Boat cover fastening system for aquatic craft utilizing a rail having a continuous securement channel along its length which receives a plurality of cover mounted flexible spring clips distributed along the periphery of the boat cover.

Boat cover fastening system for aquatic craft utilizing a rail having a continuous securement channel along its length which receives a plurality of cover mounted flexible spring clips distributed along the periphery of the boat cover. An alternate embodiment discloses a flexible spring clip having members of different flexibilities.

A spray skirt (A) is disclosed for covering the cockpit opening (14) of a kayak (10). The spray skirt includes a fabric cover (24) for spanning the opening which includes an elastic band (B) secured around the perimeter of the cover for retaining the spray skirt about a rim (16) of the opening. The retaining band includes outer and inner elastic bands (30, 32) joined by a compressible bulbous retention element (34, 40). The inner band 32 is of sufficient width to prevent contact of the interior fabric (24b) of the cover from being abraded by lip contact. The preformed outer band (30) includes a first outer band (30a) extending from the bulbous element upwardly and outwardly terminating at a bend (35), and a second outer band (30b) extending from the bend upwardly and inwardly. The first outer band fits under the rim and the second outer band extends over rim and substantially inward over the exterior cover surface to protect the exterior cover surface from abrasion against the rim when hit by the paddle and the like. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the bulbous element 40 is utilized and has a wall thickness greater than the wall thickness of outer band 42. Preferably, the wall of thickness of the bulbous element is about twice as thick as the wall thickness of the outer band.

A boat cover assembly utilizes a windshield bottom trim element which mounts a boat windshield to also mount a boat cover or canopy. The windshield bottom trim element comprises an upper portion defining a windshield receiving channel, a bottom portion having a generally convex outer lower surface, a substantially hollow interior, and a side access opening, and a middle portion comprising a fastener-receiving side opening. A number of different types of fasteners may be received within the fastener-receiving side opening, each connected, or connectable, to a fabric (such as canvas) which can cover the windshield, and also serve as a boat top. The fastener may have a substantially flat first face, a second face having a stem, and first and second flexible projections extending outwardly from the stem, and fabric substantially permanently attached to the elongated body by stitching. The flexible projections may be received by undercut recesses at the access to the fastener-receiving side opening.

A boat cover assembly utilizes a windshield bottom trim element which mounts a boat windshield to also mount a boat cover or canopy. The windshield bottom trim element comprises an upper portion defining a windshield receiving channel, a bottom portion having a generally convex outer lower surface. a substantially hollow interior, and a side access opening, and a middle portion comprising a fastener-receiving side opening. A number of different types of fasteners may be received within the fastener-receiving side opening, each connected, or connectable, to a fabric (such as canvas) which can cover the windshield, and also serve as a boat top. The fastener may have a substantially flat first face, a second face having a stem, and first and second flexible projections extending outwardly from the stem, and fabric substantially permanently attached to the elongated body by stitching. The flexible projections may be received by undercut recesses at the access to the fastener-receiving side opening.