Cost of sprayhoods - daylight robbery.

[Mataji]

I need to have a rant about cost of sprayhoods. I’ve been quoted between £800 and £1200 for a little 24 ft Cornish Crabber.

Now About 7 years ago I needed a new full cockpit cover for an LM27. These covers are about 5 or 6 times larger than my Crabbers sprayhood. They are also a lot more involved, sides and rear panels all have good windows and all roll up individually. The whole cover rolls up very nicely for sailing or when not needed. I had ridiculous quotes for a new one until I contacted the sailmaker in Denmark who made the original one for my boat back in 1975. He asked me what year my boat was, what colour I would like, then supplied a new one in a week for £800. This included Danish VAT at 25% and about £50 for postage.

Does anybody know if going to Holland would get me a better deal? It could be a plan for next summer.

 

[fredrussell]

The Danish one might have been an off-the-shelf item perhaps, whereas the Crabber one is a one off bespoke unit?

One or two days work (guessing here) for a professional so circa £1k does seem a bit pricey, but then, welcome to the wonderful world of sailing. It transpired on here recently that a boat gel coat repair professional charged £50 an hour. £400 a day!!! Seemed outrageous to me until I remembered that my local VW dealership charged over £80 an hour for labour in the workshop. We’re probably being shafted, but there’s not a great deal can be done about it, or is there?

 

[stranded]

I need to have a rant about cost of sprayhoods. I’ve been quoted between £800 and £1200 for a little 24 ft Cornish Crabber.

Now About 7 years ago I needed a new full cockpit cover for an LM27. These covers are about 5 or 6 times larger than my Crabbers sprayhood. They are also a lot more involved, sides and rear panels all have good windows and all roll up individually. The whole cover rolls up very nicely for sailing or when not needed. I had ridiculous quotes for a new one until I contacted the sailmaker in Denmark who made the original one for my boat back in 1975. He asked me what year my boat was, what colour I would like, then supplied a new one in a week for £800. This included Danish VAT at 25% and about £50 for postage.

Does anybody know if going to Holland would get me a better deal? It could be a plan for next summer.

Guessing you’re East Coast, but in case down this way, have you tried Octagon in Plymouth - first time with a marine supplier I have been taken aback by their prices in a good way - and consistently, over three different jobs.

 

[jwilson]

If you can find a maker that has a guaranteed accurate pattern for a particular model their prices should and probably will be a lot lower than someone who has to come and measure, make a pattern, test fit, adjust and refit. Probably enough LMs in Denmark to have a good standard pattern.

As the manufacturing equipment cost (industrial sewing machine) is really not that expensive if you think you can make a lot of money making £1,000+ sprayhoods with £200 of material why not have a go? I suspect if you cost your time you will find the truth.

Give me a heavy duty long arm walking-foot sewing machine (preferably a double-needle one) and I'll happily make you quite good sails, but I'll pass on making a one-off sprayhood.....

 

[38mess]

I think that would be the going rate more or less. Don't forget these guys have invested substantially in machinery and premises and are running a business. Why not shop around a bit, but you get what you pay for.

 

[Mataji]

I have contacted the maker of my current sprayhood. He still has the pattern but wants £840 to make another. He is on the Solent.

 

[Mataji]

Guessing you’re East Coast, but in case down this way, have you tried Octagon in Plymouth - first time with a marine supplier I have been taken aback by their prices in a good way - and consistently, over three different jobs.

Thanks for the tip. I should be in Plymouth next week.

 

[pvb]

I have contacted the maker of my current sprayhood. He still has the pattern but wants £840 to make another. He is on the Solent.

That sounds about right.

 

[Hacker]

Have you contacted Crabbers?

 

[Laysula]

We had a new sprayhood made up using the old one as a pattern by Sabre sails in Swansea. Cost us £400

 

[James_Calvert]

Do your quotes include fitting?

Watch out for travelling charges if the boat is remote from the hood maker.

 

[newtothis]

. We’re probably being shafted, but there’s not a great deal can be done about it, or is there?

 

[PetiteFleur]

I made my own, info on the Internet, I had a Singer 20u sewing m/c which was good, made patterns, took a bit of fitting etc but still going after 14yrs. Also made a cockpit canopy, works but not made correctly - as I found out afterwards...

 

[duncan99210]

The Admiral and I have made many canvas work projects from the simple (dodgers) to the complex (dinghy chaps), but we balked at doing a new spray hood. Why? Because it’s complex, difficult to sew and time consuming.
When we finally admitted defeat and got a sailmaker to make us a new one, the materials were costed as a separate item in the quote. They were just over a third of the overall cost of €1200. It took two hours work making a pattern from the frame, two visits to the boat with the partially completed hood to ensure correct fitting and I’d estimate a day to cut out, 2 days work for a skilled team of two for the actual sewing it together. So I’m content with the price I paid. I’m therefore not surprised to see the quotes the OP has been getting. The actual size of the hood has little bearing on the overall cost of the item, it’s the work that goes into it that costs.

 

[LONG_KEELER]

I wonder if sprayhoods are part manufactured in the east like most sails purchased in the UK ?

 

[Zagato]

I had a Crabber24 a few years ago and looked into getting a new sprayhood. It was cheaper to have one made rather than get one from Crabbers. The quotes I got were from £900. They all wanted to visit the boat to make a pattern even if they already had a pattern as it more accurate and the sign of a professional company apparently. I sold the boat later in the year for a nice 3.5K profit Think I asked three companies, ocean canvas may have been one , the cheapest was a company located in a boat yard right on the front around the corner in Topsham, sorry cannot remember the name. Have fun with the Crabber, was a nice boat. Mine was Cornish Cutter 24 in really good condition, one owner, no expense spared, bought it for a bargain 23.5K was advertised for 10K more by Crabber!!

 

[neil1967]

We paid 1200 Euro for sprayhood for our Oyster 406 in the Netherlands about 3 years ago (to fit the original frame). It is an excellent fit and well worth the money. I think the cost of the material is a small part of the overall cost.

 

[pvb]

When I had my previous boat - Hallberg-Rassy 352 - I bought a replacement original-spec sprayhood from HR Parts. Perfect fit and OEM quality. Today, a replacement 352 sprayhood from them costs under £700.

 

[Sandy]

The last sprayhood I had made was almost 10 years ago was £600 so sounds about right.

My current boat's sprayhood frame is quietly falling apart as we speak. If you know where I can find some fittings for the end of the tubes do let me know. Thanks.

 

[wilkinsonsails]

Kayospruce do end fittings in various sizes .Stainless or plastic ,3/4 to 1” tube