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Thursday, April 25, 2013

How to Take Care of Your Pontoon Canvas

Bennington pontoons come with lots of canvas. First, you have the playpen cover, which helps maintain interior cleanliness and prevent damage when your pontoon is not in use. Next, there is the bimini top, which provides some shade for those very hot days out on the lake. These two pieces of material will turn out to be very useful, so you'll want to make sure they live just as long as your pontoon boat does. Here, then, are some tips for taking care of your pontoon canvas (many taken from Bennington themselves):


PROPER STORAGE:
Store your bimini top in the radar position with the boot (bimini cover) zipped into place. This helps prevent wind, sun and bad weather damage over time. Remember: your top is comparable to a large umbrella, so keep it buttoned up when not in use!

When the playpen cover is fully installed, your Bennington will require the proper storage position of the bimini top, as the cover does not have forward strut cut-outs.

Use all tent poles under your playpen cover, and tighten them securely. The cover helps keep your boat dry and clean, but it is not 100% moisture proof and it is NOT a winter weather cover. A playpen cover is not designed to support heavy piles of snow and ice, or any other additional weight. So if you aren't going out on the lake every week or two, do check up on your Bennington every once in awhile to make sure nothing is weighing the canvas down (this is necessary even after a very heavy rain).

PROPER CLEANING:
Cleaning your bimini top and storage cover regularly will help maintain its integrity (and will keep it looking new!). They are pretty easy to clean, too - just brushing off any loose dirt or particles and hose them down with fresh water. If you've let stuff build-up, use a mild detergent (like dish soap) and fresh warm water. Never use solvents to clean the canvas.  

HAULING WITH CANVAS:
When hauling your Bennington, be sure the bimini top is locked in the radar or trailering-strut positions with the boot securely in place.

TOWING:
Bennington does NOT recommend towing with the playpen cover installed. Its purpose is more of a "mooring cover" for when the boat is at the dock or out of water on the trailer. Although you could likely tow your pontoon at low speeds and short distances and not have an issue, snap-whip from a loosened snap, snap-strain from high speed towing and various other situations can cause damage to your cover. In addition, the cover may catch in the wind in particularly windy situations, which may lessen the amount of control you have over the boat.

How often do you use your playpen cover and bimini canvas? 

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