Dinghy engine covers - what are they good for?

[poiu]

A lot of dinghy engines have these things. A sunbrella or similar cover for the engine cover. What's the point? I inherited one, I used it, but never saw the point. It is now tired and weather beaten. Now that I have a new engine I am not at all sure that there is a point in getting a new one.

I don't bash my engine on the dock or anywhere else for that matter, that I might need protection for.

So for those who like them - why do it?

[markwesti]

I have never seen the need for one , our favorite island getaway has a dingy dock that all the locals leave their POS skiffs with nasty bash bar around the engine tied up to . I have received some nasty gashes in my dink engine cover . Anyhow a canvas cover would have just been ripped . We store the dink engine on the boat yr. round and we have a really nice full length cover for it for when storing .

[poiu]

Originally Posted by markwesti

I have never seen the need for one , our favorite island getaway has a dingy dock that all the locals leave their POS skiffs with nasty bash bar around the engine tied up to . I have received some nasty gashes in my dink engine cover . Anyhow a canvas cover would have just been ripped . We store the dink engine on the boat yr. round and we have a really nice full length cover for it for when storing .

There's something perverse in that scene. The locals protect their engines by doing something that causes your engine to get bashed up worse than I expect it would be damaged if they did nothing.

I don't see bash bars where I am. Maybe the answer is to fit a bigger bash bar than the other guys. Survival of the fittest, or nastiest more like.

[JPA Cate]

We have friends who cover their engine cover on the o/b. It keeps it pristine looking underneath, so the motor looks pristine when it is uncovered. Our, uncovered lid has acquired scratches from rocks and docks and unknown objects.

Ann

[Tayana42]

My grandmother got a new sofa and had custom slip covers made. I never saw what the sofa looked like, only the slip covers. But the slip covers were expensive so she had clear plastic covers over the slip covers. I don't know if the slip covers felt nice or not. I only sat on the plastic covers. I never saw the point to that either.

[dlymn]

Some possible reasons might be:
Keep the paint work bright and stop it oxidising in the sun
Stop salt from getting onto interior alloy areas and causing corrosion
Stop deterioration of pipes and seals exposed to the elements.
Stop ropes, wires or chains chafing especially when lifting or lowering.
obscure the make and model of the engine for security reasons.
provide a colour or logo matching surface without working directly on the housing surface.
add multiple attachment points for lifting (if it was made to do so)
reduce damage to the engine cover when tied up or adjacent to quays
keep the engine housing surface a little cooler and so able to be handled if you need to remove it.
If it was in a Hi-Vis colour, be able to see it on the bottom when you drop it trying to get it on or off.
Reduce the likelihood of damage to interior surfaces if you store it inside or even in a locker.
reduce damage to housing paintwork if birds want to use your engine as a toilet and you don't see this for many weeks,

Just some thoughts

[JPA Cate]

^^^^neat post dlymn,

We have actually stuck retro-reflective tape spots to our dinghy covers, following a one time only (so far) occurrence of dinghy walkabout. Greatly facilitates locating the dinghy when searching by flash or torch light at night.

Cheers,

Ann

[JPA Cate]

Some people like to try to keep their possessions as new. Nothing wrong with that if it is what you want to do, but you shouldn't let a Depression upbringing scare you into it, you want it to be a conscious rather than unconscious choice.

Ann

[poiu]

Originally Posted by Tayana42

My grandmother got a new sofa and had custom slip covers made. I never saw what the sofa looked like, only the slip covers. But the slip covers were expensive so she had clear plastic covers over the slip covers. I don't know if the slip covers felt nice or not. I only sat on the plastic covers. I never saw the point to that either.

It sounds like a bit of that sort of thinking is often going on. I had an Aunt, who kept her front room, her lounge for best. It was always kept in an immaculate state for rare visits. I was always entertained in the kitchen so as not to mess it up. She lived in the kitchen too for the same reason.

If the motor gets a bad scratch, then put a cover on. That way you don't have to look at the dirty sunbrella cover until hopefully later, or maybe never.

[Cotemar]

We put a Sunbrella cover on the Dinghy Engine and Grill and a few other things. Just makes the boat look fresh and well kept after.

[Captain Bill]

in some locales Yamaha engines are in such high demand that the local thieves almost exclusively target them. Keeping a cover on it so that the brand of engine is not obvious might save your dinghy.

[zeehag]

i use em for fuel jug covers.....
many folks paint their engine covers so they are ugly for thieves not to take hahahahaha

[fatherchronica]

I never really considered any use for them, just thought it would be one more thing to have to stow. But now that I read these posts I think I may have my wife sew one up. All plastics are somewhat photo sensitive, so some slight help there maybe. Plus it would keep some salt water, and rain water off the engine, maybe preserving some of the oil sheen protection of metal parts. And I think I would probably only use it if I left the boat for extended periods, so the added chore wouldn't chafe so much. I am going to ponder it for a few years and see what I think.

[apacit]

I have straps for hoisting the engine. The sun is slowly destroying them, but they are not easily removed and refitted. A cover would be simpler to remove and would prevent or reduce the chances of a strap failure and loss. Perhaps I need to push a cover up my priority list!

[Cheechako]

^^What dlymm said. in the tropics the engine will oxidize and look bad fast. Sometimes that's not a bad thing....