Spray Hood - How is yours attached?

Ruffles

Ruffles

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Boat: Portsmouth, Us: Stewkley
www.soulbury.demon.co.uk
I'm looking into replacing my sprayhood this year - probably going to gear up to do it myself since I need a new sail cover.

The current one is secured in three ways. A two inch webbing strap at the sides keeps the thing up and allows the hood to fold forwards when released. Two poppers (the sort with the a stud screwed to the cabin top) secures the sides.

But the front edge is attached using three lengths of nasty plastic groove. This is screwed to the cabin top and the canvas has a standard sail foil sewn on which slots into it. Is this usual? The plastic has flexed and cracked allowing water to leak into the screw holes. If I replace with poppers will this be strong enough?

Thanks
 
mine has bronze hole links to poppers as found on tonneau covers on mobos / old sport cars ..... that are at intervals across cabin top ..... then the webbing strap at bottom aft corners to pull and tighten SH on frame .... The poppers do not carry weight or tension other than holding the edge straight and against coachroof. The frame carries the structural tension with the webbing straps ....

Only complaint I have with the poppers - is that water gets under the hood and along the cabin top when a green one comes over .....

DSCF0212.jpg
 
Mine is bedded on mastic and bolted through the coachroof, no problems with 'green ones' as its fibreglass and visibility is good through proper windows. Can't understand why so many folk go sailing in tents with thin plastic windows that soon get scratched or crack, to say nothing of the tents tearing in high winds or having to be stowed to prevent damage in heavy weather when they are most needed.
 
Fixed vs Hood ..

But you see when its really nice and sunny, light wind and you want the breeze and fresh-air ... you let off the straps ... fold it down and voila - - - - - - - - - -

You can't do that with your GRP job ....
 
My sprayhood is secured in exactly the same way as yours although the track is all one piece curving over the coach roof and it seems fine. It was replaced recently and the fitters just replaced the old (cracked) track with new.
 
On my Sadler 26 the spray hood is fixed exactly as described for Barny Bee. The fit along the coach roof is not bad although some water does get driven under the edge when beating into heavy seas or rain. Generally works well though.
Morgan
 
As well as my own I help maintain other boats for a sailing association. One of them has a fitting as you describe. In my view this is far superior to just using poppers along the leading edge of a sprayhood. As it is a better seal against water coming under the sprayhood. Replace the plastic if you can, although the type of plastic used will degrade in UV light as it is similar to curtain track plastic.
 
""But the front edge is attached using three lengths of nasty plastic groove. ""

I don't agree about the 'nasty plastic groove' bit. Mine has a good quality plastic track into which the substantial bolt rope on the sprayhood goes. IMHO this is a far superior method to the use of individual poppers as the front is entirely sealed and lets no water through at all.

Yes, the track can and will crack/craze with age, but it's remarkably cheap to renew. I've just changed ours after 22 years use and the cost was minimal!!

The trouble with poppers, is the the stresses are localised, instead of being distributed over the whole width of the sprayhood. The ones on my old boat were pretty useless after about two years.

Stick with what you've got!!
 
Barny Bee ..... Huh Hum !!

Is the boat NEXT to mine !! Every photo I take of my boat - that name gets centre stage ......

Anyway - no harm .....
 
Ageless .....

My boat is mid 70's build and has had the sprayhood renovated 2 year ago ..... it is approx. 10 - 15 year old .... lets put it this way - it was old enough that the flexy windows were no longer flexy and splintered up when folded 2 year ago ....

I have one broken popper - and that is because the "pin" part came away from the base ... so a screwdriver and a replacement will put that right at short notice.

I disagree about the localised stress bit - as you can see from the photo - the frame and end straps carry the stress - not the poppers .... they have no real stress on them - as the sprayhood shape stops the frame from coming over too far aft ... the straps at ends tighten the lot .... Yes if I was to un-pop enough of them - then of course it would be unreasonable load on those few remaining ..... but after so long in service - I think the installation has proven itself.
 
Re: Ageless .....

I have a similar arrangement to Nigel's boat, except that I have little turnbuckles, rather than poppers. I have a note in the boats papers about a new sprayhood sometime in the '80s, and just had to replace the windows, 'cos they gave a boit more ventilation and a lot less visibility than originally, so longevity doesn't seem to be a problem with them. Any stress on the fasteners is pretty much parallel to the GRP they're mounted on.

BTW, I've never had a wave over the top, just a bit of spray when it gets above F5 or I get above 6kts in a chop. Is that 'cos Snapdragons don't do the shipping it green stuff?
 
Thanks for the replies.

The front edge on mine definitely does take some strain because it's resisting the tension of the straps at the back. I'll see if I can get a stronger plastic strip.

The crack caused a leak through the screw hole into the cabin. This is serious 'cos it got onto the cooker and knackered the grill. It now takes half an hour per round of toast!
 
My new C&J Sprayhood uses two lengths of plastic track along the front. I would agree that it is taking the strain in the way you say. The track plus the tension from the straps is what keeps the hood tight.

sprayhood.jpg


The track does do a fantastic job of keeping water out, even when hosing down.

BUT, it is "nasty plastic" track that I thought let down the quality of the rest of the hood.

It crossed my mind to investigate having a good bit of metal track bent to suit.
 
Jim - if you do any heavy weather sailing then stay with your plastic track.
On various midwinter deliveries I have had 'greenies' take out spray hoods with a variety of fittings :-
Poppers - tear out and cause large repair bills
Metal track - as above with even bigger bills as the frame bent...
Plastic track - yes we got very wet, but the hood just popped out and we were able to put it back with no damage.
If you don't 'do' greenies then the above is a bit irrelevant !!!!
 
Give Jimbuoy a chance ....

He only just got it !! after much barracking from Steve and myself ..... !!
 
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£480 + the vat.

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Thats a good price as well.

I would get one made but all the canvas stuff on Ruffles is currently red (with green bits) and we want to to change to more traditional blue. That means new sail cover and dodgers as well as spray hood. Can't afford that!
 
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