Sprayhood suggestions

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Wandering Star

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Ouch, just been quoted £1681 + VAT for a new sprayhood using my existing hoops. This is for a Sadler 29. That’s pretty much what I paid for the flipping boat as a doer upper!

I don’t have the old sprayhood to use as a pattern unfortunately or I’d have a bash at making the thing myself! I thought sprayhoods cost around the £600 mark?

Anyone know of a cheaper source or better still anyone have an old sprayhood that I might possibly be able to modify and make fit?
 
If you want to take up camping, buy a tent & sit in a field.
22 years without such an encumberance has shown me that it is a useless bit of kit designed to cause extreme backache- among other issues
Save your money for something more useful
 
I have a similar job to do and the first is to make some templates for each panel.

As you have the frame using a thin card should mat it easy to get the shape of the panels
 
Daydream believer said:
If you want to take up camping, buy a tent & sit in a field.
22 years without such an encumberance has shown me that it is a useless bit of kit designed to cause extreme backache- among other issues
Save your money for something more useful
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I take your point but each to his own! There’s few experiences more pleasant to me than standing on the companionway steps under a sprayhood when it’s pouring rain and the boats creaming along - and staying dry and warm!
 
Wandering Star said:
I take your point but each to his own! There’s few experiences more pleasant to me than standing on the companionway steps under a sprayhood when it’s pouring rain and the boats creaming along - and staying dry and warm!
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How often is that & is it worth it? Once perhaps twice a season if you are lucky. Dream on. Compared to constant backache from being bent over trying to use the winch under the tent. Just compare the figures. Then add the risks going forward past it in a rolly sea, to get forward with no hand holds. Do not sail in the Solent on a busy day, because you will never see where you are going.
 
Wandering Star said:
Ouch, just been quoted £1681 + VAT for a new sprayhood using my existing hoops. This is for a Sadler 29. That’s pretty much what I paid for the flipping boat as a doer upper!

I don’t have the old sprayhood to use as a pattern unfortunately or I’d have a bash at making the thing myself! I thought sprayhoods cost around the £600 mark?

Anyone know of a cheaper source or better still anyone have an old sprayhood that I might possibly be able to modify and make fit?
Click to expand...

I think a sprayhood is the single most effective thing you can add to a small boat so I would go for it. You need a frame that fits first, it has to be wide enough to span the area and tall enough to let you get in and out with some comfort. Two hoops is enough.

Next you need an old cover and this will need some modification but it's amazing what you can do with a bit of a will. I have just fitted a fairly modern wide beamed 27 foot boat with and old cover off a 32 footer, it aint pretty but it works and it will form a good template if I get around to making a new one.
Stuff often comes up on sites like Facebook Marketplace. I'm afraid £650 is about the price I paid a few years ago for just a cover.

Just so happens I have a little something in the shed :) will send you a PM!

.
 
Daydream believer said:
How often is that & is it worth it? Once perhaps twice a season if you are lucky. Dream on. Compared to constant backache from being bent over trying to use the winch under the tent. Just compare the figures. Then add the risks going forward past it in a rolly sea, to get forward with no hand holds. Do not sail in the Solent on a busy day, because you will never see where you are going.
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Perhaps you couldn't work out how to fold the sprayhood ? It's not hard when you know how ;)
 
£600 is about 10 years out of date. I had one made in 2018 at a cost of £1000

Try a Google search for "Sadler 29 spray hood", some of the big canvass makers will surely have templates for one, as long as it's a standard frame. Some should be able to make one if you send them the frame.
 
