If you keep your boat covered (and you should), getting inside the canvas to grab or stow an item can be a hassle. It involves unsnapping or untying the cover — or at least a corner of it — and folding the fabric back to get in and out, then securing the cover again. On my latest boat cover, I solved that problem by asking the canvas shop to sew in heavy-duty marine zippers on both sides of the aft cockpit. This allows me to duck in and out quickly without removing the cover. The shop also added a 2-inch flap with hook-and-loop fasteners to help keep the zippered seam as weather-tight as possible.
