[C320-list] Cost for Winter Cover

[Jeff Hare]

As another reference point, I've had both a Fairclough cover and a TopShop cover.  

The TopShop Frame, Cover and especially the service are superior to Fairclough.  The price was much better as I recall also.

Specifically:
=========
Frame:  Thick walled aluminum tubing with gentle curves are *much* lighter to carry and easier to assemble.

Cover:   Doesn't allow snow to blow in anywhere.  Winter entry is much easier due to the design of the zippered aft section that fully seals in the boat with a nice curved tail rib overhang.  TopShop uses seat belt webbing to reinforce zippers and all along the bottom edge forming the loops you use to lace the bottom tight. 

Fairclough uses cheap grommets you have to thread rope through.  They tear if you pull too hard.  They would not put a door in the aft section for us, in the side (which is useless for us).  When we asked them how much to modify it with zippered access to the swim platform they said they wouldn't do it for us.  Generally not impressed.  We have to put a tarp under the cover to keep snow from blowing in the lace up aft section.   Next year I'll modify it to add extra material and zippers to seal up the aft end.

So, having had both, I'd go with TopShop and never look back.  They're also advertised in Mainsheet and know the C320 pretty well.  As I recall they were less expensive than Fairclough delivered. 

Also as a tip:  TopShop didn't require any additional horizontal strapping.  Fairclough requires you to use a couple rows of wooden 1x3 strapping on top of their frame to keep the cover from sagging.  That's a pain.  I purchased a 2100' spool of the 3/4" wide shrink wrap webbing to use instead.  ( http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004OR1CGG/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00  )  This year, I cut six 45' pieces of this webbing and wound each one around a dowel and used this to tightly create support for the cover between the ribs (From the stern rail, looping around each rib and ending on the bow pulpit.).  This saved a lot of time when stringing it and resulted in much tighter support.

Last year it held up really well, no strapping to carry/store/attach and saved time.  One spool should last me longer than I'll probably own the boat.

My opinions / anecdotes of course.
-Jeff Hare
#809 (2001) - Woodbine II

---- BairdRJB at aol.com wrote: 
> The canvas repair shop somehow has lost or misplaced our mast-up  
> winter cover for our boat (2001).  And so now I am going to have to  
> negotiate a price on a replacement.  If you have recently purchased a 
> new  winter cover, I'd be eager to hear what you paid.
>  
> Thanks.
>  
> Bob Baird
> Star Dust, 2001, hull 784
> Whitehall, Michigan