New sprayhood using old one as pattern.

Poignard

Poignard

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Two companies, one in Ringwood, one in Swansea, advertise on eBay offering to make new sprayhoods using your old one as a pattern. The prices seem reasonable; less than £400 for one like mine.

Has anyone here had sprayhoods made this way and were the results satisfactory?
 
I wanted someone to do this and no one local on the east coast would do it. Mind you I had one made to fit my frame at Suffolk Yacht Harbour for the same money.
 
It should be fine, as long as they know what they're doing (ask around) and your old sprayhood hasn't shrunken or disintegrated to the point where it's not holding shape anymore. Also obviously this only makes sense if your old sprayhood fit well, otherwise you're better off having a new one templated on site.
 
I had a sprayhood copied by Quay sails in Poole some years ago (12 years!). It was all done by email and post. The result was excellent, even the turn-button rings fitted. I'm just starting to think that maybe I'll be looking for a new one in the next couple of years. 28ft boat.
 
I had one done by a Sabresails on eBay. Very happy apart from one lift the dot fastener that was in the wrong place by about an inch I moved the post and filled the hole. Apart from that It fitted better than the old one.
 
Considering making a new bimini as the old one is looking decidedly tatty, what's the best material to use.
I'll be making my own 'copy' of the bimini but can't be sure what it's been made of, it's not overly 'heavy' but it's obviously strong and not porous.
Any suggestions gratefully received
George
 
I used Sabre Sails in Swansea via ebay. I asked them to supply the 'lift-the'dot' fixings rather than fit them to the new hood and this meant that I could position them to give a good fit to the boat. Very pleased with the quality and service. Half the cost of the local sailmaker who insists on full measure and fit service.
 
I had one made by Sabre Sails. Including postage from and to Australia the cost was less than 2/3 of the lowest local quote. The quality and fit was excellent and it didn't take much longer than it would have been here. Makes you wonder...
 
They can shrink if like me you have put them through the washer.Its not the acrylic but the webbing used around the edges.
In my case it's a couple of zip out side panels on my fixed deck house.
As for replacing clear panels.
I only just managed to refit them three months ago when I was last at the boat.
 
Thanks . That's 4 recommendations for Sabre Sails, so far.

I have just patched up my existing sprayhood and I expect to get another year out of it, then I'll get a new one from Sabre.
 
Why would you not use a French cover maker? Is it price or quality or some other reason. Interested to know. My boat was fitted with all canvas work in France 11 years ago and they're still going strong.
 
If the boat is used in hot countries be very careful of shrinkage. I have replaced two sprayhoods and a cockpit winter cover in Greece, all because they shrunk so much they would no longer fit the boat. We now have Weathermax WM80 that is supposedly more UV resistant, with Tenara stitching. Only had this two seasons but looking good so far.
 
greeny said:
Why would you not use a French cover maker? Is it price or quality or some other reason. Interested to know. My boat was fitted with all canvas work in France 11 years ago and they're still going strong.
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Good question.

The first reason is that the price offered by the UK makers is very attractive, presumably because they won't have to visit the boat.

The second reason is that if there is anything wrong with it or the service provided by a UK cover maker, and he won't put it right, I have rights of redress under English consumer law. I probably have similar rights under French law but enforcing them could be considerably more difficult.

However, if your good experience was with a firm in South Brittany, I would be grateful if you would let me have contact details, as I may reconsider.
 
Poignard said:
Good question.

The first reason is that the price offered by the UK makers is very attractive, presumably because they won't have to visit the boat.

The second reason is that if there is anything wrong with it or the service provided by a UK cover maker, and he won't put it right, I have rights of redress under English consumer law. I probably have similar rights under French law but enforcing them could be considerably more difficult.

However, if your good experience was with a firm in South Brittany, I would be grateful if you would let me have contact details, as I may reconsider.
Click to expand...

No contacts as mine was done 11 years ago in La Rochelle. I was curious that was all. In my experience the french are pretty good at these things.
 
When I needed to replace the spray hood on my westerly ocean 43 I went on the ´net´ and found out who were the original suppliers back in the day to Westerly for that model- Contacted the company and they still had the specs and sent me an exact replica of the original... Excellent fit of course and no issues..
 
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