Pontoon Mooring & Playpen Covers

A pontoon is mostly open deck and furniture, which is exactly what the Florida sun destroys fastest. Between outings, all that seating needs to be covered, and off-the-shelf pontoon covers almost never fit the rail height and length.

We built covers cut to each boat: a full mooring cover for one rig and a snug black playpen cover that drops over the rails on another. Both are shaped to the deck so they sit tight and stay put on the trailer and at the dock.

The difference a fitted pontoon cover makes shows up in a couple of seasons: the furniture underneath keeps its color and does not crack, so the reupholstery you paid for actually lasts.

The challenge

Fitting a long, open pontoon so the cover sits tight at the rail, sheds water and does not balloon or gap in the wind.

What we did

We measured to each boat's rail height and deck length, cut the covers in marine-grade canvas, and finished them with support, tie-downs and UV-stable thread so they stay snug and shed water.

The result

Pontoon covers that actually fit, protecting the whole deck and the furniture underneath from the sun that ages it fastest.

Covering a pontoon the right way

Pontoons are their own challenge to cover. A few things worth knowing:

• Measure to the rail, not just the length. A cover that is right end-to-end but wrong at the rail still gaps and flaps.
• A playpen cover that drops over the rails is easy to use, which means you will actually put it on every time.
• Support the center so rain sheds off a long, flat deck instead of pooling in the middle.
• A fitted cover protects the seating you paid to recover, so it is the cheapest way to make that work last.

For broader guidance on storing and protecting a boat, owners can turn to BoatUS expert advice.

See more like this on our Covers & Canvas upholstery page, or read 6 Signs Your Boat Cover Needs Replacing for the full story behind work like this.

What we did on this job: pontoon covers and tops and custom boat covers.