[C320-list] Cost for Winter Cover

[Bill Hutt]

Hi guys,

Just installed my winter cover from Shipshape Canvas. Great product, fit 
really well except the slot for the rear stanchion was cut too far forward. 
I will send it back in the spring for fixing.
It has a zipper in the rear that provides easy access to the cockpit.

Bill Hutt
"Caribbean Soul" #570
Cleveland, Ohio

-----Original Message----- 
From: Jon Vez
Sent: Friday, November 15, 2013 4:12 PM
To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
Subject: Re: [C320-list] Cost for Winter Cover

Joe,

After speaking with Jeff last fall, I also went with the shrink wrap 
webbing. This is the 2nd season doing so and it works great! I live in a 
condo and storing the wood strapping just wasn't practical. The strapping 
works just as well as the wood. My initial concern was snow pockets on the 
cover-we had a lot of snow last year in New England and no problems 
whatsoever.
I have a Fairclough and I agree with Jeff regarding their crappy customer 
service and the heavy tubing. I have asked them to make some alterations on 
my cover and they don't have any interest in considering it.
Jeff has a picture on the securing method that he and I used. Perhaps he can 
put it on the site??

BTW,
I'm pretty sure I saw you in Cuttyhunk this summer. Where you there with a 
flotilla?

Jon

Sent from my iPad

On Nov 15, 2013, at 2:07 PM, Joseph R Aberdale <summerwind3 at comcast.net> 
wrote:

> Jeff,
>
> I have the Fairclough cover and have been using the wood strapping. If I 
> understand your method correctly, you are not using any strapping on the 
> sides of the metal frame nor on the top as well? When you use the shrink 
> wrap webbing how many times do you wrap it around each piece of the metal 
> frame? How you secure the start and end pieces of the webbing? Do you 
> reuse it again?
>
> Thank you Jeff.
>
> Joe Aberdale
> 2002  #908
> Wellfleet, Cape Cod
>
>
>
> On Nov 15, 2013, at 12:27 PM, "Jeff Hare" <catalina at thehares.com> wrote:
>
>> 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
>>
>