I'm ready to purchase a CCS Solo Canoe Cover for my Bell solo and want to know if anyone out there uses one and what do you think. I'll pull the trigger on it this week but before I do I'd like a bit of feedback with your opinions. Specifically:

1. Are they easy to attach? How easy were the rivets to attach to the canoe? Is there a pattern that's used?
2. Are they easy to get into once they are attached?
3. Is there room enough for packs to be a bit above the gunwales or does everything have to be below the gunwale line?
4. Are they waterproof or water repellent? Should they be Scotch-Garded for water protection?
5. What options do you recommend that have worked well for you?

Thanks for the help...

Past owner, user, and fan. Sold the Moccasin last year,
Will be talking to Dan about fitting my Advantage with one!

1. Are they easy to attach?
yes
How easy were the rivets to attach to the canoe?
simple pop riveting, just needed to modify the nose of the screw in rivet mount on the tool to fit inside the snap recess
Is there a pattern that's used?
snaps are installed on the cover as CCS makes them, you will install the snap posts to the canoe

2. Are they easy to get into once they are attached?
yes, it only took undoing 3 snaps to pull out the back (largest), pack

3. Is there room enough for packs to be a bit above the gunwales or does everything have to be below the gunwale line?
how you install the snaps will dictate the amount of slack in the cover. It is nylon and will stretch/sag some when wet and will tighten as it dries

4. Are they waterproof or water repellent? Should they be Scotch-Garded for water protection?
waterproof, as far as the fabric is concerned

5. What options do you recommend that have worked well for you?
only added the front paddle pocket and HIGHLY recommend that, on the new one I want front pocket, zip cockpit, map case, if it can be done

cover slideshow

butthead

They are easy to install and easy to attach.

I could not have Dan do my installation for me as I live pretty far away so I made an outline (he sends instructions for making a pattern and the material to do so). That said if you have a Bell he probably has the pattern already.

I had a Hemlock Peregrine so I had to start from scratch.

They are easy to attach and get off too, but if a wave dumps on top of you they are designed not to detach. I think Dan calls them one way snaps. Maybe he will be along.

They are water repellent.

They are designed for easy entry and wet exit. I recommend you practice wet exit in a controlled environment first.

You do not have to use them both..you can roll back the stern and bow. And the stern is adjustable to compensate for that pack that just sticks out a bit too far.. You can always snap the stern back one snap without pulling yourself backward.

A very good investment. There is a bit of flexibility in fit. Mine fits two different boats so the fit is not drum tight. But the boats are within five inches of each other in length and one in width so the fit is not floppy either.

I did not get any options. It has of course the paddle storage pocket which is handy.

Admittedly the first rivet installation is scary. That feeling goes away fast. Your boat wont shatter!

I do advise that a double thickness of a good masking tape makes the indentations easier to find. The cover will come with the snaps and you fit it to your boat. The boat has a masking tape strip below the gunwales. You will be pressing hard on the cover to leave dents on the tape,

If I were to do it again I think I would not do all at once but rather three on the bow right and three on the bow left. Snap those on and continue back in groups of two or three. I think that might ensure you don't inadvertently get out of line. But I would check with Dan on that.