Looking for recommendations on where to purchase bottom and/or top covers. Older boat if it matters. Thanks
Steve
Newbie #27
Congratulations on the boat acquisition -- where did 27 end up?
I have been really happy with the Rondar top and bottom covers that you can get from Paul/Drew. The top cover fits well, with attachment points where you want them and makes sense. The bottom cover is easy to put on even when the boat is on the trailer as long as you have a second person. It can be done singlehanded if you have a hoist around. There are probably other options -- I haven't priced them out since I got a new boat and it was easy to get the manufacturer's stuff, but so far, so good several months later.
Thanks for the input Peter!
#27 now resides in the Desert - Arizona fleet. Hope to get her on the water for the first time next week-end - anxious!
I got a new top cover for 55 from APS. It works great.
Dave
#55
I just had my boat at harken and they used it to make specs for new covers. Top, bottom & mast. Great material that will last. I purchased a top cover that can be used with both the mast up or down (traveling).
Contact mary @ Harken canvas. I think Mauri Pro was going to get them on the website but not sure they are yet.
Thanks Tom, just talked to Mary at Harken (262-691-3320) and ordered the deck and rudder covers - love the fact the deck has a zipper so it works mast up or down!
See how these work and consider the hull and mast covers as the budget allows. Quoted (top gun material) deck $604, hull $578, rudder $56, mast $155.
You are due a commission in my book!!
Steve
#27
Steve - Interested to see what the Harken covers look like when you recieve them. Post some pics? In the market for a padded rudder bag...
Those are really good prices for rudder and mast covers, though I'm guessing that the mast cover is one piece and is intended to be used with the spreaders removed? If I'm wrong, let me know (I'd love to be wrong on this one).
Quote from: Peter Beardsley on November 29, 2011, 08:22:19 PM
Those are really good prices for rudder and mast covers, though I'm guessing that the mast cover is one piece and is intended to be used with the spreaders removed? If I'm wrong, let me know (I'd love to be wrong on this one).
There are one piece mast covers that work with spreaders in place. Dan T has a very nice one with zipper for bottom half.
No problem Steve...I have always been happy with their covers on previous boats.
I did not purchase the mast cover but I believe they were putting a zipper in the bottom half of the bag so you could use with the spreaders on. Might want to double check if interested.
I have covers in stock. All are now grey.
Top Cover is the new style with heavy reinforcements on all corners. It is mast up or down. I've put $8,000 miles on this one. $550
Bottom cover is a breathable fabric with a velcro split at the keel, backed up with buckle locks. $495
Mast Cover is two piece for either mast with spreaders on or works well with mast in halves. Pads and protects for travel. $280 ($195 if purchased with a top cover)
Rudder has a tiller pocket included. $180 ($100 if purchased with a top cover)
Here's a couple of shots. I will wrap up our boat in covers and send along a shot when I have a chance to do so.
(http://i1237.photobucket.com/albums/ff479/rondarboats/55041d1a.jpg)
(http://i1237.photobucket.com/albums/ff479/rondarboats/8a1376a5.jpg) (http://i1237.photobucket.com/albums/ff479/rondarboats/fccadd65.jpg)
Drew -- you trailer with the top cover on your boat? The windage isn't an issue? If you've solved that problem, please share with the world. Mine blows up like a balloon, which I'd think would cause a lot of stress on the cover while trailering, so I just leave mine in the back of the car when on the road.
Here are a couple of pictures of my boat with the harken covers
Here is the others (working on my forum skills)
Quote from: Peter Beardsley on December 01, 2011, 07:03:44 PM
Drew -- you trailer with the top cover on your boat? The windage isn't an issue? If you've solved that problem, please share with the world. Mine blows up like a balloon, which I'd think would cause a lot of stress on the cover while trailering, so I just leave mine in the back of the car when on the road.
I trailer with my Service Canvas cover, and it doesn't balloon up as long as you wrap the keel cover part with some bungees. I think it has about 16,000 miles on it, and several years outside. The zipper needs replacing from UV, but otherwise it's holding up great.
Dave - Just received the rudder cover: basic black, outer material feels like it will wear well and water repellent, well padded, stitching appears like it will hold up, velcro opening at top that will enclose the complete rudder if tiller removed. Love to remove my tiller for traveling but feels mated for life to the rudder since they first met - any suggestions?
I managed to get 91's tiller free, using channel locks and McLube and perseverance, and also accepting a few cosmetic scratches. Much easier to fit in the bag, and the back of the truck. Needs lube or wax - something slick - to fit back in, with a hard twist, and then fast-pinned (with tether!) into place. Original set-up as I received the boat was a machine screw, which I found not as reliable. . .
