Sorry it took so long to get pics - been out of town traveling. Pics are not the best - Elm tree is in full seed pod/bloom right now so it is hanging low, plus I have boat way up high on lift since its been blowing like stink here the last few days.
Cover cost in the neighborhood of $3,000. I know, seems high. But my cover guy basically gives me a lifetime guarantee and has backed this up in the past when he has fixed random issues I had on previous covers (like a racoon tear) for free as well as making other small non-boat related covers for free. He uses a thread that is rot proof (something that many of the online covers don't use) and is supposedly way more expensive. It took him a full week to make the cover for this beast. It is in two parts - zips together on either side of the cockpit and attaches underneath the hardtop uses turnbuckles.
My logic on spending the big bucks and and bothering with keeping the boats covered is this:
1. Keeps the boat perfectly clean inside, which living on the water (bird droppings) and with numerous trees (mostly pine) in my backyard, is a huge factor.
2. Protects the interior from UV rays, which here in Florida takes a quick toll on boats.
3. Resale value - both my last two boats (26' Century and 272 Sailfish) I sold for close to what I paid for them (ignoring, of course, all the upkeep and maintenance costs along the way). I wax the sides of the boat 3 to 4 times a year and with the cover protecting the "topside", the boats looked almost as nice the day I sold them as they did the day I bought them.
Anyway, that is my theory on spending so much on the boat cover. I have a 16' Scout and a 10' Avon RIB and they both have similar covers. Have had the Scout for over 10 years and the inside/cushions still look almost new (scratches and nicks from use excluded).