Full boat cover custom made

daboss_uk

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Morning

Can anyone give a rough idea for the price of a 30x10ft waterproof but breathable cover please? , looking for something custom made and *fitted* maybe using a frame to lift the roof sections. I have an old one thats been made very well and was thinking of using that as a template, but it's going to be a big job i reckon. Someone said 4k over the phone yesterday... that seems very steep as the material only costs £500 tops, so thats 90 hours work @ £40 hour! to make a cover ha.

Thanks
D
 
A few years ago a fitted over-boom cover from the mast aft on our beamy 35 ft boat was just over £1,000 from our local sailmaker. Cover itself about 18 ft by 20 ft plus a triangle at the back and lots of straps and web ties to hold down.
 
Morning

Can anyone give a rough idea for the price of a 30x10ft waterproof but breathable cover please? , looking for something custom made and *fitted* maybe using a frame to lift the roof sections. I have an old one thats been made very well and was thinking of using that as a template, but it's going to be a big job i reckon. Someone said 4k over the phone yesterday... that seems very steep as the material only costs £500 tops, so thats 90 hours work @ £40 hour! to make a cover ha.

Thanks
D

While that may sound steep it was an unseen guess and therefore not too surprising. Copying a pattern would not take that long but if you then want changes there is measuring up to do and most of it requires 2 people. Also handling the mass of fabric to make a cover like this is not easy and may well require 2 people a lot of the time. With a really good quality walking foot machine and the right needles and thread it isn't that difficult to do with practice but otherwise it takes skill and experience for which you have to pay. Unfortunately to pay somebody a reasonable wage and provide a factory etc etc means they have to charge out at about £40 and hour. I suspect as others have said, with a proper quote and some shopping around you can get the costs down to the £1.5 to £2K range.

I would also add that getting the arrangement right to minimise movement and the consequential wear is very important. Booms etc tend to have all sorts of bits that can cause wear so using a smooth pole (scaffold or similar) to carry the ridge is quite important. Also designing it so wind doesn't get underneath it is key. I have made 2 now with a friend for 36 and 45 ft boats and both took quite a long time and needed a few fittings at various stages and were relatively simple single ridge designs that stay inside the guard rails.

yoda
 
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