Canvas Work

T

toyman

New member
I'm getting ready to have a camper back/bimini made for Fan-C-Dory, a 25'. Few questions.

Does anyone have zippers in the top, so you can unzip a small section to facilitate getting in/out when tied up along side of a dock higher than the gunwale ?

How do you design the stern ? I'd like to go completely back to the transom, but still be able to tilt the motor out of the water - AND keep out BUGS.

What is the material for the clear sections - something special to ask for, seems like maybe Dr Bob specified a certain type of material ?

Anything special for the screen material ?

Anything I've missed ? I like the Foggy Dew back, with a couple of mods maybe ?
 
I have one on my 16', made by King in Seattle. It has a zipper just aft of the edge of the roof. It is covered by a small flap and is held down solidly by velcro. When we do as you do and pull up to a dock and have to climb up on the gunnel to step out, just unzip and separate the velcro to create however big a hole you need to stand in. Works good. One other thing I elected to do was not get the privacy curtains for the plastic windows but instead got the heavy screening, which actually does a very good job of obstructing the view into the cockpit.
 
Dave,

The nicest canvas I have seen on a 25 was on Lyle and Shelly's Bess-C. Yes, they did have zippers in the top. I would look up that album, or contact Lyle for particulars.

Steve
 
I would strongly encourage you to have zippers put in the top just to the rear of where the canvas is attached to the cabin. I have a zipper on just the port side and really try to avoid mooring to the starboard because it is such a pain to get out that side with the canvas up. The zippers have to be openable from either side so you can fold back an opening on either side. Good friends on the site have canvas with no zippers and getting in or out of their boat is sometimes quite a hassle. Well worth it!
 
HI Dave,

Our camperback was made by King when we ordered our boat. It has zippers that allow you to open the top as necessary. Ours has the eisenglass (plastic) windows with screens on the back and the two forward side panels - it allows air flow into the cockpit. When you close it all down, it can get like a greenhouse in there... not bad when it's chilly outside. When it's warm, we take the side panels off. Our camperback runs behind the aft cockpit seats and along the motorwell. When the motor is raised, it just touches the rear center eisenglass (not a problem). This gives you plenty of sitting space in the cockpit with the camperback in place, but still easy access to the motor... unzip one side of the center panel and step out onto the swim platform.

I've seen some camperbacks that have more custom touches, but we haven't felt like we're missing anything with the factory arrangement. We've been very pleased with ours. Over the past 3 1/2 years and a lot of use, Joan has had to restitch one zipper and I've replaced a few snaps - no big deal.

Joan made a bag out of sunbrella that we strap to the radar arch while cruising. The panels go in there when they aren't attached. We do put towels/old blankets between each pane to keep zippers from scratching any of the eisenglass as the panels are stacked on each other.

I'm not a fan of the solid panels (no eisenglass), but I understand why some 22 owners would choose to have those, since they may keep their porta-potty in the cockpit. If we are at a dock and have sun streaming into the cockpit, we clip up towels or the Sunbrella door cover inside the camperback. That still allows plenty of light, but blocks the sun when necessary.

Drop me a note if you have any questions. There are plenty of photos in our album, as well.

Best wishes,
Jim
 
Dave,

We had custom canvas made for Valkyrie and love it. Ours goes aft to the transom, which gives MUCH more protection fromn both sun and rain, and the back snaps at mid-splashwell, which allows the Honda to be tilted forweard. Also, our bimini is free standing and has a section that zips off at the front, allowing free air flow when running or anchored, while still providing protection.

We have pics in our album.

Nick
"Valkyrie"
 
Thanks for all of the replies, ideas, and PM's. I've searched the archives, and browsed the photos - there are ideas here for most needs and wants.

One item - brass (bronze) or nylon Zippers ? II kinda favor the nylons myself. :roll:

Thanks Again !
 
We made our own camperback last year.
Click to expand...

My compliments on a job well done!

A very intelligent design tailor-made for fishing.

I can picture playing a salmon or halibut without having to pass the rod around the canvas framework of the conventional designs. Also no interference with gunnel mounted downriggers.

One of the best ideas I've picked up on this site.

Does the frame fabricator still have the dimensions and can it be reproduced and shipped to C-Brats such as myself ?
 
Does the frame fabricator still have the dimensions and can it be reproduced and shipped to C-Brats such as myself ?
Click to expand...

Ya, we love the canvas frame for the camperback. The design was actually Roger's on C-Lover - we had the same people that did his do ours and they shipped it to us. Thanks to Roger, they used his 22 to take measurements. I then installed it myself and it was basically a perfect install - they made it a perfect fit.

Once I saw Roger's boat with the canvas frame, I knew that I wanted/needed that for our new boat. Took a bit to get them to fabricate it without the boat, but they finally agreed and we have it.

SGIDave also had the frame fabricated for his boat.

Let me know if you have any questions regarding the top.

