cockpit cover

[dobson]

has anyone here made a cockpit cover themselves. i am looking into this and am wondering what material to use?

 

[Southpaw II]

If you are in a covered slip, nylon will do. But, if you are in the sun, you need Sunbrella, and it only lasts a few years in the hot southern sun.

Find a local Awning shop for pricing and samples, and then your best bet is to buy online if you are just buying material.

 

[dobson]

yea we are in a covered slip, and i was thinking about nylon. my only concern is will it hold up very long?

 

[Southpaw II]

It will do fine if you buy a heavy enough grade. I can't say what the price differential would be between that (nylon) and Sunbrella. The guy in the slip next to me has nylon, but I'm sure there is a reason most manufacturers use Sunbrella...maybe it's the UV protection it offers.

 

[rondds]

Dobson - do you have the equipment and skills to do it? I thought about making my own a couple of years ago - I can sew up pillows and stuff but Sunbrella is tough. I wound up getting a canvas shop to do it at a cost of about $60 per linear foot (mine was for a bridge cover for this boat). They measured, designed and installed it. Nice job and a GREAT thing to have. They even replaced all the male snaps on the boat and re-bedded them with silicone.

 

[Quint4]

I had one made for my last boat from a material called Topgun. I was very pleased......tough stuff.

 

[dobson]

i have tried searching the enternet for nylon but have not found any luck. where is a site to look?