At this time last year, I was absorbed in making a new winter cover.
Our old custom cover (shown above as it looked a few years ago), was commissioned in 2005 by the PO at a cost of $2,500. Eighteen years was quite a long run—well worth the investment. Unfortunately, the company stopped making boat covers about two years before we were ready for a replacement.
Last winter, we made a pattern for a new cover before we hauled the boat out, and then we put the old cover on for the last time. I spent the winter months making the new one.
I won’t attempt to document the whole process here. Sailrite has already done that with a 3.5 hour video: Sailrite DIY Winter Cover
Instead, I’ll share some hints and learnings that are not included in the Sailrite video, and I’ll include some details about modifications I chose to make.
Instead of the “bag” shape of the Sailrite model, I knew that I wanted the “skirt“ to go all the way to the water line, I wanted the bow to be more tailored to the shape of the hull, and I planned to add a zippered door at the port side gate for easy access, which was a feature of the old cover that we really enjoyed.
Materials: I went with the Sailrite recommendation, and used Top Notch, 60”. It is water repellant rather than waterproof, but breathable fabric means less risk of mildew. Snow slides off, and rain runs off, and any water that gets through certainly won’t hurt the boat. Top Notch doesn’t fade, holds up well in UV, and is far more resistant to abrasion than marine Sunbrella (and half the cost). The real appeal is that it is completely reversible; there is no right side or inside, which results in all kinds of efficiencies when cutting and sewing, eliminating the risk of cutting a piece the wrong side up. I elected to use the heavier 11.5 oz fabric, rather than the 9 oz for maximum durability and strength in our climate. I selected the tan color. An unintentional benefit of the color is that it is so much lighter in the cockpit under the cover;the old cover was a dark cave.
Here’s the almost-finished product (grommets along hem not yet in stalled):
The material estimator from Sailrite worked well. Because I wanted the “ skirt” to go all the way to the waterline like the old cover, I added the length to the calculation. 65 yards of Top Notch 11.5 Oz 60” fabric did the job. It came on two rolls, and the biggest challenge was getting the 50 yd roll into the house and to the work area; I couldn’t do it alone.
We already had the Sailrite LSZ1 machine, tools for installing grommets, the Snaprite snap installation tools, and an Edge hot knife. I had accumulated these over several years, making a main sail cover, bimini top, and cover for companion way. I also had a 3 lb mallet, a tempered glass cutting board, and a patterning ruler, all of which came in handy.
Patterning. Sailrite recommends Duraskrim for patterning. It’s worth the extra cost because it’s reinforced with a grid of fibers. It doesn’t tear or stretch. We ran a little short and used some heavy plastic sheeting for extensions; it’s surprising how much even heavy plastic will stretch in the process. A dependable pattern is a timesaver. Sailrite cautions one not to pattern on a windy day. That is so true. It is also not a job for single-handing. Following Sailrite instructions, we (me, the admiral, and 2 friends) were able to create a pattern dockside in about 2 hours. It is helpful to use a dinghy to work around the rub rail on the side of the boat that is not alongside the dock And across the stern. ( We were able to move our boat to the adjoining slip to bring the port side to the dock after completing work on the starboard side.) Patterning while the boat is in its cradle on the hard would be far more complicated and time-consuming, even with scaffolding.
Note: We saved most of the Duraskrim pattern pieces; they were quite large and can be re-used for other projects in the future.
Next: Cutting and assembly.
Last winter, we made a pattern for a new cover before we hauled the boat out, and then we put the old cover on for the last time. I spent the winter months making the new one.
I won’t attempt to document the whole process here. Sailrite has already done that with a 3.5 hour video: Sailrite DIY Winter Cover
Instead, I’ll share some hints and learnings that are not included in the Sailrite video, and I’ll include some details about modifications I chose to make.
Instead of the “bag” shape of the Sailrite model, I knew that I wanted the “skirt“ to go all the way to the water line, I wanted the bow to be more tailored to the shape of the hull, and I planned to add a zippered door at the port side gate for easy access, which was a feature of the old cover that we really enjoyed.
Materials: I went with the Sailrite recommendation, and used Top Notch, 60”. It is water repellant rather than waterproof, but breathable fabric means less risk of mildew. Snow slides off, and rain runs off, and any water that gets through certainly won’t hurt the boat. Top Notch doesn’t fade, holds up well in UV, and is far more resistant to abrasion than marine Sunbrella (and half the cost). The real appeal is that it is completely reversible; there is no right side or inside, which results in all kinds of efficiencies when cutting and sewing, eliminating the risk of cutting a piece the wrong side up. I elected to use the heavier 11.5 oz fabric, rather than the 9 oz for maximum durability and strength in our climate. I selected the tan color. An unintentional benefit of the color is that it is so much lighter in the cockpit under the cover;the old cover was a dark cave.
Here’s the almost-finished product (grommets along hem not yet in stalled):
The material estimator from Sailrite worked well. Because I wanted the “ skirt” to go all the way to the waterline like the old cover, I added the length to the calculation. 65 yards of Top Notch 11.5 Oz 60” fabric did the job. It came on two rolls, and the biggest challenge was getting the 50 yd roll into the house and to the work area; I couldn’t do it alone.
We already had the Sailrite LSZ1 machine, tools for installing grommets, the Snaprite snap installation tools, and an Edge hot knife. I had accumulated these over several years, making a main sail cover, bimini top, and cover for companion way. I also had a 3 lb mallet, a tempered glass cutting board, and a patterning ruler, all of which came in handy.
Patterning. Sailrite recommends Duraskrim for patterning. It’s worth the extra cost because it’s reinforced with a grid of fibers. It doesn’t tear or stretch. We ran a little short and used some heavy plastic sheeting for extensions; it’s surprising how much even heavy plastic will stretch in the process. A dependable pattern is a timesaver. Sailrite cautions one not to pattern on a windy day. That is so true. It is also not a job for single-handing. Following Sailrite instructions, we (me, the admiral, and 2 friends) were able to create a pattern dockside in about 2 hours. It is helpful to use a dinghy to work around the rub rail on the side of the boat that is not alongside the dock And across the stern. ( We were able to move our boat to the adjoining slip to bring the port side to the dock after completing work on the starboard side.) Patterning while the boat is in its cradle on the hard would be far more complicated and time-consuming, even with scaffolding.
Note: We saved most of the Duraskrim pattern pieces; they were quite large and can be re-used for other projects in the future.
Next: Cutting and assembly.