Here is the link for the fabricator.

http://www.bluecoraltowers.com/
 
As one of the 3 boats (that I'm aware of) with this type of 'rack,' I will try to echo the praises above...I love my Blue Coral fabricated cockpit canvas frame. It works very well for us. Like Robert (BRAZO), I can vouch for the people at Blue coral and their product. My canvas was made by "their" canvas maker and she did a very nice job. She also made a set of snap on interior window covers while my boat was in Pensacola for the rack installation. The guy to ask for is Roland when you call them.

/david
 
Thanks for the replies. A couple more questions.

Dave's is described as aluminum. Are Brazos and/or C-Lover aluminum or stainless? What are the tradeoffs ?

Up here in the Pacific Northwest it rains...alot. Does this design keep things dry in the cockpit or will a windy rainstorm find it's way inside ? I'm thinking especially of the cabin-roof/canvas junction.

Brazos and C-Lover are tall roofs but Adeline is a shortie. Should the rack's height be reduced ?
 
Dave's is described as aluminum. Are Brazos and/or C-Lover aluminum or stainless? What are the tradeoffs ?
Click to expand...


Yes, Brazo and C-Lover's are both aluminum. The reason is in the weight of stainless - much more as I understand it.


Up here in the Pacific Northwest it rains...alot. Does this design keep things dry in the cockpit or will a windy rainstorm find it's way inside ? I'm thinking especially of the cabin-roof/canvas junction.
Click to expand...


We have a piece of canvas in the cabin-roof/canvas area that keeps out the rain/wind. That canvas attaches to the frame and the cabin-roof.


Brazos and C-Lover are tall roofs but Adeline is a shortie. Should the rack's height be reduced ?
Click to expand...


When I had our frame made, I considered lowering the height - thinking maybe it didn't need to be quite as tall. I decided to go with the knowledge/design of Roger w/C-Lover and it was correct. The height is perfect for me (I'm 6'1') as far as moving around and the "sight" from the cockpit. I'm thinking that the roof height of the cabin is not a factor - mainly just the height from the cockpit floor to the frame.


Let me know if you have any other questions.

Have a nice evening.
 
There are some real advantages of the cantalevered type of top as Roger, David and Robert have. The major is that there are no supports which get in the way of fishing rods or your getting in and out of the boat.

For our Tom Cat 255, we had a custom camper back--and it has two zippers in the top--right at the awning rail and about 18" back. You can zip out a pannel, and get ventillation, as well as have an area to easily get into the boat. We used heavy clear vinly--there are some which are better than others, such as "Stratoglass".

Glen Raven mills (Sunbrella makers) have a variety of materials--we used the Sunbrella Plus, which has a polyurethane under coating, and thus is waterproof. (Generally Sunbrella is waterproof, but the plus is more so).

Also use Tendra thread (Gortex)--this will last the life of the Sunbrella (usually about 10 years), and avoid having to be resown at 3 to 5 years.

If you are using a collapsable frame (fabric removed and frame folded down for trailering)--SS is better as is one inch rather than 3/4" or 7/8".
Also use plastic awning railing on the sides of the cabin, as well as on the top--this gives a water tight seal against spray.

Definately use plastic zippers--the brass corrode. You can use one of several materials to lubricat the zippers, from silicone, teflon or even chapstick.

We prefer 4 bows, which gives better support than 3 bows, and a better looking top. Although the Tom Cat is slightly different than the 25. We had the King Canvas top on our 25 and out custom made top was better made and better materials.

Camper_side_2.sized.jpg

Note the awning rail on the front of the side foreward attatched to the cabin. The zip out pannel on the top front (Velcro on the underside of the flap to keep the top zippers absolutely waterproof).
 
Dave, it will be hard to make it bug proof. Be sure to ask whoever makes the cover to make the skirts wider wherever the camperback is going to join the boat and in the corners especially where the back, side and top join. Have them put velcro on so you can try to make a seal.

Eric
 
Thanks for the kudos for our canvas. We looked through every album here and asked a lot of questions of owners. Nick on Valkyrie was helpful. A few of things to consider:

If you are tall, make sure you can stand up under your canvas. Get it made taller than you are.

Freestanding with stainless poles will be better and more durable.

I prefer the canvas to go all the way around the stern to enclose the laz access. That way you have acces to your stuff without opening the zippers in the rain.Makes the living space bigger when you're camped out in rain or cold weather. Not so confined feeling.

The removable front piece is great to inprove air flow and allows acces to rocket launcher if you have the bimini up when fishing.

Get doors on both sides for dock access.

Allow clearance for items like downriggers, etc.

And for goodness sake, get windows big enough to actually see out of. It's nice to sit back on the hook and look outside in the evenings and have a good view of the scenery. Drop curtains are easy to use for privacy when you want it.

Lesson learned...if I had it to do over again, I'd get the aft panel split vertically with a roll up door for access to the swim step instead of the fold back style we have. It would be easier to use. Oh, well, we can always have that remedied later on. I don't think we'll be doing much swimming when we move to Port Angeles anyway!

It's not cheap, but get what you want right up front, you'll never be sorry.

Rick
 
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