CONTINUOUSWAVE

I recently decided it was time to retire my 2005 Taylor Made Boat Cover for my 1985 Outrage 18. It served me quite well, and, considering the sun and weather exposure over 10 years, it lasted longer than I anticipated for the ($250 price. It was custom fit for that specific boat, and I was pleased.

For Christmas, I attempted to purchase another Taylor Made cover that was advertised as being made specifically for my Whaler and took delivery just before the holiday. Unfortunately, when I attempted to cover the boat, it did not fit at all. When I contacted the factory, after much searching of product codes and inventories, it was determined that the boat cover I need (and purchased in the past) is no longer produced by the manufacturer. I don't blame the Company (in fact, they were very professional and helpful throughout the entire process), but lament the fact that my once popular boat, may be fading into the sunset with regard to readily available parts and accessories.

I have no way of knowing, but anecdotally, I believe, Taylor Made is the largest manufacturer of boat covers. So what was going to be a $300 cover will now probably become a much more expensive item due to the need for a smaller, custom-type manufacturer. I guess it's nothing more than what should be expected, but it's a milestone, nonetheless.

If anyone knows of a vendor that might still have a more economical cover, please share that information. At this time, I'm not interested in a $1,200 cover. Thanks for any leads you can provide.

You might try Great Lakes Canvas. They are no longer on the Great Lakes, but down in Kentucky or Tennessee, and they are an OEM to Brunswick and the many Brunswick boat brands. This is just a guess on my part. I don't know if they sell direct to end users any more.

The company name is actually Great Lakes Boat Top and they have factories in Tennessee and Florida.
http://www.greatlakesboattop.com

In looking at their site, the earliest Outrage 18 they show products for is 2000.

Carver is another company that makes products for Whalers. You can see them via iBoats.com. Their Outrage 17 I cover was a good product. Not sure about the Outrage 18.

Here are the boats.com listings for a 1985 Outrage 18 covers:

http://boatcovers.iboats.com/Boston_Whaler/18_Outrage_(1984-1990)/?cart_id=531544920

I just ordered a cover from Carver for my 1986 Outrage 18. I am expecting delivery next week.

I also have a Mills mooring cover original to the boat and still in good condition. The reason I ordered the Carver cover is that from time to time I need to store the boat on a lift unattended for some weeks (my boat spent most of her life on her trailer in covered storage). As good as the Mills cover is, it tends to blow off around the bow in any type of wind. I'm hoping the Carver cover will not do that.

I'll let you know what I think after I have used the new cover.

Phil T wrote:Carver is another company that makes products for Whalers. You can see them via iBoats.com. Their Outrage 17 I cover was a good product. Not sure about the Outrage 18.

Here are the boats.com listings for a 1985 Outrage 18 covers:

http://boatcovers.iboats.com/Boston_Whaler/18_Outrage_(1984-1990)/?cart_id=531544920

I think at iboats the Carver cover is called EnduraCover. I just bought a Carver cover for an Outrage 18 from another vender and the part number is the same, the color choices are all the same too. iBoats calls the fabric I bought Supreme Aqua Shield and sells the top for $455, all the Carver websites I have seen call the fabric Sun-Dura. I bought the top from this website for $369 >>>

Scotties Canvas

Thank you for the replies. I start the process and let you know what I find.

I bought a cover from here http://boatcovers.iboats.com/Boston_Whaler/18_Outrage_(1984-1990)/?cart_id=933575170 and it is of great quality, good price and fits like a glove (better than O.J.'s glove) I can drive full speed on the highway and it's very water-repellant and after 2-1/2 years seems to be fade resistant too. Different manufacturers one supplier, I do see Taylor Made on the bottom so call and make sure you can get one for your Model.
Take a good look at the different fabrics they offer and their advantages and warranties.