Camper Back / Canvas Work

R

Rock-C

New member
I'm going to try this again under a different topic. :idea Chuckpacific, I'm also interested in a canvas enclosure for the back of our boat. Thanks Gary on Minni Swann for the reply, I checked out your photos on the C-Dog site. Looks good. :thup I think I would like the cover to extend to the end of the transom, for shade, and still have the back window drop down to the front of the motor well.
Hopefully we will get some C-Brats to chime in on what works and what doesn't. Where have they had the work done and ball park cost.
I called a local top shop, he had never seen or heard of a C-Dory before, and he gave me an estimate of $1200. :shock: Seems kind of high. :cry
 
Hi Terry,

There are as many ways to build canvas tops/enclosures as there are houses; you can run the gamut from a standardized 'spec' home to a full-blown 'custom' model.

The King Marine camper canvas is a good base for comparison. King has the patterns for the CD22 and doesn't have to custom fit each boat and they have dedicated seamstresses; the pattern and installation folks don't do the production sewing. This all helps keep costs down. The basic King camper canvas with aluminum bows, two removable side panels and one removable back panel is $960. Going to stainless bows (a good thing IMHO) adds $155. The quality of the work done by King is very good; far surpassing the typical "factory" top on most boats.

The shop that is doing our custom canvas work (when 'standardized' versions aren't the customer's choice) adds many features to the top which we designed in..all stainless framework, quick release bow fittings, which are $80 more on the King top (to facilitate removal of the framework), solid struts to tension the top and hold the framework up out of the way when the top material is removed. A zipper across the forward end of the top material to facilitate dropping the top (or accessing the cabin top) without having to slide it completely out of the awning track to one side. The side panels are split into 3 sections so that you don't have to unsnap anything to get in and out of the boat (something I hate with cold fingers and full hands); and the zipper in the top (which zips toward the center) means you don't have to duck under the low sides. The individual small panels stow easier and you only have to unzip a small section (which is removable) to enter or exit the cockpit. The back curtain is in three sections; the center section matching the width of the motorwell with a narrower section on each outboard end; each of the three sections is individually removable. This allows access to the motorwell or to the lazarette lockers without undoing a 1-piece back curtain. The curtain doesn't snap at the bottom because it's difficult to reach snaps that are on the outside from the inside; instead the curtain is held with bungee loops which fasten onto lashing hooks. This is very easy to do from inside and pulls the curtain nicely taut when hooked. The clear vinyl material used for the windows is .030 pressed and polished sheet material rather than the more common .020 rolled clear vinyl; it has much more clarity and doesn't allow the curtains to move around as much in the wind. The clear 'glass' in the back curtain drops all the way to the top of the motorwell so that you can see the motor(s) from the helm seat. All-totalled you have 9 small panels to stow (the forward one on either side being really small) rather than 3 large ones when the side and back curtains come off (although they could be left zipped together). Each of the panels is individually and completely removable so when you don't want one you can stow it away rather than having to roll it up on the side or flip it over the top (where the wind usually flips it back down). Once the side and back curtains are removed the top itself unzips and comes off in a matter of seconds and the framework remains standing in place and does not drop into the motorwell.

This is more expensive at $1500; whether or not it's worth the extra expense is at the discretion of the buyer. I think it's an awfully full-featured top for a very fair price. [As a side note: this price is direct from the Canvas Riggers...we don't sell them per se and there is no markup on our part.]

So depending on the complexity of the design, the quality of materials used (the top/curtain material it self, the clear vinyl, the zippers, the snaps, the binding, the bows (framework), and the top fittings (eye ends, jaw slides, supports, etc)), the $1200 you were quoted seems right in the "ballpark". This is a very labor intensive thing to do (I can vouch for that having done it myself professionally); you can bend some aluminum tubing in the shop (stainless is a different deal) and sew up Sunbrella on most home sewing machines but most folks will be totally surprised at just how long it takes to pattern the thing and then sew it up.
 
Terry,

My favorite camper back to date is the one on Bill's beautiful new Da Nag. Your 1,200 buck estimate is in the ball park, but the number varies quite a bit with the quality of material and what is included in the price. 1,500-2,000 bucks is the going price in this area for absolute top-of-the line installations - the high end figure includes inside custom curtains. I've been checking carefully because I'm in the market too, and that's a lot of bucks. I want one!

