.

I put the cover on because I have maple trees and the little helicopters were filling the boat and turning into wet mulch. Took me an hour to dig it out and hand scrub it all clean. I also want to be able to leave some stuff in the boat between fishing trips instead of transferring it all between the trunk and the garage.

I guess I will have to install more bows to prevent pooling. All that hardware has to be moved/disassembled/stored when I launch the boat and then re-installed when I trailer it home.

So I got to thinking: why not have a flat cover made out of plywood, kind of like a solid tonneau cover on a pickup? It could be hinged in the middle with a piano hinge. It could be reinforced with a few ribs underneath. I would make it from 1/4" to 1/2" plywood that has been sealed with epoxy (I have a gallon left over from building a boat).

My boat is a 14 foot Tracker Tadpole that is 53 inches at its widest beam. It is like a jon boat with a straight gunwale.

If I cut carefully and build it right I could use only two sheets of plywood. I am thinking I could use some kind of aluminum channel around the perimeter to secure it below the gunwale. It would unlock in the front, fold over toward the back, and then be removed off to the side. It would stored on the trailer after launch.

Upside is that it would be fast to remove/install and not pool water, as long as I keep the trailer jack a little high. Probably last a lot longer than a fabric cover.

Downside is the weight and cost.

What do you think? Should I just invest in more bows. How do you handle this situation?


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## Ictalurus (Jun 9, 2015)

I'd rig some PVC bows. Betting you'd get leaks trying to make a home-brew tonneau out of ply. 

Not sure I'd trailer with the cover and bows though.


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## Johnny (Jun 9, 2015)

If I had the extra funds, I would have a dedicated carport for mine.
but, alas, is way back on the back burner.


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## bobberboy (Jun 9, 2015)

Here's what I did. Lightweight and works well. I can install by myself. No rain or snow load issues.


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## Frank R (Jun 9, 2015)

Thanks for the replies. While reading it occurred to me to google some new terms:

Plywood Tonneau Cover:
https://www.google.com/search?q=plywood+tonneau+cover&biw=1600&bih=775&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=Di93VYPBCdWgyASCwoK4AQ&sqi=2&ved=0CB0QsAQ

See post #9 here: 
https://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/showthread.php?t=271367

See post #6 here: 
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/custom-homemade-tonneau-cover.261927/

Home Made Tonneau Cover: 
https://www.google.com/search?q=plywood+tonneau+cover&biw=1600&bih=775&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=Di93VYPBCdWgyASCwoK4AQ&sqi=2&ved=0CB0QsAQ#tbm=isch&q=homemade+tonneau+cover

Looks like lots of guys have done it for pick ups.


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## earl60446 (Jun 9, 2015)

bobberboy said:


> Here's what I did. Lightweight and works well. I can install by myself. No rain or snow load issues.



Very nice job right there.
Tim


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## richg99 (Jun 9, 2015)

There is a material called CoroPlast. If you think of Real Estate or Political signs, you've seen it. Lots of gas stations and places that sell soft drinks and cigarettes get free signs from the manufacturers to advertise their products.

CoroPlast is water proof, somewhat stiff, and hardy. I've built model airplanes out of it. I was able to buy a 4 x 8 sheet, from the manufacturer in Houston,TX for $13.00 a number of years ago. It was difficult to get it back home without a pick up truck.

Take a look at it, in lieu of the much heavier plywood that you are considering.

p.s. Right after an election, there are tons of 4 x 8 sheets advertising losing candidates. I imagine that you could get one or more sheets from a losing politician's offices. You can remove the printing using acetone and lots , and lots, of elbow grease.

regards, richg99


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## Zum (Jun 9, 2015)

Coroplast last along time...my parents have the stuff on the roof of their greenhouse,10* years old.


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## richg99 (Jun 9, 2015)

I also used some on the roof of a mini-deck. Unfortunately, ten years in the Houston sun finally destroyed it. But, that was 24 hours a day for ten years. Not bad for $13.00 richg99


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## surfman (Jun 10, 2015)

You definitely need to keep the boat covered, I would think that a plywood cover with a tarp over that would probably work pretty well, it would certainly be a cheap alternative, I just made a PVC pipe upright that sits in the middle of the boat and holds the tarp in a tent like pitch, works fine.


