Key West 179 FS Specifications
- Builder: Key West Boats (Ridgeville, South Carolina)
- Model: 179 FS, Family Sportsman series (listed from 2024)
- Length: 17' 9"
- Beam: 7' 4"
- Weight: about 1,450 lb (factory)
- Fuel: 35 gal (2025 brochure; 40 gal on some dealer sheets)
- Power: Single outboard, 90–115 hp recommended, 140 hp max
- Deadrise: 15°
- Draft: 12"
- Cover Shipping Weight: 23 lbs
Cover Features
- Fabric Options: 9oz solution-dyed marine fabric or premium Sunbrella acrylic
- Coverage: Full custom cover over the windshield, console, seating, bow, cockpit and outboard, sloped to the rubrail
- Construction: Reinforced stitching, hem cord at the rubrail, adjustable tie-down straps
- Protection: UV-resistant, water-repellent, breathable
Additional information
Choose Your Cover Fabric
7 oz. Polyester — Our entry-level marine cover fabric, woven from 100% polyester fiber at a 7 oz. per linear yard weight. This lighter option keeps the cover manageable for solo handling while still delivering reliable protection against sun, rain, and debris. Backed by a 3-year fabric warranty. Ships in Black.
9 oz. Polyester — Step up to our heavy-duty polyester, engineered at 9 oz. per linear yard for boats that face tougher conditions or extended outdoor storage. The denser weave adds an extra layer of defense against abrasion and weather without adding unnecessary bulk. Protected by a 5-year fabric warranty. Ships in Navy or Black.
Sunbrella® — For boaters who want the best, our Sunbrella covers use 100% solution-dyed acrylic — the same fabric trusted by marine professionals worldwide. Naturally resistant to fading, mold, and water damage, Sunbrella holds its color and integrity season after season. Covered by a 6-year fabric warranty. Ships in Black, Smoke, or Marine Blue.
Both polyester options feature solution-dyed construction, where pigment is infused into each fiber during production rather than applied to the surface afterward. This process locks color deep into the material, preventing any dye transfer to your boat’s gel coat or finish. The result is a cover that stays vibrant without bleeding or rubbing off. Our polyester is also designed to breathe — it allows moisture trapped underneath to vent out naturally, reducing the risk of mildew and keeping your boat dry. The fabric holds its form without sagging or stretching over time, stays lightweight enough for one person to handle, and stands up to prolonged UV exposure and harsh marine weather.
*The warranty periods above are provided by the fabric manufacturer and cover the material itself. For details on what’s included in the warranty for your completed cover, please see our warranty page.
7 oz. Polyester — Our entry-level marine cover fabric, woven from 100% polyester fiber at a 7 oz. per linear yard weight. This lighter option keeps the cover manageable for solo handling while still delivering reliable protection against sun, rain, and debris. Backed by a 3-year fabric warranty. Ships in Black.
9 oz. Polyester — Step up to our heavy-duty polyester, engineered at 9 oz. per linear yard for boats that face tougher conditions or extended outdoor storage. The denser weave adds an extra layer of defense against abrasion and weather without adding unnecessary bulk. Protected by a 5-year fabric warranty. Ships in Navy or Black.
Sunbrella® — For boaters who want the best, our Sunbrella covers use 100% solution-dyed acrylic — the same fabric trusted by marine professionals worldwide. Naturally resistant to fading, mold, and water damage, Sunbrella holds its color and integrity season after season. Covered by a 6-year fabric warranty. Ships in Black, Smoke, or Marine Blue.
Both polyester options feature solution-dyed construction, where pigment is infused into each fiber during production rather than applied to the surface afterward. This process locks color deep into the material, preventing any dye transfer to your boat’s gel coat or finish. The result is a cover that stays vibrant without bleeding or rubbing off. Our polyester is also designed to breathe — it allows moisture trapped underneath to vent out naturally, reducing the risk of mildew and keeping your boat dry. The fabric holds its form without sagging or stretching over time, stays lightweight enough for one person to handle, and stands up to prolonged UV exposure and harsh marine weather.
*The warranty periods above are provided by the fabric manufacturer and cover the material itself. For details on what’s included in the warranty for your completed cover, please see our warranty page.
| Weight | 23 lbs |
|---|---|
| Fabric | 9oz Polyester |
Install
Please watch the video below for installation instructions!
