Shock cords for canvas

[GMAN1]

Any one know where to find the bungee (Shock cords) that are attached to the canvas on Searays? Looking to replace all of mine on a 51 Dancer.

 

[skibum]

I got mine from Great Lakes Boat Tops.

 

[Dave S]

Here is another source as well. I would call them first to make sure you are getting the correct ones. http://www.sailrite.com/Shock-Cord-Cover-Clip-White

Dave

 

[Bridog]

I got mine from Great Lakes Boat Tops.

Me too. And they sent them for free! Now how's that for customer service?

 

[Rocket]

Here is another source as well. I would call them first to make sure you are getting the correct ones. http://www.sailrite.com/Shock-Cord-Cover-Clip-White

Dave

I replaced all of my shock cords which i bought from SailRite - Perfect match and great service.

 

[jason78]

Me too. And they sent them for free! Now how's that for customer service?

I was not so lucky, they want to charge me $5 each. The rep told me you have to break the old plastic housing to get the old one off and need to have a canvas guy sew the new Stayput plastic housing back on the canvas. Can someone confirm this? I was thinking they just snapped together.

Thanks
Jason

 

[skibum]

They told me the same thing. They can be pried apart or disassembled using a hammer, finishing nail, and a block of wood with a hole in it. See post #4 in this thread.

 

[Bridog]

I was not so lucky, they want to charge me $5 each. The rep told me you have to break the old plastic housing to get the old one off and need to have a canvas guy sew the new Stayput plastic housing back on the canvas. Can someone confirm this? I was thinking they just snapped together.

Thanks
Jason

Are you ordering the whole assembly or just the bungee cord? I don't have the same patience as skibum. They are very difficult to remove without breaking them. If you are ordering the whole piece it wont matter. The new ones just snap together where the old ones were. No need for the canvas guy.

 

[Two Peas]

I ordered mine from Sailrite for $3.50 each.

 

[Rocket]

I recommend that you order the entire assembly. Very easy to remove and they snap together. replaced all 13 of mine in 1/2 hour.

 

[Newbie]

The originals on my replacement aft curtain were not long enough so I made my own. They have the bungee at West Marine for about .50 a foot, and SS upholstery hog rings for a few dollars for a 100 or so. Cut to length, crimp the hog ring on it to keep it in the plastic housing and its done for maybe .10 each.

 

[jason78]

Are you ordering the whole assembly or just the bungee cord? I don't have the same patience as skibum. They are very difficult to remove without breaking them. If you are ordering the whole piece it wont matter. The new ones just snap together where the old ones were. No need for the canvas guy.

I only need the bungee but am perfectly willing to order the whole thing if needed. I think I will order them from Sailrite based on the prices I am seeing. I will have to order the "pull tabs" from Great Lakes though. I don't see them on sailrite. GL only wants about 20 cents each for them anyway. I am glad I can do them myself and not involve the canvas guy like GL said I would need to. Thanks for the help everyone!

 

[Two Peas]

My order from Sailrite arrived today - very quick, only one day for delivery.

Here's what my broken cord looks like:

And from the back:

As you can see, these are the famous STAYPUT fasteners. I can get by by just replacing the shock cord portion, but since I have new ones, I'll replace the whole thing.

Here's what they look like coming from Sailrite:

I didn't bother making the change today, this fun can wait until Spring.

 

[jason78]

Got the Shock Cord Assemblies including "Stay-Put" fasteners from Sailrite for $2.75 each. Ordered the laced Pull Tabs from Great Lakes for 40 cents each.

Good To Go! Thanks for the Help!:thumbsup:

 

[jason78]

OK, well after installing all the tabs on my cockpit cover, I discovered that the shock cord length you get with the sailrite kit is a couple cm longer than the one on the Great Lakes Canvas. This prevents the cord from being tight enough around the cord posts. I think I will be able to get the STAY-PUTs back apart and together without destroying it so I should be able to shorten the cord length. Can anyone tell me the name for the brass clips at the ends of the shock cord that hold it in the snap and a source? Also is there a special tool required?

