Custom Boat Cover (Any Suggestions)

[Bergertime]

Hello All,

I am now a new boat owner with my pruchase of a Aquasport 245 Osprey.  As I am trying to protect my investment I'm in the search for a custom boat cover for storage and travel purposes.  Does anyone know of a good local (Tampa Bay Area) person/vendor who is competitive on pricing?  I am looking for an end to end cover up to the T-Top.  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks.

B

[Blue Agave]

PM sent

[seabob4]

Go with the guy Fern had his made by.  Excellent cover a good price!

[Skoot]

There's a shop in Tampa Shumake's Custom Boat Tops that makes some really nice custom covers. One of our members lilrichard referred them to me. I dont have one myself, but used them to make my cushions and saw a few covers being made.  Look really nice and easy to put on.  They use a material called TOP GUN (or something like that)  and it's comparable if not better than Sunbrella, in my opinion.

[Blue Agave]

Shumake's made my cover and Skoot is correct, it's made from a material called Top Gun.

[wingtime]

Top Gun is a good fabric.  Totally different animal than Sunbrella so you can't really compare them.  Sunbrella is a woven acrylic fabric that has the color all the way thru the fibers.  Standard Sunbrella is not coated and over time will let water thru. It is very expensive but it is colorfast and it lasts a long time.  Top gun is a Acrylic coated polyester fabric.  Since it is coated inside and out it is VERY water resistant, and it will fray if it is cut. Top Gun costs less then Sunbrella and it has a five year warranty.  Lets put it this way, when I build a cover for my boat I'll use Top Gun.

[Aswaff400]

PM sent

heres my cover, sunbrella charcoal tweed... covers down below the chine..

[wingtime]

After having to clean oak leaves and "tree sperm" out of the 170 several times I decided it was time for a cover.  We were waiting on some back ordered supplies at work so I took advantage of the down time and brought the 170 into the sewing room.  We spent the extra time to make patterns for the 170 so I can make more covers if any members want one.  I wanted a fabric that was heavy enough to hold up to the Florida elements but be light enough that it is easy to handle, store, etc.  After considering the typical choices (Sunbrella, Topgun, Surlast, Aqualon) I decided to use Vista which is made by the same company that makes Topgun.  It is a 600 denier solution dyed polyester fabric with a back coating.  Here is the end result:

[Blue Agave]

Nice job Bruce!  I like the color.  

[slvrlng]

Why don't you make a pattern for a 222?

Really looks good Bruce!!!

[RickK]

Bruce you made that?  Nice.  
May I suggest, based on the 12 or so covers I have bought for my 170, you need to give that top rail a lot of curve or that canvas on top of the rail will be toast after a few good winds (unless you have 3 or 4 layers there).
I actually had some engineer buddies over for a weekend and we got to talking about how the wind forces are against me with these covers - seems that it ok until you get a good blow and then the cover goes up and then gets sucked back down hard and that's when the rail goes through the cover.  Mine has a square frame but it doesn't seem to matter what it has, you need a large roll.
Here is what they came up with and it has worked for about 6 years on the same cover now.


When I asked the canvas guy how he planned to keep the canvas from being ripped by the windsheild he said "keep using your contraption" and I have.

[wingtime]

Why don't you make a pattern for a 222?

Really looks good Bruce!!!

I need a 222!

[flounderpounder225]

B
Check this thread out on my cover, same boats, I love the under t top connection, makes it a breeze to install and remove, by myself, less than 10 min either way.  I used sunbrella firesist material, got it from an eBay seller in Jax who has a shop over there, I paid $6 per yard, 60 yards (5 ft roll) and used all but a little left.  He gave me a deal, because it was a partial roll, and starburst yellow was not a huge seller, I didn't care about color as long as it wasn't freaky.
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=9427&hilit=+Cover

[wingtime]

Yeah I followed the build of that cover for your Osprey Marc...  nice job and that is a SMOKING deal on the Sunbrella especially the fire resistant type... that stuff is close to $20 a yard.   Not sure if you noticed but this cover in on  my 170.  The 245 will follow in due time when the current cover wears out.

[flounderpounder225]

B
Check this thread out on my cover, same boats, I love the under t top connection, makes it a breeze to install and remove, by myself, less than 10 min either way.  I used sunbrella firesist material, got it from an eBay seller in Jax who has a shop over there, I paid $6 per yard, 60 yards (5 ft roll) and used all but a little left.  He gave me a deal, because it was a partial roll, and starburst yellow was not a huge seller, I didn't care about color as long as it wasn't freaky.
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=9427&hilit=+Cover

For what its worth, I spoke with my friend Russ who I work with, he's a retired USMC MSGT, his MOS/career was aviation Life Support, and Parachute rigging, he did my boat cover.  He is willing to look at doing other 245's same design as mine, since he has a pattern to follow.  He will be considerably less than a professional shop, and the work is top notch.  PM me if interested, and I will put you in touch with him.