Full cover for sundancer
- Thread starter Coz
- Start date
stephenm27
Active Member
I had a Fisher winter full cover for my 310 before I built a garage for it. It was one piece, weighed 112 lbs. Did the job but I loathed the days the cover went on/came off. I would recommend making it zipper in to 2 pieces for handling purposes.
rlsnow - 1990 260 CC
New Member
My boat is only 26' and the cover is excellent. Well fitted and great craftsmanship. It is also a real bear to put it on due to the weight. I use it for winter storage (even though the boat is stored inside) and I also use it for trailering long distance. I consider it a necessity but I sure wish it was a little lighter.
KevinC
Well-Known Member
I made this for my 340SDA. It weighs about 65 pounds and makes a great winter cover. I certainly would not want to be putting it on or off more than that though.
-Kevin
Coz
Active Member
- Oct 9, 2018
- 443
- Boat Info
- 2008 Sundancer 310
- Engines
- Merc Mag 350 DTS w/Bravo III
Kevin, Any tips on patterning? I see you ran panels perpendicular on the bow and parallel on the stern.
I’m looking at top notch material which is 7.5 oz/yd. Shouldn’t be too heavy. I’m using it while in a covered slip so don’t need a heavy duty one.
I’m looking at top notch material which is 7.5 oz/yd. Shouldn’t be too heavy. I’m using it while in a covered slip so don’t need a heavy duty one.
Highliner
Active Member
Wow. I would love to hear more about that as well. You must have a heck of a machine that can handle a lot of material. I've done cloth and vinyl apholstery as well as canvas work, but this is an order of magnitude bigger in terms of size and I'm trying to imagine how you patterned it.
It really looks great.
KevinC
Well-Known Member
I used top gun and might go with the lower weight top gun if I had to do it again. I wanted a shelter material that could hold up and handle snow and ice for years. I also double stitched all the seams with tenera thread. This winter I did have one seam open slightly that i will need to close and i also intentionally opened two seam at the skirt to allow for better ease of clearing the swim platform. Overall it held up great.
As far as the design, it's just how i envisioned it after staring at it for a while. I wanted a design that would be formed to tye shape and easy to assemble. The bow panels were run horizontal like a belt and the upper panels were tented to the center. The idea was that the long horizontal panels would tie the vertical panels together. I probably over thought the process and approached it more like building a house than a cover.
-Kevin
KevinC
Well-Known Member
Actually did it on a Sailrite LSZ-1. If I were to do it again I would probably run it through my Seiko machine with a servo motor and compound feed. I just wanted to prove that with good planning you can build even a project that big with a DIY machine.
Feeding the materials was probably the biggest hassel. At points I had to stop so that I could drag the material forward so that I could feed it through the machine.
-Kevin
Coz
Active Member
- Oct 9, 2018
- 443
- Boat Info
- 2008 Sundancer 310
- Engines
- Merc Mag 350 DTS w/Bravo III
Kevin...Looks like you ran a strap or something from the arch to the bow and arch to stern to create a ridge line, is that right? I was thinking of doing that.
Also did you sew all the panels together first then mark for darts/pleats on the boat or did you do more like 1 panel at a time?
I was thinking top notch 1s or sur last fabric. Both bout 7oz/yd. Any experience with those?
Also did you sew all the panels together first then mark for darts/pleats on the boat or did you do more like 1 panel at a time?
I was thinking top notch 1s or sur last fabric. Both bout 7oz/yd. Any experience with those?
KevinC
Well-Known Member
We created a re-useable ridge with poles and webbing straps capped with tennis balls. It starts at the bow roller and goes over the arch to the rear. I run a loop both the rudders to create a triangle. The sections tighten with D-Rings like a belt. I may possibly change some of that next - I will debate my options over the summer.
I previously used a "Sharkskin" material from Westland on my 260DA. I believe it is about the same weight and probably just their own trade name and worked well for the four seasons I used used it as my winter cover.
All the panels for the 340SDA were designed and templated from a shrink we used one season. We developed the center line and created a mirror image from the bimini forward. Top was one section and the aft was broken into three panels. They were sized and seam allowances added during the fabrication and then sewn. The final skirting with the tension belt was added last and the 1/4 inch line fished through. The forward bow lacing was completed with embedded 40g eisenglass for strengthening and then grommeted.
This project was far from simple and took along time. If someone were to want to buy a cover I would strongly ask them to research the ROI on the investment vs shrink wrap which would be dependent on location and how long you plan on hold the boat for. In my case it was more of proving a point in addition to the fact that I have always preferred covers.
-Kevin
KevinC
Well-Known Member
Yep, it was a lot materials. These pictures may give some context to the work...
Not really, it folds up well and stores away. Bag is approx 2' x 5' and 6" and neatly stores...
Like a well tailored suit. It is a good conversation starter around the marina storage.
-Kevin
