Boat cover and tower question

(darinmg) · (darinmg) **Join Date: Jul 2006** 10-18-2006, 8:54 PM

Just got a 2004 B52. It came with a towable boat cover, and I really like it so far. My question is how has everyone worked around the fact that the tower wants to sit on the bottom of the back seat when folded down, and the cover has to go over the ski pole. Picture the cover on tight, and then folding the tower down and it wants to pull the cover all the way down to the seat. Has anyone solved this problem for other boats?

Here is my idea: I want to build a frame that sits on the top of the ski pole, extends level toward the front of the boat, and then has two long feet that go to the carpet just infront of the back seat. It would be like a tripod for the tower. The flat part would be level with the cover, and the tower could rest on this flat part. Here is a really crappy drawing of the concept.

Why isn't any thought given to this problem? Even if I don't have the cover on, the tower still wants to put a big hole in the back of my seat.

Thanks,

Darin Upload

(sangerlover) · (sangerlover) **Join Date: Sep 2005** 10-19-2006, 6:56 AM

I solved by having 2 covers. 1 cover for storage (tower down). I remove the back seat and place a 2x4 x 12" long between the tower and the piece of plywood that covers the trans.. This keeps my tower speakers from taking all the weight. Once the tower is down my storage cover goes over the top of tower and boat. My 2nd cover I just purchased from Rankin Covers will be used primarily for traveling.

(rich_g) · (rich_g) **Join Date: May 2003** 10-19-2006, 8:04 AM

Congrats on the new boat. Could you place a couple of cheap vests around the top of the tower to act as padding? This should spread the load across the seat so it doesn't do any damage.

(pollock) · (pollock) **Join Date: Mar 2006** 10-19-2006, 10:08 AM

Check out this link. It has some other good ideas. http://www.themalibucrew.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=7007&hl=

(darinmg) · (darinmg) **Join Date: Jul 2006** 10-19-2006, 1:46 PM

That is a great idea Zach. Thanks for the link. That shouldn't put to much stress on the tower base, because that is almost exactly the same direction a rider would be pulling on that joint while riding. I will probably give that a try this weekend.
Does anyone see any issues with this that I am missing?

(rich_g) · (rich_g) **Join Date: May 2003** 10-19-2006, 3:21 PM

my idea with the vest would only help the seat issue when the cover is off. Could you bridge something across the gunnels to hold the tower up?

(Message edited by Rich_G on October 19, 2006)

(darinmg) · (darinmg) **Join Date: Jul 2006** 10-19-2006, 4:31 PM

Rich, that is what I am using right now. Actually a square floatation pad, but I don't like the idea of that all winter long. Works for now though. I will let you know how the cable works.