spray hoods

[rolandmouse]

We have a 25 foot Vertue built in the sixties, we are based in med france and just wondered if any body had any plans for sprayhoods , we are quite happy to do it ourselves , with a bit of trial and error , maybee there is a vertue out there who allready has one and can help , we have been quoted loadsa money to have one made from £ 900 to £ 1400 and we dont have that kind of budget ,, so can anybody help please

 

[FAITIRA]

Great place you'r based Mike!
Crazy price! Have you thought about just having a hood over the hatch on your Vertue, instead of a full spray hood?, it would be a lot easier to make. Bill.

 

[Relax]

Hello,

I have just been through the same process with my Sadler 25 - the hood is now fitted and ready to go - more than a year after starting the process.

The problem is that there is no 'standard' plan to work from - every boat is different in terms of the layout of the rig, winches and also what you want. All the sailmakers I spoke to refused to do anything without taking a template from a hood frame already in place.

Getting the frame made was also a problem - partly accentuated by my own insistence of going for a 25mm stainless frame - the number of people who can roll this to a curve is very limited. I ended up drawing up my own design and having it made by a company in Essex (I am in northern Scotland) and then fitting it myself - this all cost about £300 all in. An alloy frame would have been much cheaper. But then I do now have a spray hood you can swing from.......do you really need this tho'????????

I had the hood made by Owen Sails in Oban - again a remote control job that required 2 200mile plus round trips (one abortive due to weather) to take a template. When it though it did fit. Cost - £650ish with VAT.

Its one of those things which is more complicated than it first appears - you could end up with something which has cost a fair bit and looks like a real pig.

If you are utterly out on a limb my best suggestion would be to make a tubular alloy frame and then take a template on this when fitted and make your own canvas - fit some of the popper studs with the template in place so you have something to work back from.

 

[NPMR]

We did a 50/50 job, finishing off a 'kit' made by a Company called Martek (Tel 01270 522 251) a few years ago.

Don't know if they're still in business but they had ready-made frames in various sizes and then you need to finish sewing the final fitted edges to complete the job. Seem to remember the whole lot for our 27' boat was about £450.

 

[Rabbie]

I told him about Martex in his duplicated post on the other side yesterday! They are very good and are making me one now.