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## BigTerp (Jun 10, 2015)

The easiest, and probably cheapest, way to cover a jon boat is with some PVC or wood supports and a tarp. I use 2 old sawhorses I had laying around, an old 5 gallon bucket and a long piece of 2x4. The sawhorses go on the fore and aft part of my floor. The 5 gallon buck on the bow deck. The 2x4 spans the length of all of that and supports the tarp. I use about 6 bungee straps to secure the tarp at various spots and pull it down snug. It's held up to nasty thunderstorms that have knocked trees down in my yard and 12+ inches of snow. My boat stays bone dry and the tarp I use is a heavy duty kind that is UV resistant. I keep my camo seats in the boat and they don't show a single sign of sun damage. I had everything laying around my house except for the tarp. IIRC, it was $30 for a 10'x20' one. Add in the cost for some PVC or wood to make a support and bungee straps and you could probably have everything for $40-$50.


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## Frank R (Jun 10, 2015)

BigTerp said:


> The easiest, and probably cheapest, way to cover a jon boat is with some PVC or wood supports and a tarp. I use 2 old sawhorses I had laying around, an old 5 gallon bucket and a long piece of 2x4. The sawhorses go on the fore and aft part of my floor. The 5 gallon buck on the bow deck. The 2x4 spans the length of all of that and supports the tarp. I use about 6 bungee straps to secure the tarp at various spots and pull it down snug. It's held up to nasty thunderstorms that have knocked trees down in my yard and 12+ inches of snow. My boat stays bone dry and the tarp I use is a heavy duty kind that is UV resistant. I keep my camo seats in the boat and they don't show a single sign of sun damage. I had everything laying around my house except for the tarp. IIRC, it was $30 for a 10'x20' one. Add in the cost for some PVC or wood to make a support and bungee straps and you could probably have everything for $40-$50.



Yep, but do you take it off and put it on every time you trailer the boat to go fishing?

BTW: I am currently using a similar set up. I lash my two oars together with velcro and use them as a ridgepole across the tops of the folded seats. But I need to add something under the bow. A milk crate was not talk enough, and I could not trailer with it because it would move.


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## Frank R (Jun 10, 2015)

richg99 said:


> There is a material called CoroPlast. If you think of Real Estate or Political signs, you've seen it. Lots of gas stations and places that sell soft drinks and cigarettes get free signs from the manufacturers to advertise their products.
> 
> CoroPlast is water proof, somewhat stiff, and hardy. I've built model airplanes out of it. I was able to buy a 4 x 8 sheet, from the manufacturer in Houston,TX for $13.00 a number of years ago. It was difficult to get it back home without a pick up truck.
> 
> ...



Good idea, thanks.

I just looked at it. It is similar to corrugated cardboard except it is made out of plastic. Hmmmmm........... I will still need to reinforce it; but it would be lighter than plywood. Cheaper too.

Edit: Okay, checked a little further. It is not that cheap anymore. One place has it at $80 a sheet.

I have thought of using MDO sign board (not MDF) and painting it. I think the thinnest my local yard can only get it is 1/2 inch. That would probably not need much reinforcement.


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## BigTerp (Jun 10, 2015)

Frank R said:


> Yep, but do you take it off and put it on every time you trailer the boat to go fishing?
> 
> BTW: I am currently using a similar set up. I lash my two oars together with velcro and use them as a ridgepole across the tops of the folded seats. But I need to add something under the bow. A milk crate was not talk enough, and I could not trailer with it because it would move.



I sure do. I've never quite understand the need for trailerable boat covers. I guess if your traveling long distances and will be wherever you are going for more than a day trip they make sense. But other than that why does the boat need covered while trailering?


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## SumDumGuy (Jun 10, 2015)

Double check the pricing on that. Many places sell it in a 10 pack. I still see it for around $10 a sheet.

Also, the stuff is corrugated plastic (CoroPlast is a brand name used in a similar fashion to the name Xerox).


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## Frank R (Jun 10, 2015)

BigTerp said:


> why does the boat need covered while trailering?



To keep the stuff inside from flying out on the freeway. Bouncing around a bit is okay; bouncing over the edge and into traffic makes it more exciting than I care for.


