Getting worn out taking canvas on and off!

R

rhodyboater

New Member
Feb 25, 2009
212
Rhode Island
Boat Info
340 Sundancer 2004
Engines
Twin 8.1 mercs
I'm really tempted to just leave the back of the canvas unzipped and off instead of struggling with zippers and snaps (especially at dusk).
I'm in New England and yes, we've been getting deluged with rain, but when it's more normalized weather, what is so bad about leaving the bimini on (of course) but the cockpit open?
Just about all the upholstery seems to get sun protection from the bimini top (well for AM through noon anyway).
Will the vinyl seats soak up water like a sponge?
Does anyone do this or am I the only lazy one?:wink:
 
We leave the bimini that's attached to the arch up all the time. But not the extended camper piece. I think it looks better that way too. I like the one piece fast back instead of the 3 piece camper top. One thing I do to speed things up is to keep the 3 piece windshield pieces all connected and put them up and down as one piece. I can get mine up in 5 minutes or so. On even nonrainy days we put it up to keep the bugs out which are more of a pain than dealing with the canvas.
 
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Tony, I hate it too. But really if everything is working properly it shouldnt take more than 4 minutes to put it on. I'm on Block and do it every night, my canvas is slightly larger than yours and if you do it the same way every time you will get use to it. You must get the sequence down so not to struggle. good luck.
 
I hate to see a boat left open to the elements, especially a Sundancer, rain,dirt,bird droppings. U/V etc. You will have more work and expense than the time it takes to put up the canvas.
 
I have a cockpit cover for my 280DA. 2 min to put it on or take it off. The only time i put up the glass is when it's raining.
 
fyi I used to struggle with 2 people (the wife and I) for a LONG time trying to get the aft curtain up, but once I learned the one and ONLY "right" way I could put it up inside of 2 minutes with no cussing or straining at all. I am telling you each enclosure has ONE way to go up easily do it that way and it's a piece of cake!!! find the way.
 
How about a cockpit cover? Seems like the perfect situation and boat.

We don't use ours often but when it's 90 and I've been out all day, it sure is nice for the quick getaway.

Hey wait, I have a boathouse now so what am I talking about.:smt038
 
A cockpit cover is the first thing I buy after bringing home a new Sundancer. It is the best money I ever spend. I use all that other canvas in the winter time to extend the season.
 
TurtleTone said:
I have a cockpit cover for my 280DA. 2 min to put it on or take it off. The only time i put up the glass is when it's raining.
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Excatly the same for me. I never, ever leave the boat exposed to the elements. There are 2 or 3 boats less than 5 years only near me (uncovered) and the interior looks shot. One guy even cleans his often. I believe that the UV is better to eat my cockpit cover than my interior. Just my 2 c.

Mark
 
When I bought my 340, it was a little over 2 years old. They used the cockpit cover, but let it go to the point that the poles had fallen over, it had filled with water, ripped the seams at the snaps, and left the cockpit a MESS. They never had the glass up, and the cover laid across the seats. They were quite dirty. When we bought the boat, we had the cockpit cover rebuilt before we took the boat. We have NEVER installed it. We always leave the front windows in (in Fl), and we used to put the back cover up and down every time we used the boat. It only takes a few minutes at most once you get good at it. If you want the front windows out, use the cockpit cover. If you want the front windows in, use the aft curtain - it's a lost easier than the cockpit cover.

If you want it all, get a camper canvas made with roll-up windows. Have the front, center window made to swing up and snap to the arch too - easy to open up the front that way.
 
rwvw415 said:
A cockpit cover is the first thing I buy after bringing home a new Sundancer. It is the best money I ever spend. I use all that other canvas in the winter time to extend the season.
Click to expand...


Same here. Cockpit cover for summer and front windows and aft curtain for winter use.

One thing I like about my cockpit cover is that it has a ziiper/velcro flap from the transom door all the way to the cabin door.

Nothing worse than getting it all buttoned up to realise you left your car keys in th cabin. The zipper makes reentry very easy.
 
My camper top was designed with removable snap-on webbing straps that allow me to roll up sections and leave the last inch of the vertical zippers attached and the horizontal ones fulled zipped. At the end of the day I remove a few straps, roll down the windows, and zip up the windows that have the zippers already lined up and started (the hard part) and I did not have to find a place to stow them.
 
Excatly the same for me. I never, ever leave the boat exposed to the elements. There are 2 or 3 boats less than 5 years only near me (uncovered) and the interior looks shot.
Click to expand...

I'm one of those guys. I bought my boat four years ago. The previous owner didn't store the canvas right so it never fit. He did tell me this though. The advice I got the first season from other boaters was "it's a boat, it's made to get wet, save your money". Worst advice I could of got. After two seasons exposed, the vinyl is brittle with pink and gray spots in a couple areas, cockpit carpet shot, dash panel seal was ruined, and the cockpit is overall much harder to keep clean now, despite waxing and polishing. This season I spent a week hitting the canvas with a blow dryer and fixed the zippers and snaps to get it on. I also bought a cockpit cover. I'm afraid the damage is done though. Live and learn.
So just cover it with something.
 
If you don't want the expense of a camper back and you are willing to remove the back canvas get U-Zips installed on your front curtains. They will install them in your current curtains and it really makes it easy, you just roll up and snap. I got them installed over the winter last year for $700 and it was a great purchase. Many people say they will leak but they don't as long as the installer does it right.
 
I have a 380 dancer. The best thing is ever did on the the boat was to have a canvas made to put up instead of the 3 eisenglass panels on the windsheild area which were designed by sadists. I still have the eisenglass panels in case of rain when I have to run the boat(used them once in 3 years) The three pieces in the aft take me about 3 minutes to take down/ put up. I don't see the big issue here on the aft curtains
 
You can order a cockpit cover from Great Lakes for under a grand. The new one for Just Ducky was about $700.
 
I use the cockpit cover after the weekend out. If it's raining Sunday and I have the full cockpit enclosure up (front and side windows along with camper and bimini top), I'll just leave it up until the next time I'm down at the boat. Usually it's only a few days.

There definitely is a trick to putting up the glass though. I've found the zippers must go on in a sequential order to make it all come together smoothly. Some zippers require that they not be fully zippered until all the pieces are up (leave maybe 10 inches of the zipper undone and proceed to the next piece). Figure that portion out and you're golden.

Doug
 
I used a cockpit canvas during the summer and a camper back canvas during the cooler months. The camper back used to drive me NUTS putting it up until I realized, as others have mentioned, there is really only ONE way to put it up. The cockpit canvas is really nice. I recommend them highly.

The main reason i like my cockpit canvas... it wraps completely over the windshield and snaps to the deck. With the eisenglass panels... if you can't completly get them to stretch down to the windshield you will have all kinds of leaks at the helm.
 
I agree with many others here. I use the cockpit cover unless I have been out in the rain and return to the dock with the camper up. The cockpit cover goes on in under two minutes and it is easier to take off and stow. Keeps the boat clean and dry.
 
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