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Frequently Asked Questions
Center Console is our cover maker's name for the full-coverage style, made for any boat without a T-top or hardtop. It covers the whole boat in one piece from bow to stern and rubrail to rubrail, console, windshield and engine included. If your boat has a T-top, you want our T-Top style instead, which fits up under the top.
It's patterned for the Key West 179 FS (17'9" x 7'4") without a T-top. It isn't cut for the 189 FS, which is a foot longer with an 8' beam, or for the older 176 models — see our 189 FS full cover for the bigger boat.
Check the model on your registration or the builder's plate, and measure the overall length and beam: Key West lists the 179 FS at 17'9" long with a 7'4" beam. Send us your model year, length and beam (plus a photo if the boat has been modified or has a poling platform or other add-on) before you order, and we'll confirm the pattern fits. If you run a bow-mount trolling motor, remove it before installing the cover. Trolling motors come in too many styles to pattern around, so the cover isn't made to go over one.
Fold the rear jump seat down and stow any loose cushions or a bimini before covering. The cover is cut to drape cleanly over the deck in that stowed position.
Choose 9oz solution-dyed polyester (Navy or Black) for heavy-duty everyday protection, or premium Sunbrella acrylic (Marine Blue, Black, or Smoke) for maximum UV resistance and longevity.
No. The cover is made to protect your boat while it is parked on its trailer, up on a lift or in storage. Take it off before you tow: trailering with the cover on can damage it and voids the warranty.
Materials and workmanship are covered for 1 year, and the fabric carries its own warranty (5 years on 9oz and 6 years on Sunbrella). Every cover is made to order, so please allow 1–3 weeks; shipping is a $30 flat rate within the continental US.
Pricing: 9oz $750.00 · Sunbrella $885.00 — your final total appears below as you build your cover.
⏱️ Current lead time: 1–3 weeks — every cover is custom-made for your boat.
Questions about fit? Call (561) 677-2628
Questions about fit? Call (561) 677-2628
Key West 179 FS Center Console Boat Cover — Custom-Fit for the Key West 179 FS Family Sportsman Without a T-Top
Key West Boats is an employee-owned builder of no-wood fiberglass fishing boats in Ridgeville, South Carolina, registered with the U.S. Coast Guard as a boat manufacturer since 1988, and every boat carries a 10-year structural hull warranty. The 179 FS is the smallest boat in Key West’s Family Sportsman (FS) series, which the builder designs around more seating and family features while keeping the fishing gear; dealer listings show it from the 2024 model year on. Key West’s 2025 brochure lists it at 17’9″ long with a 7’4″ beam, about 1,450 lb, 15 degrees of deadrise, a 12-inch draft and a 35-gallon tank (some dealer sheets say 40), rated for 90–115 hp recommended and 140 hp max on a single outboard, with seating for six. Standard gear includes a flip-flop cooler seat with cushion, a molded seat on the console front, a folding jump seat in the rear deck, molded gunwale rod racks, an aerated livewell and a molded swim platform, and the builder notes it fits in an average residential garage. This full cover is patterned for the 179 FS, and like all of our Key West boat covers, it’s cut to this hull rather than a generic 18-foot size chart.
How It Fits the 179 FS
With no top in the way, the cover goes over the whole boat as one piece: it peaks over the windshield and console, slopes forward over the console seat and bow to the rubrail along the 7’4″ beam, and falls aft over the flip-flop cooler seat and the folded rear jump seat. At the transom it closes around the single outboard, so rain sheds off the peak instead of collecting in the cockpit. If you run a bimini, fold it down into its boot before covering. Installation takes about five minutes: drape it bow to stern, run the hem cord along the rubrail, and cinch the adjustable strap-and-buckle tie-downs. It’s made for storage on a trailer, lift, dry stack, or jet dock — take it off before towing, since trailering with the cover on can damage it and voids the warranty.
Fabric, Warranty & Shipping
Choose 9oz solution-dyed marine fabric for heavy-duty everyday protection (5–7 year service life) or premium Sunbrella acrylic for 8–10 years of fade resistance. Both are water-repellent, breathable, mildew-resistant, and double-stitched at the seams. Each cover is backed by our warranty (1 year on materials and workmanship, plus 5 years on 9oz and 6 years on Sunbrella) and ships for a $30 flat rate within the US — every cover is made to order, so please allow 1–3 weeks. If your 179 FS has a T-top, see our Key West 179 FS T-Top cover; for the next size up, see the Key West 189 FS full cover.