This is the time of year I tend to keep my kayak on top of my vehicle all the times, as it is now warming up, but we are still having high winds and lots more light at night for evening sorties. It is also a great time of year for big tides and they even fall on a few good weekends this spring. So, here's my kayak, suffering UV damage until later in the summer when I tend to store it a bit more. I'd like to sew up a half-cover for the kayak, deck top surface only, with web straps that go under the hull to keep it in place. Anyone done anything like that? What kind of material? I know one can purchase whole boat bags, but I just want to cover the top deck and have it easily removable, etc. Any ideas? BC'in Ya Doug Lloyd *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Doug, Two things. One, I recently ordered a full cover for my Caribou (fine, non-weathercocking boat that it is <g>) from a company called Outdoor Solutions (somewhere in that vast land called Canada). Tom Benian runs the company. Nice guy. I haven't received it yet, but I sent him US$ 230 for it, and from the sound of it it should be pretty damn nice (14 foot zipper, tightening straps, pouches, etc). I ordered it in Forest Green, so as to allow me to "camouflage" my boat while camping or hiking. . . . Secondly, if you want a partial cover, there is a company in Connecticut that makes wonderful custom covers for boats. The company is called Fairclough (I think that's the correct spelling). I don't know what the fabric is called, but it's a very nice, light, soft fabric, and it seems to hold up really well. Among sailing types in New England, these covers are considered the very best. I don't know if the company has done kayak covers, but it sure seems like a good idea. I could find the phone number if you like. Mark L > This is the time of year I tend to keep my kayak on top of my vehicle > all the times, as it is now warming up, but we are still having high > winds and lots more light at night for evening sorties. It is also a > great time of year for big tides and they even fall on a few good > weekends this spring. So, here's my kayak, suffering UV damage until > later in the summer when I tend to store it a bit more. > > I'd like to sew up a half-cover for the kayak, deck top surface only, > with web straps that go under the hull to keep it in place. Anyone done > anything like that? What kind of material? I know one can purchase whole > boat bags, but I just want to cover the top deck and have it easily > removable, etc. > Any ideas? *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
On Tue, 16 May 2000, Doug Lloyd wrote: > I'd like to sew up a half-cover for the kayak, deck top surface only, > with web straps that go under the hull to keep it in place. Anyone done > anything like that? What kind of material? I know one can purchase whole > boat bags, but I just want to cover the top deck and have it easily > removable, etc. > Any ideas? I've got covers for 2 of my kevlar racing canoes. I need 2 more for skincoat boats that currently don't have covers. The existing bags are from "the bag lady" in Mansfield Connecticut. They are a stretchy fabric that is custom fit for the specific canoe design. The bag slips over the front deck of the canoe, and there is a cut out for the bow handle. There is a drawstring closure around the inner section of the bag, with a squeeze closure at the stern. There are also 3 or 4 bungee chords along the drawstring closure, one hook and the other side tied to the drawstring, which are used to further tighten the cover and keep it in place. The bags that I have are very nice, they stretch to cover the boat, and they don't flap while driving. I'm thinking of making a simple tube cover for my surf ski, out of something like sunbrella. I haven't given enough thought to a cover for my Jensen 17 canoe yet. kirk *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Hi Doug, I think I might try something similar to cover my almost completed cedar strip Guillemot 18. Probably some of that lightweight synthetic "umbrella fabric" (the stuff made for patio umbrellas) in a light color. Cut it in a elongated football shape (that's American football, not the-rest-of-the-world-football, which we crazy Americans decided to call soccer) and turn the edges back. If you bought a 8' long piece of 60" wide fabric, you could cut triangles from the original fabric and line them up at the short edges to cover your boat. This would save more fabric than buying a 18-20' long piece of that same 60" cloth and then laying to waste all the fabric on the sides. A sleeved hem for a continuous bungie around the edge would be nice to keep the cover from flapping while you drive. I think a pocket in the bow and stern ends for ease of attachment, and then probably 4 webbing straps with side-release buckles spaced every 4' or so. I would run the webbing completely over the fabric and around the boat rather than just sewing the end of the webbing to the hem of the cover. You'd be asking for a rip to happen unless you reinforced it well (think the clew? of a sail). Shawn Who can probably sew better than he paddles >This is the time of year I tend to keep my kayak on top of my vehicle >all the times, as it is now warming up, but we are still having high >winds and lots more light at night for evening sorties. It is also a >great time of year for big tides and they even fall on a few good >weekends this spring. So, here's my kayak, suffering UV damage until >later in the summer when I tend to store it a bit more. >I'd like to sew up a half-cover for the kayak, deck top surface only, >with web straps that go under the hull to keep it in place. Anyone done >anything like that? What kind of material? I know one can purchase whole >boat bags, but I just want to cover the top deck and have it easily >removable, etc. -- Shawn W. Baker 0 46°53'N © 2000 ____©/______ 114°06'W ~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^\ ,/ /~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^ baker_at_montana.com 0 http://www.geocities.com/shawnkayak/ *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
I haven't been following this thread closely so forgive me if this has already been mentioned. Although UV is bad news for boats, covering boats during transport has it's problems too. Any loose material flapping on the boat will dull the finish in a fairly short period of time. There is another problem that occurs when composite boats are wrapped in plastic. If there is any moisture between the plastic and the hull, exposure to heat and light causes giraffeing, a horrible blotchy discoloration of the boat that can't be removed (at least I've never seen it removed). Does anyone know what causes this? Matt? John Winters? Personally I just toss a coat of wax on the boat and call it good. Cheers, Rob Cookson "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety" Benjamin Franklin *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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