How to Measure for a Boat Canopy
Boat canopies attach to the deck of a boat slip and form a protective cover over the boat and boatlift. Rain and sunlight on a continual basis makes boat upholstery fade, dry out and crack. Boat canopies extend the life of the upholstery by blocking rain and sunlight. Canopies also keep birds from roosting in the boat and making messes. Boatlifts are made of steel or aluminum and each is measured differently to obtain the canopy size.
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Instructions
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Aluminum Frame
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1
Start the boat and back it out of the boatlift. Tie the boat to a secure area.
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2
Press the button on the boatlift to raise it to about waist height and release the button.
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3
Place the tip of a measuring tape on the front of the left side rail and stretch it to the rear of the left side rail. Do not include the thick metal ends of the frame, but the rail only. Add 2 feet to the measurement. This is the length measurement.
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4
Place the measuring tape tip inside the boatlift frame bottom. Measure the width from side to side in inches for the width measurement.
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5
Purchase a boat canopy in the length calculation in feet and by the width measurement in inches.
Steel Frame
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6
Remove the boat from the boatlift and tie it securely to the outside of the lift.
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7
Press the button on the boatlift to raise it to approximately waist height.
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8
Place the tip of a measuring tape inside the bottom of the boatlift frame on the right side. Stretch the measuring tape to the left side for the width measurement. Record this number in inches as the width.
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9
Count the loose ribs in the boatlift frame. This is the amount of metal ribs lengthwise of the boatlift frame excluding the first and last rib on the external framework. Use the following chart to determine the overall length of the structure:
7 ribs = 9 feet
8 ribs = 21 feet
9 ribs = 23 feet
10 ribs = 25 feet
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10
Purchase a boat canopy by the width in inches and the length in feet.
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