Boats are a vehicle you can take on a vacation or out fishing, but how do you protect it when the weather's no longer warm? One option is with a boat tarp. A boat tarp is an ordinary polyethylene, or poly, tarp that is wrapped around a boat and held in place by bungee cords. While this may seem like a similar option to shrink wrapping a boat, protecting your boat with a tarp and shrink wrapping a boat are both different, with the key factor being moisture that gets trapped below the surface of the covering. While shrink wrapping a boat will essentially keep the moisture locked inside the wrapping for an entire season, a boat tarp allows for air circulation so that any excess moisture can escape and not cause dry rot, mildew, or mold to build up. In addition, once the boat is out of storage, the boat tarp can be used for other protective uses, as well, including protecting other vehicles.

A boat tarp, much like any other poly tarp, is a heavy duty tarp made from 14 by 14 dernier count polyethylene. While polyethylene is still a breathable material that allows some air circulation to prevent moisture from building up, the poly boat tarp is also treated to be UV and rot resistant. Prolonged exposure to UV rays can cause paint to fade and plastic parts to crack, and when a boat is without a boat tarp for several months, exposure to excessive UV rays and rain will lessen the lifespan of your boat. To keep it in shape for many seasons, using a boat tarp is a solution to protect your investment for several months.