Thanks
Jason

 

[billnpat]

Saw them on E-bay.....

 

[skibum]

OK, well after installing all the tabs on my cockpit cover, I discovered that the shock cord length you get with the sailrite kit is a couple cm longer than the one on the Great Lakes Canvas. This prevents the cord from being tight enough around the cord posts. I think I will be able to get the STAY-PUTs back apart and together without destroying it so I should be able to shorten the cord length. Can anyone tell me the name for the brass clips at the ends of the shock cord that hold it in the snap and a source? Also is there a special tool required?

Thanks
Jason

I think that they are called "hog rings" (like Newbe said). You may be able to move one of them and cut off the excess bungee without any "special" tools. Lay the bungee on a work surface so that the seam in the hog ring on one end of the cord is facing up. Take a pair of diagonal cutters and hold them straight up and down so that the point on each jaw is in the seam at each edge of the ring. As you squeeze the cutters, the seam shoud start to pry open without deforming the ring too badly. I'd try just loosening it enough to allow you to slide the ring towards the other end of the bungee. Once you move it to where you want it, use a vice, vice grips, pliers, or whatever you can find to squeeze the hog ring closed again. Cut off the excess and you're done.

I'm serious, removing them is easy. Look at Two Peas' pictures. The 2nd pic shows the back of the Stay-Out. Measure that disc and drill a slightly larger hole in a block of wood. I left my dang block of wood on the boat and shes still wrapped, or I'd go measure the hole for you (I put it in my "prop changing block" so that I can use it for future repairs). I can't remember if the disc is 3/4" and I used a 15/16" spade bit, or if it was an 18mm disc and I used a 3/4" spade bit. You get the point, the hole needs to be smaller than the "ring" at the bottom of the upper casing. Also. only make the hole 1/2" to 3/4" deep, don't go all the way through the board in case you use it on the dock. It will keep the disc from dropping through your block, between the dock boards, and into the drink. All you gotta do is lay the canvas over the block and let the disc on the back of the Stay Put drop into that hole. I took a finishing nail and stuck it head first into the little hole in the top of the Stay-Put and tapped it with a hammer. A hammer is overkill, so just tap. You could easily push it apart with anything solid that will fit in that hole and that you can get a grip on.

You can squeeze them back together with your fingers. If you're the kinda guy that has the admiral open up the pickle jar for you, you may want to ask her to put them together. :smt043

 

[Liquid Pleasure II]

Quick FYI...I got the replacement cords and housing from Great Lakes and the bungee part is REALLY short. They won't make it over the transom anchor pin without some major pulling.

On the far port and starboard units I had to combine the new and old bungees to get it to fasten. I am hoping to get some stretch over time. I do not know if Great Lakes has other lengths...I wish I would have known before ordering.

 

[LmannyR]

I have the old "Button Style" which I despise. There very difficult to put on in some areas!!!

When shopping for 280 DA last year, I boarded a vessel that had the Bungee setup. WOW, it was so easy and fast to secure the canvas in this manner.


How hard would it be to replace the "Button Style" to this Bungee setup? I'd like to do this.

Thanks!!!

 

[jason78]

Thanks for the tips, I think I will try to move the ring as skibum had suggested. According to the company that makes the STAY-PUT, the cords are available in several lengths- 70,80,90,100,110mm lengths. Sailrite does not say what length the ones they sell are. I am headed down after lunch to remove one from the camper canvas to compare. If I am lucky, the cord length is the same on the camper aft curtain and the cockpit cover. All the cords were destroyed on the cockpit cover so they would have been no good to compare anyway.

If I had to guess I would say the ones received from Great Lakes are correct. The ones on my camper canvas are pretty sung and they have 4 years of wear on them.