Sprayhood - what do you have to do to remove yours?

[Ruffles]

Hi,

Am making a template for a new sprayhood to replace one I made ages ago. The one I'm replacing I made to work in the same way as the old one which had been professionally made. I kind of assumed that was the way these things worked so structured the hood as per the old one.

The frame is an excellent one with handles along the trailing edge. Great except this complicates the way the cover is fitted. Both hoops have to be removed from the boat and threaded through the sprayhood; the bit alongside the handle is managed by two short open ended zips (otherwise it would cover the handles!). In addition the hood attaches to the deck using luff tape and a plastic slot. Additional PIA as the halyards pass over the slot.

Any way it's such a hassle that the hood is never removed in Winter. Lazy I know. And this reduces its life.

I could of course add more zips so that the thing is removable without threading the hoops. Do other hoods work this way? Also, what's the best alternative for attaching canvas to fibreglass? Are lift-the-dot fasteners ok? How many and what reinforcing does the canvas need. I'm always reluctant to drill holes.

How does your sprayhood work?

 

[scruff]

Hi,

Am making a template for a new sprayhood to replace one I made ages ago. The one I'm replacing I made to work in the same way as the old one which had been professionally made. I kind of assumed that was the way these things worked so structured the hood as per the old one.

The frame is an excellent one with handles along the trailing edge. Great except this complicates the way the cover is fitted. Both hoops have to be removed from the boat and threaded through the sprayhood; the bit alongside the handle is managed by two short open ended zips (otherwise it would cover the handles!). In addition the hood attaches to the deck using luff tape and a plastic slot. Additional PIA as the halyards pass over the slot.

Any way it's such a hassle that the hood is never removed in Winter. Lazy I know. And this reduces its life.

I could of course add more zips so that the thing is removable without threading the hoops. Do other hoods work this way? Also, what's the best alternative for attaching canvas to fibreglass? Are lift-the-dot fasteners ok? How many and what reinforcing does the canvas need. I'm always reluctant to drill holes.

How does your sprayhood work?

Our sprayhood has the plastic groove and slider arrangement you refer to on deck. Then each of the 2 or 3 ridge poles have sewn sleeves with zips. The rear most edge of the sprayhood is also held on by a zipped sleeve, with cut outs for the extra rear pole acting as a handle.

Takes around 5 mins to affix or take down at either end of each season.

 

[Martin_J]

Two zips along the aft edge (that go around the frame part just in front of the handle part), one zip around the centre section of the middle frame and nothing around the forward frame.

Luff tape along the lower edge.

Two ropes through front lower edge (cabin top mainsheet traveller adjusters).

It took me ten minutes on my own to remove it, ten minutes to re-stitch part of it and ten minutes to put it back on (in the dark one evening earlier this week).

Sounds like extra zipper would help with yours. Trouble is the halyards... Could these work with gaps in the luff tape so you've only got to slacken them off rather than remove from clutches entirely.

PS - Mine is a self made sprayhood...

 

[seumask]

Our is similar to Scruff's. Luff tape to deck in plastic groove. each hoop is secured with Velcro partial sleeves, rear loop secured with zipped pocket and 1 press the sot on each side to prevent the spray hood slipping athwart ship on the deck groove, straps each side to hold in the upright position, undone to lower in clement conditions.

 

[Ruffles]

Our sprayhood has the plastic groove and slider arrangement you refer to on deck. Then each of the 2 or 3 ridge poles have sewn sleeves with zips. The rear most edge of the sprayhood is also held on by a zipped sleeve, with cut outs for the extra rear pole acting as a handle.

Takes around 5 mins to affix or take down at either end of each season.

That's what I thought. I think I'll go all zip! Doesn't cost much in the general scheme of things. The problem with the old metal sliders was that they froze if left too long. But you can now get plastic sliders.

I may keep the plastic groove. I have plenty of luff tape left over and not too much hassle to fit if you're not trying to thread the hoops at the same time. Also, it's there and I'm lazy!

Thanks.

PS: Velcro would be an excellent alternative for the centre hoop as I'm pretty sure the shape is such that it cannot move when the hood is up. And the velcro will be out of the Sun so should last.

 

[Ruffles]

Our is similar to Scruff's. Luff tape to deck in plastic groove. each hoop is secured with Velcro partial sleeves, rear loop secured with zipped pocket and 1 press the sot on each side to prevent the spray hood slipping athwart ship on the deck groove, straps each side to hold in the upright position, undone to lower in clement conditions.

Yes, ours should have a dot on the side but never got round to fitting it to the canvas. Pin is there. I've probably lost stuff in the sea as a result. 50mm straps with a ladder buckle to tension the whole thing.

Apparently the advantage of the luff groove is that it pulls out when solid water lands on the screen rather than squashing the whole thing. Not sure I want to be out in that sort of weather...

Another change I'll make is to have webbing inside the canvas where possible. The acrylic lasts longer in sunlight than the webbing. Also I made the whole thing double thickness last time. Complete waste of time and a pain to stitch.

 

[Ruffles]

Trouble is the halyards... Could these work with gaps in the luff tape so you've only got to slacken them off rather than remove from clutches entirely.

Yes, there's gaps in the luff tape but not the groove so I still have to take the halyards out of the clutches. And one is the topping lift which doesn't help.

And the groove is in three sections at different heights so you have to feed into all 3 at the same time!

Now undecided... Perhaps stick with it as is. I can always change it later.

 

[scruff]

Yes, there's gaps in the luff tape but not the groove so I still have to take the halyards out of the clutches. And one is the topping lift which doesn't help.

And the groove is in three sections at different heights so you have to feed into all 3 at the same time!

Now undecided... Perhaps stick with it as is. I can always change it later.

Forgive me if I've misunderstood, but extrapolating from what you have said there, the halyards will pass over a lower section of the track and it is presumably higher in the centre - yes?

If so, can you raise the outside lower pieces up to the same height as the middle piece on a strip of teak and allow the halyards to pass underneath the track/sprayhood?

 

[Martin_J]

Forgive me if I've misunderstood, but extrapolating from what you have said there, the halyards will pass over a lower section of the track and it is presumably higher in the centre - yes?

If so, can you raise the outside lower pieces up to the same height as the middle piece on a strip of teak and allow the halyards to pass underneath the track/sprayhood?

A bit like building a bridge over the halyards, then running the track over the top of the lot...