Peter, I haven't had any problems. It does balloon some, though you can strap it down. I travel with both top and bottom covers on. The cover on the yellow boat has about 4,000 miles on it....no issues. The old blue covers USED to tear on the aft corners but Paul had them beefed up with some soft cushiony cloth and there's no issues.
I use a piece of split hose on the transom to run the aft straps over so the sharp transom edge doesn't cut them.
Very happy with my covers and love that I can mast up or mast down them.
Drew,
Can you please give me a quote for a bottom cover, mast cover, and rudder cover shipped to Florida?
Thanks,
Patrick Daniel
[email protected]
Patrick,
Call Dan Tucker at Rondar's Peabody MA factory. He is driving down to FL, leaving Weds. If they have any in stock then he can bring them with him in the truck.
If they dont have any in stock then frankly its not worth waiting for a shipment from UK, there are several US suppliers who do a good job.
Have a set of harken covers on a boat i just purchased. Highly recomended.
Price Jeff?
The rondar covers aren't very good anyway.
Quote from: Matt Sole on February 05, 2012, 05:12:03 PM
Price Jeff?
The rondar covers aren't very good anyway.
The current grey Rondar top covers in the photo of the yellow boat above (with the Viper logo on the keel part) are quite nice. Heavily reinforced with the same thick material of the rudder cover shown at chafe points and much more durable than the previous blue covers. The old blue ones weren't really made for road travel. these are.
The current Rondar bottom cover is that same thick, breathable material as the rudder cover. It offers far more protection from rocks and road debris than any other material.
Regarding the Rondar cover ballooning up when on the road, I was going to have my sailmaker add some eye straps underneath to bungee down the cover from the inside. Has anyone tried this? I was going to use 2 on each side, adjacent to the keel slot, where it tends to balloon up. I'm just wondering if I bungee down at these points, is the cover then going to balloon up just aft of where I bungee it down? If so, then one could end up with a whole array of bungees working all the way to the back of the boat.
-Jimbo
Jim, Steve and I have never tried using bungies. We have however tried putting tons of different straps, ropes , etc over where it balloons up. Your right, it's a bit like plugging the hole in the dike with your finger. No matter where and how much we tied down, it just ballooned up elsewhere. I don't know, maybe bungies underneath work word different. It almost needs a vent to let the air escape. It seems to me that if the keel part of the cover was taller/deeper, you could suck the cover down lower and that would help some. I definitely NOT an engineer though by any stretch!
Three reasons not to do road trips with a top cover:
1. Fuel Economy, the cover is just more drag.
2. Ads extra wear and tear to the top cover, all that ballooning just looks dumb.
3. It's just not necessary, the cover is there to protect the boat from UV as much as anything, I am sure it can survive a one or two day road trip.
Quote from: Matt Sole on February 14, 2012, 10:23:08 AM
Three reasons not to do road trips with a top cover:
1. Fuel Economy, the cover is just more drag.
2. Ads extra wear and tear to the top cover, all that ballooning just looks dumb.
3. It's just not necessary, the cover is there to protect the boat from UV as much as anything, I am sure it can survive a one or two day road trip.
+ 1.
Rub the topsides with soap and then just hose her down when you get to destination. All the flies come right off.
Bottom cover and mast cover when travelling is nice though.
I've travelled perhaps 20,000 miles with the top cover on. No biggy. The thing balloons up when on the road but I drive typically 70-75 so I don't think anything would stop it from puffing.
I keep all sorts of stuff in the cockpit when travelling and the cover keeps it secure and makes the tie down much easier.
Quote from: Drew Harper on February 15, 2012, 12:34:30 PM
I've travelled perhaps 20,000 miles with the top cover on. No biggy. The thing balloons up when on the road but I drive typically 70-75 so I don't think anything would stop it from puffing.
I keep all sorts of stuff in the cockpit when travelling and the cover keeps it secure and makes the tie down much easier.
I'm with Drew on this one - I have something like 18,000road miles on my Service Canvas cover. It keeps the road grim out of the blocks and allows me to safely carry sails and gear in the boat away from prying eyes at hotels and food stops.
I'd like to eliminate the ballooning as it blocks our rear-view look-out for the fuzz...
speed limit is 85 between el paso and san antonio, that means keith will probably be doing 110 - so tie it down tight this weekend Jim.
Quote from: Jim Sears on February 16, 2012, 12:33:39 AM
I'd like to eliminate the ballooning as it blocks our rear-view look-out for the fuzz...