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Post by faffer on Feb 6, 2017 19:04:15 GMT
I have again been looking at canvas canopies for the cruiser and as they are a lotof money, from £1200 to over £2k it is going to be the biggest lump to spend on the boat. I have been looking at pics and testimonials. Pucs dont look good to me for what i will be paying....or am i picky and want it to perfect ? For even the cheapest at £1200 I would want it ripple free and god knows how much i will be unimpressed if it sags over a short time.. Is that possible or do even the best end up all rippled and sag a little with age ? ( I am expecting some no on sublect comments on that  ) dont know any other way to put it. |
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Post by naughtyfox on Feb 6, 2017 19:21:29 GMT
Five quid at B&Q.  |
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Post by faffer on Feb 6, 2017 19:36:07 GMT
I have bee there and done that, not exactly the look I am after again. Adn they do ware out quick and leak more than the boat did when I got itlol.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 6, 2017 20:24:08 GMT
It's one of those annoying things, we had ours done about 5 years ago, the guy that did it didn't really do what I wanted. It's a bit taller than it should have been, the fit is OK, but there is the odd drip and a few bits I'm not 100% happy with. I didn't pay a huge amount as he got a lot of work at our club, he came on the recommendation of someone I trusted but seemed to fall short of the hype  No way I could think of tackling that job though! I know someone that had a seamstress do theirs, they templated it up then had it sewn up for em Another did the same with a tame sailmaker they knew. If you go down that road it's worth buying the dies and press tools for studs and turnbuckles as they make life much easier. I'm expecting to redo ours in another 5 or so years |
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Post by faffer on Feb 6, 2017 20:40:46 GMT
It's one of those annoying things, we had ours done about 5 years ago, the guy that did it didn't really do what I wanted. It's a bit taller than it should have been, the fit is OK, but there is the odd drip and a few bits I'm not 100% happy with. I didn't pay a huge amount as he got a lot of work at our club, he came on the recommendation of someone I trusted but seemed to fall short of the hype No way I could think of tackling that job though! I know someone that had a seamstress do theirs, they templated it up then had it sewn up for em Another did the same with a tame sailmaker they knew. If you go down that road it's worth buying the dies and press tools for studs and turnbuckles as they make life much easier. I'm expecting to redo ours in another 5 or so years We was going to make our own but it will not look in any way as good as I want. Then its a scary thought to spend all that on it to somebody to make it for us. I have found a few local folk and i will email them and see how they are. I will see if they have any work that I can look at that they have done recently and old. There is so many things on the boat that i have done an dnot happy with now. Thats a different matter to me paying somebody to do something though. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 6, 2017 20:43:54 GMT
It's one of those annoying things, we had ours done about 5 years ago, the guy that did it didn't really do what I wanted. It's a bit taller than it should have been, the fit is OK, but there is the odd drip and a few bits I'm not 100% happy with. I didn't pay a huge amount as he got a lot of work at our club, he came on the recommendation of someone I trusted but seemed to fall short of the hype No way I could think of tackling that job though! I know someone that had a seamstress do theirs, they templated it up then had it sewn up for em Another did the same with a tame sailmaker they knew. If you go down that road it's worth buying the dies and press tools for studs and turnbuckles as they make life much easier. I'm expecting to redo ours in another 5 or so years We was going to make our own but it will not look in any way as good as I want. Then its a scary thought to spend all that on it to somebody to make it for us. I have found a few local folk and i will email them and see how they are. I will see if they have any work that I can look at that they have done recently and old. There is so many things on the boat that i have done an dnot happy with now. Thats a different matter to me paying somebody to do something though. With the hardtop you need three sides and a hoop, I'll take a few pics of my mates at the weekend so you can get an idea of how his is. It's quite neat and elegant how his is done. |
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Post by faffer on Feb 7, 2017 3:32:44 GMT
We was going to make our own but it will not look in any way as good as I want. Then its a scary thought to spend all that on it to somebody to make it for us. I have found a few local folk and i will email them and see how they are. I will see if they have any work that I can look at that they have done recently and old. There is so many things on the boat that i have done an dnot happy with now. Thats a different matter to me paying somebody to do something though. With the hardtop you need three sides and a hoop, I'll take a few pics of my mates at the weekend so you can get an idea of how his is. It's quite neat and elegant how his is done. That is the one I will be going for, single hoop. One thing that I dont like is a 90deg vertical back panel. Look better with a slight angle to them. I see that materials cost can vary a lot on what is used. |
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Post by peterboat on Feb 7, 2017 22:32:38 GMT
I had one on my old boat it looked good and wasnt expensive you do have to fabsil them every year though or they leak. My wheelhouse has a fabric cover same again wash and waterproof it yearly. On my old boat it transformed it in the winter it was a pleasure to cruise
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Post by JohnV on Feb 8, 2017 8:28:00 GMT
I have been reading the comments on here with interest.
