SLO Covers and Bags

We figured out a while back that if we keep our boats and sails covered when they are not in use, they will be ready to go when it’s time to mess about, and the better the cover—in quality of fabric and construction—the better the protection afforded to the boat. Over the years we’ve experimented with a variety of off-the shelf covers and have made some of our own, but we’ve not found any to beat the quality, selection, and service from SLO Sail and Canvas.

Photographs by the authors

SLO Covers come with web tie-down loops as standard. The 1″-wide straps are an optional extra.

Based since 2005 in San Luis Obispo, California, SLO Sail and Canvas is owned and operated by a group of sailors who specialize in high-quality, handmade products from sails to boat covers, sail bags to spar bags. They build custom sails and class sails, custom covers and class covers, and make only to order, aiming to ship most items within five business days of the order being placed. When it comes to boat covers, they have patterns for more than 100 classes of boat including such classics as the Optimist; Cape Dory 10 and 14; the Dyer Dhow, Dink, and Midget; the O’Day 15, Lightning, Whitehall Spirit, and Widgeon. However, if they do not have a template for a particular boat, they can supply customers with a kit to make a pattern from which SLO can then make a cover.

SLO Cover Materials and Construction

SLO builds its covers in polyester, Sunbrella, or TopGun fabric and for stitching uses Tenara Teflon thread (for Sunbrella and TopGun) and V-138 polyester for polyester. All covers and bags are single-stitched using a short stitch length to ensure a strong seam, and come with a lifetime seam guarantee.

The tie-down loops work well with line. Areas of known chafing or stress—as here in the bow section of a Sunfish cover, under strain from the spars beneath—are reinforced with extra fabric layers. Bungee cord sewn into the hem around the bottom edge of the cover provides a snug fit.

We first came across SLO when we were looking for covers for our fleet of Sunfish sailboats and ordered a cover in the water-resistant 600-denier polyester. The fit and quality of build were excellent. However, our boats are typically stored under a metal roof. It quickly became apparent that in hot, humid conditions breathability is more important than total water resistance: if moisture cannot escape from beneath a cover, mildew will follow. We ordered our next cover in water-repellent acrylic Sunbrella, a fabric that offers a good balance of water resistance, breathability, and protection from UV damage. Paired with SLO’s excellent fit and construction, the Sunbrella cover has served us well. The third fabric option is TopGun, an acrylic-coated polyester that is exceptionally abrasion- and tear-resistant and is, according to the SLO website, ideal for trailering. Like the lighter polyester, TopGun is 100% waterproof, but air vents can be added to any cover. A less rugged alternative to a full TopGun cover is to use the material to reinforce any chafe points of a Sunbrella cover.

All SLO covers come standard with tie-down web loops placed every 3′. An optional upgrade includes 1″-wide web straps with Fastex urethane buckles and reflective tape. We have found the buckles easy to handle even with wet hands, and they can be quickly adjusted to provided the right tension in the straps. Cover flaps are closed with UV-resistant Velcro; bottom edges are cinched with 1⁄4″-diameter bungee; and where needed, YKK heavy-duty Vislon zippers are standard.

SLO spar bags are as rugged and as well-made as the boat covers. The company sells a large range of stock bags—both full-length zippered bags, as seen here, and drawstring bags—for specific class boats. They also offer made-to-measure custom bags.

So impressed have we been with our SLO covers that we have also bought SLO spar bags in two versions: drawstring and full-length zipper. As in the covers, the quality of design and construction is excellent. Being able to keep our sails and spars bundled together, whether in the boat for trailering or over the shoulder when walking down or up the beach, has been a game-changer for us.

Audrey and Kent Lewis have a sea of Pacific Blue Sunbrella covers protecting their armada of small boats in the Tidewater region of Virginia. Their adventures are logged at smallboatrestoration.blogspot.com.

For pricing and availability of standard covers and bags or to consult on a custom-designed cover or bag, email SLO Sail and Canvas or call them at 805–479–6122.

Is there a product that might be useful for boatbuilding, cruising, or shore-side camping that you’d like us to review? Please email your suggestions.