Canvas suggestions for Tomcat

M

matt_unique

New member
One of my primary requirements that led me to C-Dory was a solid pilot house with no canvas. The canvas that many use on the C-Dory is nice and provides cockpit protection in various weather conditions, etc. but my preference is to avoid canvas.

With that as the context, I do want a solution to protect my investment while she's alone on the mooring. I plan to get a canvas cover for the cockpit. I'm looking for a single piece of canvas that would snap from the back of the roof to the transom and of course down the sides to keep out water, birds, etc.

Any suggestions as to the best way to accomplish this? Would I basically have to take her to a canvas shop to get measured/fitted or are there canvas shops that have C-Dory templates already?

Thanks
 
Matt,

I am certain that King Canvas, the usual C-Dory canvas supplier, could make you a cockpit cover, but so could most canvas shops. I am guessing you'd install the snaps on the boat itself unless you could leave the boat there.

Anyway, I think you could call King Canvas and ask them if they have a template for that 206-283-9346. I think that's the number.

John
 
The "slant back" is the best solution for covering the cockpit. King wanted about $900 for one for the CD 25--which I thought was a bit much, considering that I already had all of the fittings in place.

I would suggest that you have a local canvas shop do the work. It will be custom fit, and I suspect a better fit.
 
Would King Canvas also be the recommended source for canvas work for a TomCat 24?

Any TomCat 24 owners have other recommendations?

--Georgs
 
Georgs-

Since there are so few Tomcat 24's, I'd bet the very best recommendation would be to have a local shop to you with a reputation of high-quality work do your canvas work so that you can get custom design, fittting, installation, modification, and return service.

It certainly would pay off to look for design alternatives among the 24's here, though!

Good Boating (or ice skating!)

Joe
 
Sea Wolf":vuf7zm2t said:
Since there are so few Tomcat 24's, I'd bet the very best recommendation would be to have a local shop to you with a reputation of high-quality work do your canvas work so that you can get custom design, fittting, installation, modification, and return service.
Click to expand...

I thought of that but as I have no experience with canvas work of this type, I wasn't sure about paying to reinvent the wheel here when it already has been done elsewhere.

Good Boating (or ice skating!)
Click to expand...

Lake Ontario certainly isn't Lake Shasta. The sun is shining today but temps are barely into the 40s. Most other boats have been pulled for the winter but I'm hoping to squeeze in a few more weeks before the snow flies. The effective Wallas stove/heater aboard At Last sure does help.

--Georgs
 
I highly recommend King marine. They have the patterns for the Tom Cat 24 and did quality work, as well as shipped the canvas from Washington to Vermont. Everything fit together and they provided support when I had questions.

Phil from Vermont
 
I have no doubt that King Canvas does quality work. With that said I also have no doubt they are very proud of their work, it shows in their pricing. Having the patterns and having done so much of the C-Dory canvas over the years should have brought the price down...not up. As Dr Bob has pointed out, $900 for a C-Dory 25 Mooring Cover is just about a grand slam out of the ball park for that item.

Quality canvas can be found at the local level, and I would suggest you take your boat to one of your neighbors and get a quote before making up your mind.
 
I agree a local shop should be able to produce a better priced product and I prefer to support local business. Unfortunately for me, the local shops did not offer better pricing for the full canvas with screens and plastic windows etc even with shipping included.
 
I have been thinking more and more about the canvas. The reality is I don't want it and I'm trying to determine if I really need it.

My Tomcat will spend nearly the entire season on a mooring. The scuppers look pretty good and I have multiple bilge pumps. The only reason I was considering canvas at this point was to keep water and bird droppings out of the cockpit while I'm away. The bird droppings I address with a gull sweeper with or without canvas so the real issue is rain water.

Beyond my dislike for canvas there is a coal power plant nearby. Unfortunately the coal dust gets on everything over time. When you have canvas, a black line will form on your hull where the canvas meets the hull for example. The coal is basically sand blasted into the hull due to the wind and requires serious scrubbing to get it off. I'm also concerned about screwing in a dozen snaps along the roof, gunwales, and transom.