My only experience with canopies (or in my case more accurately a pram cover) was when I owned a little Shetland.
It came fitted with a full cockpit pram cover, and my first thought was "smashing I can sit and fish under cover".
The first time I used it, the weather was clear dry and flat calm (and all in daylight) and it was fine.
The next time it blew up a bit, raining and in the dark ........ it was bloody awful.
you couldn't see properly and the windage was horrendous. I struggled back having great difficulty spotting the buoys. The shore lights I often used were distorted by the plastic.
The next day I took the thing off and put it in store for a couple of years until I sold the boat.
(Oh yes Sir, lots of extras, that is why the price. Even a full canopy so you can stay nice and snug when the weather isn't so good. chortle chortle)
I would far rather be cold, wet and be able to see where I am going and not have a side wind making me travel like a crab.
My boat experiences were usually with underpowered boats and I remember many times having fun and games in strong winds, especially on windy rivers and canals and that was without canopies
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Post by Deleted on Feb 8, 2017 9:44:14 GMT
Our canopy serves as extra living space when moored - we have a table that goes in the rear cockpit area - much nicer to eat out there than in a hot cabin! it's too tall to go under most of the bridges above Peterborough, we cant use it on the levels for the same reason so the majority of my boating is done with it down - whatever the weather! We do keep it up on the Great Ouse where bridge heights are less of an issue, although Prickwillow Bridge and a couple on the Wissey are too low to get under with it up, its particularly useful with the sides rolled up on a hot day as it provides good shade from the baking hot sun. The cockpit is all ply lined and has timber deckboards, I wouldn't want it open to the elements permanently - particularly as the Faria instruments are less waterproof than marine items should be! they fog up at the slightest bit of damp - I end up having to dry them out using the instrument illumination |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 8, 2017 9:53:54 GMT
Here you are Wayne  The hoop hinges behind the poles supporting the back of the hardtop. It has a tidy slope on the stern section so not too vertical. The side pieces clip inside the hard top as does the rear section. I'll take a photo of it up on Saturday. Picture was at E L T O N Mill Easter 2015, bit parky if I remember. The ban on mentioning the gay musician from Watford appears to still be in force! |
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Post by faffer on Feb 8, 2017 16:34:59 GMT
I have been reading the comments on here with interest. My only experience with canopies (or in my case more accurately a pram cover) was when I owned a little Shetland. It came fitted with a full cockpit pram cover, and my first thought was "smashing I can sit and fish under cover". The first time I used it, the weather was clear dry and flat calm (and all in daylight) and it was fine. The next time it blew up a bit, raining and in the dark ........ it was bloody awful. you couldn't see properly and the windage was horrendous. I struggled back having great difficulty spotting the buoys. The shore lights I often used were distorted by the plastic. The next day I took the thing off and put it in store for a couple of years until I sold the boat. (Oh yes Sir, lots of extras, that is why the price. Even a full canopy so you can stay nice and snug when the weather isn't so good. chortle chortle) I would far rather be cold, wet and be able to see where I am going and not have a side wind making me travel like a crab. My boat experiences were usually with underpowered boats and I remember many times having fun and games in strong winds, especially on windy rivers and canals and that was without canopies I will suffer the bad days for the good days and sat in comfort fishing under it Reading that brings back memoires of the crappy Dawncraft Dandy I had. It was like a bloody kite with a slight breeze. Here you are Wayne The hoop hinges behind the poles supporting the back of the hardtop. It has a tidy slope on the stern section so not too vertical. The side pieces clip inside the hard top as does the rear section. I'll take a photo of it up on Saturday. Picture was at E L T O N Mill Easter 2015, bit parky if I remember. The ban on mentioning the gay musician from Watford appears to still be in force! I have been thinking on the stern section. I will need to see much a slope I can make it as there is seating right at the rear and i will be making some folding back rests for the them. Be better if the seats can be used whilst cruising with canopy up. I spoke to a few canopy manufacturers today and to get the best quote I will need to sedn them a side on picture which where the boat is at the minute I cant get. So i am planning on makinig the trailer asap so I can get the boat out and sit it length ways on the drive. Good poitn there is that the trailer will be ready for the laich in plenty of time and i can then take the boat to the Canopy manufacturers which will save a fair few quid on the cost of it. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 12, 2017 7:40:29 GMT
Pictures to follow later on |
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Post by faffer on Feb 12, 2017 17:35:10 GMT
Pictures to follow later on no pics of launch in case it goes tits up lol |
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) dont know any other way to put it.
