traveling with snap cover

A custom snap cover came with my boat when I bought it. It's a really nice cover, but some of the snaps are missing. I've traveled long distance a few times with it and its been fine, but our last trip the bow cover ripped off except it hung on by the snaps on the inside of the windshield. So we removed the cover for the rest of the trip. Is there any way to secure a snap cover better for long distance travel? I've heard people mention a travel cover, I assume the snap cover isn't made for travel? or can it be?

I have not had a problem with mine. And I've towed it a couple hundred miles no problems.

I have always been told to never tow with a cover on regardless whether it says its made to tow or not.

I have always heard it decreases the life of the cover alot quicker.

Would rather wear out a cover than road grime in my boat.

All those metal snaps on a snap cover would wreck the gelcoat, windshield & frame if they cut loose.

Go visit Cory & get yourself a real cover.

My cousin had some issues with the snap on cover on his Donzi.... He took it a local cover shop, and they put in some special heavy duty snaps on top of the windshield(the spot where the wind really likes to undo the cover), and it's been working great ever since. Find a local shop, and ask about the extra heavy duty snaps... You should only need them in areas where the wind really rips at the cover.

My father in law swear by them. They make 6-7 trips a year down to Powell towing and wouldn't make that trip without a snap cover. It's got to be done right though with the proper venting or like Bill said, the cover will rip and metal snaps will be banging around the gelcoat. I think he uses Custom Covers in SLC and says they do great work.

Jeremy, I agree with Bill. Go talk to Cory. You will wonder why you ever used the snap cover after you get one of his covers. I kind of like the idea of using the bow cover when on the boat in colder weather or when you have a bunch of weight up there though.

Never tow without my snap cover on.... Never had an issue with snaps coming undone...

I tow with my full cover on but I wouldn't with a snap cover for the above mentioned reasons and it's very likely to put extra stress around the button holes and rip those out. I hate snap covers their a pain to put on compared to a full trailering cover, then you have to have those little snaps all over your boat and they don't cover as much. I would say as Brett did that it's nice to have on when it's cold out to close up the bow but if you have a wind screen it does the same thing.

When I bought my 205, the previous owner had installed a naugahyde snap on cover with the snaps at the top of the windshield, plus a bow cover. I grew to love the bow cover for the reason Brett mentions. We ride in the off season a lot & it's a necessity. But the cover over the main cabin sucked for a number of reasons. First of all the little sliding snap fittings on the windshield scratched the frame up & never stayed in place. Several of the holes drilled for the snaps in the fiberglass cracked over time & they regularly got hung up on something, board shorts, shirts, whatever. And it sucked trying to put a naugahyde cover on the boat in cooler weather as it shrinks up.
At the time I swore I'd never buy another boat with a snap cover again. And I've walked away from deals as soon as I saw the snaps.
All that said, if there was a descent snap on cover, it would be one made of sunbrella, and where the snaps are hidden as well as possible. I've seen them installed under the bottom edge of the rub rail. And along the bottom of the windshield.

Having owned both snap covers & drawstring covers, I'd must rather have a Rankin/Evolution style cover any day of the week.

I haven't figured out a clean way to have a bow cover made for my Vride yet. Hoping the bow cover for the Malibu Corvette makes it to everyday boats sometime.