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## BigTerp (Jun 10, 2015)

Makes sense


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## KMixson (Jun 10, 2015)

Covering your boat with a tarp or cloth type boat cover can be tricky. If you get water pooling it creates weight which makes it sag creating an even bigger pool of water which in turn makes it sag even more creating an even bigger pool. It can only handle so much before it rips and all that water goes into your boat. You need to make sure water can not pool in it. Using wood will be heavier and more bulky to handle but will do a better job in my opinion if done right. I don't think 1/4" plywood would be strong enough unless you have some kind of support structure to keep it from sagging in the middle. Then it would be wise to cover the plywood with a tarp to keep its integrity for the long haul.



richg99 said:


> CoroPlast is water proof, somewhat stiff, and hardy. I've built model airplanes out of it.



Rich, You have flown SPAD's (Simple Plastic Airplane Designs). They are a blast. I have a couple of them. They can be wickedly fast with the right setup. A lot of fun and tough as nails.


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## Frank R (Jun 10, 2015)

Just checked on Medium Density Overlay (MDO) board, which is the stuff that they use for outdoor signs. It was $80 for a 3/8 x 4 x 8 sheet.


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## richg99 (Jun 10, 2015)

re Coroplast ( or generically --corrugated plastic). A local sign shop wanted to charge me $35.00 or $40.00. I knew they were buying it across town for $13.00 a sheet.

If you are lucky to have a manufacturer in town, you can get it far below what a sign shop wants to charge you.

Check some local political or real estate organizations. However, they may be going through the sign shops ($$$)....

I got mine at Regal Plastics in Houston. They have plants in other cities, or,--- they must have competition. richg99


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## bobberboy (Jun 10, 2015)

Frank R said:


> Just checked on Medium Density Overlay (MDO) board, which is the stuff that they use for outdoor signs. It was $80 for a 3/8 x 4 x 8 sheet.



and pretty heavy


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## sonny.barile (Jun 10, 2015)

What about the corrugated polyethylene. I think most of the art stores like Blicks have it pretty cheap in sheets.


https://www.fantasticdisplays.com/sign-supplies/substrates/18-x-24-blank-corrugated-plastic-sheets-white/


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## richg99 (Jun 10, 2015)

Corrugated poly looks like a generic CoroPlast. I don't exactly remember the numbers now, but I believe the stuff I used for planes was 6 mil. 

They also had sheets of 2 mil (way too flimsy for the OP's job)...and something like 10 or 12 mil. The thicker stuff was stronger and somewhat heavier, but probably more expensive. 

The 6 mil came is 4 x 8 sheets and they also had 4 x 12 sheets, but not at their plant in Houston, only in Austin, TX.

I still harbor thoughts of building a small boat out of this stuff, but only if I can get the 12 foot lengths. There is a guy on YouTube who built a small motorized boat/kayak out of CoroPlast. ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0P-zJDn8ho
richg99


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## Frank R (Jun 11, 2015)

Sureply and Ultraply are two high quality nominal 1/4" plywoods. They do not have interior voids and they use a waterproof glue. They were developed to replace lauan as a vinyl flooring underlayment because the quality of lauan had dropped over the years. Because of the voids in the lauan , women's high heals were puncturing the vinyl if they happened to stand over a void area. The vinyl manufacturers were left paying out warranty claims.

The sheets are sanded smooth so a rolled-on coat of epoxy will leave a smooth, paint-ready finish. Instead of epoxy and paint I could cover it in vinyl like a pick-up's tonneau cover. I don't know what color to choose; my current cover is light gray but that is already showing dirt and it only a few weeks old.

The detail I have not settled on yet is whether to have an aluminum frame around the outside or have a wood frame on the inside of the gunwale. Latching and locking it have a host of problems to be solved too.

EDIT: I just received a quote from a local supplier of corrugated plastic. They want $152.23 per 1/4 x 4 x 8 sheet. You guys in Texas get it cheap. I can get .063 x 4 x 8 aluminum diamond plate for the same price. Plastic is really out.


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## richg99 (Jun 11, 2015)

Neat info. I didn't know about those two products. They were right about Luan.
richg99


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## Frank R (Jun 11, 2015)

Sureply is available at my local Lowe's for $20 a sheet.

For $63 I can have 5 yards of black marine grade vinyl shipped to my door. That would cost $100 if I bought it at the local Jo Ann Fabrics.

SurePly and paint is still a contender.


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