alt
Well-Known Member
After a season of "Will I, won't I?", I finally bit the bullet and got a new canopy fitted today. The other one wasn't in bad condition, but was showing signs of age (9 years) and I was fed up of constantly having to have small repairs done.
Top marks to Boat Covers Ireland. No nonsense and very professional. I got a good price for ordering in the quiet season, which I was happy to do. I will leave it on for 4 weeks. When it was initially fitted this morning I wanted to remove it and put it into storage but the canopy maker suggested leaving it on to settle. He would guarantee if weather damages it, can't be fairer than that.
My old canopy was very practical... easy to roll up and with clips meant that I could open the canopy up without removing (and having to store) bits of canvas. So, we stuck with the original over-all design but made some mods to make it more user friendly and practical.
One of the main gripes I had was the rear section. Apart from the 'door' window, the rear was one big piece which meant impossible to roll-up single-handed. We decided to split into 2 so that it could be easily rolled up (and clipped to hold in place)
Another gripe I had was that the old canopy didn't come down far enough on the sides. As in, the roof and the sides met half way along the bend on the rail, meaning that water got lodged. You can see now that the canopy comes over the bend in the rail and goes vertical, before meeting the side window. There is also velcro all-round, which will help keep the 'flap' on the outside in place, keeping water out. We made many small adjustments like this which should help to keep the rain out
Top marks to Boat Covers Ireland www.boatcovers.ie - They were cheaper than my local guy, despite them having to travel quite a distance. When they said they would only have to make 2 trips (initial template and then fitting), I found it hard to believe. But, they were right! When they fitted this morning, everything was perfect. Top marks!!
Now, off to Aldi to buy beans and toast for the next few months. This thing wasn't cheap, BUT, it's a big canopy! The only thing i'm waiting on is covers for the stainless rails to stop the PVC getting 'burned'. The original canopy had canvas to cover this area, but this time I decided to go with all PVC and cover the rails instead (less stitching to go wrong). Here is a pic of the old canopy to give you an idea of what I mean:
PS. Excuse the mess. It's winter so have all the upholstery on it's side to get as much air as possible.
Top marks to Boat Covers Ireland. No nonsense and very professional. I got a good price for ordering in the quiet season, which I was happy to do. I will leave it on for 4 weeks. When it was initially fitted this morning I wanted to remove it and put it into storage but the canopy maker suggested leaving it on to settle. He would guarantee if weather damages it, can't be fairer than that.
My old canopy was very practical... easy to roll up and with clips meant that I could open the canopy up without removing (and having to store) bits of canvas. So, we stuck with the original over-all design but made some mods to make it more user friendly and practical.
One of the main gripes I had was the rear section. Apart from the 'door' window, the rear was one big piece which meant impossible to roll-up single-handed. We decided to split into 2 so that it could be easily rolled up (and clipped to hold in place)
Another gripe I had was that the old canopy didn't come down far enough on the sides. As in, the roof and the sides met half way along the bend on the rail, meaning that water got lodged. You can see now that the canopy comes over the bend in the rail and goes vertical, before meeting the side window. There is also velcro all-round, which will help keep the 'flap' on the outside in place, keeping water out. We made many small adjustments like this which should help to keep the rain out
Top marks to Boat Covers Ireland www.boatcovers.ie - They were cheaper than my local guy, despite them having to travel quite a distance. When they said they would only have to make 2 trips (initial template and then fitting), I found it hard to believe. But, they were right! When they fitted this morning, everything was perfect. Top marks!!
Now, off to Aldi to buy beans and toast for the next few months. This thing wasn't cheap, BUT, it's a big canopy! The only thing i'm waiting on is covers for the stainless rails to stop the PVC getting 'burned'. The original canopy had canvas to cover this area, but this time I decided to go with all PVC and cover the rails instead (less stitching to go wrong). Here is a pic of the old canopy to give you an idea of what I mean:
PS. Excuse the mess. It's winter so have all the upholstery on it's side to get as much air as possible.
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