Hardcore 100% waterproof fabric for sprayhood/bimini recommendations

Make sure you specify Sunbrella "Plus" which is what we use. There is "new" Sunbrella which is more for sun awnings and Dodgers and will need re proofing as its shower resistant, which basically means that after a year, with driving continuous rain it will leak. We often see this cheaper variant used for sprayhoods, the covers don't leak until after the cover makers warranty has expired.
Most acrylic canvas manufactures also supply a shower resistant uncoated version which can have its uses, but not for aing term waterproof cover.
Some cover makers will say this lower cost version is "coated" but the coating referred to is the proofing which wears off. The properly coated versions have a layered coating on the inside and the inside of the fabric will have a different appearance, this coating gives the water proudness and should last the life of the fabric.
We use the plus version only, including Dodgers and sun awnings.
Lastly, the max wash temperature for Acrylic is 30 degrees c, it will shrink up at 40, and this is a common mistake when unknowledgable owners have canvas laundered.

Hope this helps.

John Bland
www.tecsew.com

Should also mention, if a fabric does not breath, condensation can be a real problem, and if the cockpit is enclosed, this can encourage mildew and algae growth. Best answer to stop algae us to clean the canvas regular, in situ with a soft bristle car wash brush and fresh water, the type of brush that attaches to a hose pipe.
 
Last edited:
andygc said:
Despite the manufacturer's claims, Weathermax is not waterproof. My sailmaker made three winter covers for my boat.
No 1, Weathermax, at my expense. It rained inside just as much as outside.
No 2, New supply of Weathermax at supplier's expense (oh sorry, the first was a defective batch). Ditto.
No 3, Acrylic canvas. Sailmaker supplied, eventually he got a refund from Weathermax supplier. Dry inside when raining outside.

Conclusion. Weathermax is really nice to handle and much lighter than acrylic canvas, but it's FA use for a boat cover. It might be OK for a sprayhood if you don't mind some water getting in.
Click to expand...
Well mine doesnt leak, was yours the weathermax 80. This product is the std fit to new Oyster Yachts
 
It might be condensation rather than the fabric leaking, especially if damp and cold
Outside and the area is fully enclosed. This is normally much more of a problem if the covers are put on with the area covered being wet after rain.
This is where fabrics that are breathable as well as waterproof help.
Fabrics are waterproof to different levels and the water column the fabric holds is usually quoted. Imagine a fabric bucket and it's the height of water held before leaking.
In a marine environment with driving pelting rain, a fabric with a very low water column figure will leak due to the drive the water hitting the fabric with force.
I am a fan of top gun for winter covers or covers that take a lot of abrasion, otherwise, sprayhoods, enclosures and bominis, I recomend Sunbrella Plus. We have used weatherman on fly bridge tonneau a and winter covers without leakage problems, but have seen condensation due to circumstances pointed out above.

I would perhaps add that Sunbrella has been around for a very long time, is very aesthetically pleasing, has a great warranty, colour fastness and is constantly being developed. With new fabrics, there's always a risk knowing the situation 7 years down the line, warranties in fabric usually just cover the cost of the fabric, not labour, and labour is the largest part of the cost of replacement is needed.

Also, out of all the Acrylic canvas, I believe Sunbrella plus is the dearest, it's a premium product world renowned, but not always specified due to cost and the savings that can be made with a lower priced Acrylic, we believe it's the best Acrylice canvas on the market and worth the pri
cost.

Regards

John
www.tecsew.com

John
www.tecsew.com
 
Last edited:
jaybee63 said:
Make sure you specify Sunbrella "Plus" which is what we use...
Click to expand...

Hi John. Actually we have been looking at Sunbrella Supreme, which is the top of the range, apparently.

Other options we've been looking at is Weathermax, Nylex and one beginning with 'S' whose name slips my mind. We have friends with sprayhood and bimini made from that last one and it's the sort of thing we're after. I'll post up the name when I remember it.
 
TQA said:
The stuff you want is called Stamoid. Made by Serge Ferrari and comes with a 5 or 7 year warranty.

My bimini and dodger were made using it and it outlasted the stitching and transparent stuff. At 8 years I had it replaced mainly because it had gone black with mold in a couple of places where I leaned against it. Mine was white.
Click to expand...

Just re-read this thread and TQA already mentioned it: Stamoid. I've seen it on two peoples' boats and it's impressive material.

The thread we've been advised to use is Tenara, made with/by Gore (as in Gore-tex).
 
demonboy said:
The thread we've been advised to use is Tenara, made with/by Gore (as in Gore-tex).
Click to expand...

That's what was used for our new Kemp stack-pack. It's expensive stuff and troublesome to use, so we paid an additional £70 for the privilege. Based on our experience with biminis, hoods and UV strips in the Med and in northern Europe, the standard thread fails long before the material does so we hope this will be a good investment.
 
It's my understanding that a decent acrylic canvas doesn't shrink, and Top Gun is very good- however the window vinyl does shrink, is subject to burn marks where it touches any metal (tubes etc), and is more susceptible to permanent damage from mould and UV. So with any soft cover you should budget for a couple of window replacements and re stitches; it would help reduce the cost of said replacements and restitches if the design was fairly straightforward as labour is the main cost component.
 
Tradewinds said:
Stitching is often a weak point.

I know you can get UV thread but I don't know what the actual lifespan would be in the Tropics. It's a bit of a bummer when your spray hood starts to disintegrate at the (expensive) seams but the material is still good.

Re Material - I always thought that Sunbrella was supposed to be the best. Make sure that you actually get what you ask for - the acrylic they made my sprayhood from in NZ was supposed to be 'Sunbrella', but wasn't :rolleyes:. Said it would last for 'years' - it didn't.

Surely your cruising chums in your neck of the woods (esp the Americans) would have a good idea what the best stuff is - they're usually pretty clued up. I don't think that our predominantly UK-centric forum is necessarily the best place to ask advice on materials best suited for the tropics - unless they are currently liveaboard in the Med/Tropics or recently so (my experience was from 20 years ago).

Be interesting to see what is suggested.

I really enjoy your videos btw.
Click to expand...

Sunbrella, though one of the best is no longer the best acrylic canvas. You can get uhmw thread which is close to being totally UV resistant, but it's hell to work with and will, invariably, result in a far higher price for the finished article.
In fact in UV @ 30-40N, I find the clear plastic the first to go, becoming opaque.
 
demonboy said:
Hi John. Actually we have been looking at Sunbrella Supreme, which is the top of the range, apparently.

Other options we've been looking at is Weathermax, Nylex and one beginning with 'S' whose name slips my mind. We have friends with sprayhood and bimini made from that last one and it's the sort of thing we're after. I'll post up the name when I remember it.
Click to expand...
Yes, Sunbrella supreme is their top of the range fabric, we use it when specified, although it's not cheap. It has a flock finish to the inside which can be in a lighter contrast colour, so is a great choice where a lighter feel is wanted for the interior.
For us, Sunbrella are still the best and our preferred choice, but everyone will have their own opinion.
Window materials have improved over the years, as have sewing threads, but are still likely to fail before the canvas.
Keep harsh cleaning chemicals off the canvas and bear in mind they can have an adverse affect on window and stitching.
Stainless touching the window material will turn it brown.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top