PaulRainbow said:
Perhaps you couldn't work out how to fold the sprayhood ? It's not hard when you know how ;)
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When I went for the test sail for my new boat the chap demonstrating the model took us on board & his first question was " Do you want this thing up?" I said "No" & he was clearly relieved. It was down & folded in record time. He did not like it either.
A friend of mine bought an identical second hand boat to mine. I was helping her hoist the sails. After a few minutes on the halyard winch I could hear her swearing.She stopped winding & I looked back from the foresail I was feeding to the foil. She was lowering the tent & cursing it as she did so. She had pulled a back muscle due to not being able to get over the winch properly & I ended up hoisting the sail whilst she fed the sail in to the foil
 
I’ve had sprayhoods on all my boats and can’t believe the benefits are outweighed by the negatives! But as I said earlier - each to their own. I don’t race (at all) which might impact on my view of sprayhoods.
 
That price is about right if you are using one of the name sailmakers. If your boat is in Poole then you might try Lake Sails. I understand the person who trades under that name is competitively priced, but no direct experience. Southern Sails in Cobbs Quay are probably cheaper than others and work looks good. Kemps made all my covers but probably paid a premium to get exactly what I wanted.
 
Daydream believer said:
How often is that & is it worth it? Once perhaps twice a season if you are lucky. Dream on. Compared to constant backache from being bent over trying to use the winch under the tent. Just compare the figures. Then add the risks going forward past it in a rolly sea, to get forward with no hand holds. Do not sail in the Solent on a busy day, because you will never see where you are going.
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That says more about poor boat design than the benefit or otherwise of a sprayhood
 
It’s a long shot but perhaps another S29 owner might have an old sprayhood you could borrow or buy to use as a template. Is there a Sadler owners group you could canvas? (see what I did there!)
A year or two ago I was quoted £500 by Sabre Sails to make me a sprayhood based on my old one.
 
Wandering Star said:
Anyone know of a cheaper source or better still anyone have an old sprayhood that I might possibly be able to modify and make fit?
Click to expand...
For a comparison here on the East Coast (Suffolk) I paid a local sail maker £1020 inc VAT for a new sprayhood canvas (with fitting) on my frame earlier in the year, they also did all the measuring up. Boat was a Rival 34. They delivered a great product, on time.
 
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I made my (second) one myself from scratch, I had the metal structure but I wanted a different height so I slightly modified their position, then took templates etc and followed Sailrite diy video. Short of making one's sails, the number or work hours is by far the highest in any boat canvaswork (bimini, lazy bag, etc etc) and it does not vary much depending upon the size of the boat, unfortunately I can understand the prices being quoted. :(
 
I don't know where you are based but a friend in the North West with a Sadlerv29 has just had a new spray hood. I will try and find out how much he paid. I honestly think the price you have been quoted is about right for a bespoke fitted high quality material spray hood.

I am friends and live near to probably the largest bespoke cover maker in North Wales.
He will never make a cover from an old one.
He has established a new business in a very short time with a reputation for supplying both quality of material and fit at a reasonable but not cheap price point.

The sort of price you have been quoted should include making a template suited to your boat frame and fixing points.
The cover will be made and adjusted if needed to fit snug,wrinkleless rather than looking like a tatty used condom!

It is his experience that your template will be never be as snug on another Sadler 29 and he never keeps them.

You could buy an ebay special but don't expect quality and fit for half the price you have been quoted.

If you have time on your hands then DIY is possible but not with most domestic sewing machines.
I have managed to make a simple winter spray hood and tonneau cover from reinforced plastic sheeting with a domestic machine. They last about 9 months in full sunlight and survive up to three named storms if you are lucky!

With respect to DB.
He must have viking blood.

I think there is a majority that prefer the comfort that a spray hood gives.

I know I dont have to dress up like Nanook of the North to survive the purgatory of wind chill and spray without one.🙂
 
My sprayhood is invaluable in keeping myself and crew dry and protected. My sprayhood is unusual in that it's goes much further after than usual, and one of the first jobs I did was move the two genoa winches further aft onto the spinnaker winch position. No spinnaker winches fitted so was easy. Not under the sprayhood makes winching the genoa easy. Another advantage is the there is room under the sprayhood for two crew to sit each side easily. Oh and it's easy to fold if necessary when mooring etc. And I made it myself using pattern material.
 
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