Cover around tower legs
 

I have a 02 Mastercraft X-30 with the zero flex tower. I'm wanting to fix some things on my cover, small rips, a tear, and the hooks that allow the cord to go around the tower legs. I can't seem to find a good system to use for the tower legs. I've looked at D-rings, hooks, Snap hooks, ect. What do you guys use? Right now when i put the cover on, i have to tie the cords (rope) together so the i can use the draw string... Oh yea... my draw string (cord-rope) is 3/16", and i'm not opposed to changing it out with 1/4" maybe 3/8" if needed...
Thanks in advance.

My cover has velcro for each of the sections that go around the tower legs so I have to unvelcro the cover from that length of rope that goes in between each section of cover between the respective legs.

Basically taking the cover off the rope in those sections.

There is a disconnect for the rope on the starboard side (small metal clasp) and the ratching rope hook on the port side.


More modern covers all seem to be using nylon webbing instead of the rope and have plastic buckles to allow the webbing to be unhooked around the tower legs.


I'd prefer the webbing I think. Having to mess with the velcro is kind of a pain. And the velcro gets less and less sticky over time...

Trayson,
Thanks for the responce. I have thought about changing my draw string out to nylon webbing. I don't exactly know how that would go. I like the idea of being able to use a ratchet to tighten the webbing. I just don't know how I would keep the ratchet from hitting the transom and chipping gel. If I stay with the rope / string method, I plan on using a rope ratchet to tighten the rope.

What about you guys that have a rope or string? What do you use to attach your draw string back to itself so that you can tighten it up?

When my cover got modified for the tower they just put in a ring and a carabiner-like clip at the tower on each side of the boat. They then added a section of cover that velcros up between the tower legs to allow access to the rope connection and protect the gel from the ring/carabiner. Mine cinches at the front/ties through the bow eye to tighten. I'd like to switch to webbing, but don't know if I have enough width for webbing to fit, but am going to try when I get around to replacing some more of the velcro on mine that's wearing out.

As far as a ratchet goes, you just need to provide some padding for it. The covers on the MC's we've had had the two ratchets in a bag right at the transom that had some padding in it, and never got any gel damage from it.

Mine is like Tom's. There's a BIG padding on the Port side that goes under the ratchet and it velcros around the rope ratchet.

On the starboard side there's a little stainless clasp that's probably only 1/2 to 3/4" thick. It clasps a knot in the rope. It's kinda similar in size and look to this:

http://i01.i.aliimg.com/wsphoto/v0/1...IY-jewelry.jpg

I would search for a Stainless Steel Lobster Clasp...