What are your thoughts about the need for canvas based on my circumstances described above? Will the Tomcat scuppers/pumps reliably keep her afloat?

Thanks
 
I got my Tom Cat a year ago and it has lived in a marina slip all that time, without canvas, without problems. I did have to pump out the fishboxes periodically as they fill up from rainwater, but other than that, no problemo.

I am having canvas installed as we speak, however.

Warren
 
I would think if you keep everything covered with a good coat of wax, with some good UV protection you should be fine. I had sailboats moored directly under a glide slope at a couple large airports and didn't have canvas and everything was okay. Just took some extra cleaning once in awhile to get it bright. Bird droppings are the worst part, especially if they are eating berries. The gulls dropping garbage is also problematic.
 
When we lived in Sacramento, a fellow from our boat club there had a good plan for getting the best canvas price. He went to the Bay Area where there are lots of canvas shops and asked for bids from 5-6 of them and let them know he was shopping around. It was amazing how the $5000 canvas job came down to $3200! I imagine the greater Boston area should have more than a few canvas shops.

Warren, who's doing your canvas? I hope you'll post photos when it's done.
 
Dreamer":34dm3y27 said:
Warren, who's doing your canvas? I hope you'll post photos when it's done.
Click to expand...

Rick at EQ. It will be a pretty standard installation for them. I went over many of the unique features of other brats' canvas with Les and now understand how they came to settle on this standard after many trial-and-error experiences.

For comparison purposes with some of the other prices that have been posted, I am expecting to pay about $3K for the full canvas, with all windows zipout-able and replaceable with screen panels.

Pix of all the EQ mods will be posted!

Warren
 
IMHO, the canvas was one of the best items we added to our boat. Being in the wet PNW, it's nice to close off the cockpit to the rain, especially when we have a wet summer as we did this past summer. More so, the canvas really opens up our boat and makes it seem as if the boat is a lot bigger with the extra room. Of course, our boat is a CD22 and is a little more cramped when compared to the TC255. Plus, many times, we had the bimini top up but not the sides, giving it a protected but open feeling.

Did we NEED the camperback? Probably not. But I'm sure glad we have one. Good luck on your decision.
 
Dan made a very compelling agruement for the canvas in the PNW as an antiroom, for taking off wet clothing, drying the dogs etc. I would think that in the NE, you also have some days when it would be just as handy.
One can make canvas bows which will lie right on the top of the gunnels (may require either slides or two mounts) so it is out of the way, and the canvas zips off the bows very easily, in a well made top. Ours (see the album) has the front section which will zip off, and allow free flow of air during the hot months.

The foreward top and sides are best secured with vinly awning railing, rather than with snaps. The awning railing is virtually water proof and very strong. If you just want a cockpit cover, then consider a "slant" back or trailering back--no bows. We had this on the 22 and it kept the cockpit clean and dry. We keep our camper back on year around, but it does preserve the cockpit, and keeps debris out of the scuppers etc. I don't see a problem with the Tom Cat open cockpit--but the cover would be an addition which I suspect you will enjoy and use, once you get it.
 
The extra shade/dry area in the cockpit would certainly be nice.

Some of the commercial boats I run have canvas and my former boat had canvas and I vowed I would never again have a stitch of it on my own boat. I would not want to chop off my nose to spite my face so to speak but if I can find a work around for UV or other damage I would choose that over canvas. My biggest concern was the water of course. I use Gull Sweepers to keep the birds away. They also tend to prefer the warm canvas over colder hard-top boats.

What UV protectors might I consider for the cockpit and other parts of the boat?

Thanks again.
 
I just received my one piece Sunbrella cover from Angola Canvas in IN. Ph: 260.665.9913. They did an outstanding job adding a boot to include my radar arch and 6 shotgun holders. Also, they included 2 outboard covers for the twins and were much more reasonable than local or WA canvas shops. They had previously done a CD 25 before and I sent them measurements for my CD 22 and also emailed photos of the arch. Also included was an aluminum extender pole to support the center cover over the cockpit.

I would highly recommend them. If you have any questions, you are welcome to contact me at 916.543.3270.

Vern
 
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