Scout 281 XSS Specifications
- Builder: Scout Boats, Summerville, South Carolina
- Type: Inshore/offshore hybrid bay boat with hardtop
- Length: 28'1"
- Beam: 9'4"
- Deadrise: 15.5°
- Draft: About 14" engine up
- Dry Weight: About 5,457 lb without engines
- Fuel: 126 gal
- Power: Single or twin outboards; 450–600 hp max (varies by source)
- Cover Shipping Weight: 38 lbs
Cover Features
- Fabric Options: 9oz solution-dyed marine fabric, 7oz polyester, or premium Sunbrella acrylic
- Coverage: Fits up under the hardtop and covers the windshield, console, leaning post, bow and stern casting decks, draping over the outboard or outboards
- 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 | 38 lbs |
|---|
Install
Please watch the video below for installation instructions!
No more offers for this product!
Frequently Asked Questions
It's patterned for the Scout 281 XSS with its carbon-fiber hardtop: the 28'1" hull with a 9'4" beam. Please confirm your model and year when you order, and tell us whether your boat has one outboard or two, so we can check the pattern before we cut.
The Scout 281 XSS was sold with a single outboard or twin outboards. Either way, the cover runs aft over the transom and falls as one loose drape over the engine cowling or cowlings; there are no fitted engine pockets, and the lower units stay exposed below the hem. Tell us which power your boat has when you order, and tilt the engines down so the fabric hangs evenly.
Yes. Our T-Top covers are made for any hard top, so the cover fits up under the top and wraps its supports either way, leaving the roof exposed. The 281 XSS has a composite hardtop with a carbon-fiber T-top structure and an acrylic windshield. Tell us which top your Scout 281 XSS has when you order so we can check it against the pattern.
If your boat has Power-Poles, select them in the Power Poles field when you order. A Power Pole Measurement Form will pop up; fill it in and email it to info@perfectfitboatcovers.com so we can cut the cover to fit around them. Remove your trolling motor before installing the cover. Trolling motors come in too many styles to pattern around, so the cover isn't made to go over one.
Choose 9oz solution-dyed polyester (Navy or Black) for heavy-duty everyday protection, 7oz polyester (Black) for budget-friendly coverage, 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 (3 years on 7oz, 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: 7oz $1,800.00 · 9oz $2,040.00 · Sunbrella $2,425.00 — 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
Scout 281 XSS T-Top Boat Cover — Custom-Fit for the Scout 281 XSS Hybrid Bay Boat with Hardtop
Scout Boats builds its fiberglass outboard boats in Summerville, South Carolina. The 281 XSS is a 28-foot boat that Sport Fishing calls a serious inshore/offshore hybrid bay boat, with large casting decks fore and aft. Published specs give a 28’1″ length, a 9’4″ beam, a 14-inch draft, a 15.5-degree deadrise, about 5,457 lb dry and 126 gallons of fuel. It takes single or twin outboards; test boats ran a single Mercury 400. A carbon-fiber hardtop and a three-sided acrylic windshield enclose the helm, and the console holds a head. Forward, a console lounge and a foredeck seating area with dry storage lead to an elevated bow deck with an anchor windlass. The leaning post has an 18-gallon livewell and a slide-out cooler, and there are dual stern bait/fish boxes. This T-Top cover is patterned for the Scout 281 XSS with its hardtop, and like all of our Scout boat covers, it’s cut to this hull rather than a generic 28-foot size chart.
How It Fits the Scout 281 XSS
The cover runs up to the underside of the hardtop and wraps its supports and the windshield, so the roof stays exposed. Below it, the cover takes in the console and leaning post, then runs forward over the bow seating to the stem, falling to the rubrail along the 9’4″ beam. Aft, it covers the stern casting deck and falls as one loose drape over the outboard or twin outboards, with the lower units exposed. 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.
Trolling Motors and Power-Poles
Scout offers a bow trolling motor and factory shallow-water anchors as options. Remove your trolling motor before installing the cover. Trolling motors come in too many styles to pattern around, so the cover isn’t made to go over one. If your boat has Power-Poles, select them in the Power Poles field when you order. A Power Pole Measurement Form will pop up; fill it in and email it to info@perfectfitboatcovers.com so we can cut the cover to fit around them.
Fabric, Warranty & Shipping
Choose 9oz solution-dyed marine fabric for heavy-duty everyday protection (5–7 year service life), a lighter 7oz fabric for budget-friendly coverage, or premium Sunbrella acrylic for 8–10 years of fade resistance. Every option is 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 3–6 years on the fabric) and ships for a $30 flat rate within the US — every cover is made to order, so please allow 1–3 weeks. For Scout’s 26-foot XSS, see our Scout 261 XSS T-Top cover; for a 28-foot offshore center console, see the Scout 280 Sportfish T-Top cover.