Sunbrella has worked well
Ahoy Peter,
We bought an off the shelf “pattern” cover from Bixlers inflatableboatparts.com for our AB 9.5 in January 2018. It has held up fairly well, except for a small area of stitching that our local trade repaired. We chose a neutral Sunbrella.
This cover has a seam down the middle, essentially sewn from two pieces of Sunbrella. It has an elastic drawcord and points to attach tie-downs. We put bungee cords and hooks on ours.
We would use this fabric again. It has held up very well for being outside for over 4 years. The breathability allows the AB to remain dry, and the boat tubes still look nearly new as they have been out of the sun.
IRENE had a navy blue tender cover previously, which made a large visual impression on the boat. With the old tender went it’s navy blue cover. The neutral did reduce the visual footprint, but it is more difficult to keep clean. I would purchase one again.
Best Wishes