Les at EQ owned his own canvas shop and is a good person to check with...

Dusty
 
"Ask and you shall receive"
Once again, Les & Dusty are the definitive (tag team) answer man. Thanks for the low down. King Marine sounds like top of the line. If money were not an issue......
I may have to wait a year or two. We bought Rock-C less than a year ago. and that pretty much drained the boating piggy bank.
Still like to hear from others on what features they like and what they would do differently.
Sawdust":2apkfoh3 said:
Supposed to be a day off for Les!!

Dusty
Click to expand...
Les, if this is your day off, go hunt up some Easter eggs.
Thanks
 
What we would do differently? We have the standard King Marine setup. We did not do a lot of research, we just went to King Marine and asked them to install "a camperback" - the only choice we made consciously was the color. Here is the list of mistakes to avoid:

1. Absolutely, unequivocally - get the stainless supports with the solid struts and quick releases instead of the straps. This is the most important one.

2. If you have a choice - bungees instead of snaps for the motorwell fasteners. I would even ask King Marine to do this, there is no reason they can't.

3. SOME kind of opening panel in each side so you can get in and out easily. King can put these in too.



Rock-C":1ccoxnbn said:
"Ask and you shall receive"
Once again, Les & Dusty are the definitive (tag team) answer man. Thanks for the low down. King Marine sounds like top of the line. If money were not an issue......
I may have to wait a year or two. We bought Rock-C less than a year ago. and that pretty much drained the boating piggy bank.
Still like to hear from others on what features they like and what they would do differently.
Click to expand...
 
Rock-C

We had our cover made to extend all the way back. You can see it in Fishtales photo album. The larger cover makes it feel very roomy when in the cockpit on a raiy day.
We had see-through and solid covers made for the inside of the cabin windows, and covers made for the engines.
 
:cat :cat :cat We have had two covers in 10 years. Contact Superior Design Top Shop in Longview, WA Tel. 360.575.9796. They came to our boat and did a great job at a reasonable price. We have two sets of side and back panels. One unit has fine mesh screening and the other plastic windows. This affords coverage for insect or foul weather. The side panels are two part which gives us easy entry/exit to the boat. Our top swoops upward to provide a room nearly 7' high. You're getting great advice from other C-Brats about the structure. I would add that across the top forward section that attaches to the roof insist on turn fasteners instead of snap connections. This installation makes it easy to remove the camper top for winter storage. Our cost was $1200. If you come to Portland and would like to see the camper back installation, we'd be pleased to show it. (That is if the boat isn't sold!) We're getting a 25' C-Dory soon.
 
We have a roll up window in the aft panel of our Camperback; and also a roll up bug screen, for that space when the window is rolled up. Great circulation through the cabin and cockpit on those buggy nights.
 
After doing a lot of "checking" I opted to return to King Canvas for our recently completed canvas job. Overall, I've very happy with the work.

Prior to having King estimate the job, I checked with a custom canvas shop at Bigwater, UT (near lake Powell, closer to home...). Believe it or not - they wanted $4850. for the whole job. Yeowooo!!!

Our King canvas came to $1610 installed. This inclued .30 plastic (upgraded windows) all around, Sunbrella Seatest (waterproof, not just water repellant...) on the top, stainless all around, quick release brackets, hard legs on the back, and sun/bug screens that can be inserted in lieu of the windows. it has the same zipper type of connection to the cabin that Les described earlier. It sounds very much like the job Les described - but the only real difference is that our aft window (and screen...) is one large piece. That's nice from a viewing perspective, but it one BIG piece to try to roll-up! On yea, one other thing - I asked Dave King to remodel the after curtain so it will enclose the lazarettes and come down about half way across the splash well.
 
C-Dragon
So your moving up to one of the cruise ships. Congratulations.
I ran across a photo of C-Dragon, might have been in the boats for sale thread, I like the way the camper top comes farther back over the transom.
Good luck on selling the 22 footer. It should not be much of a problem with the reputation C-Dory has.
 
Terry (Rock C),

I contacted several people up here about a canvas top and finally settled on Carols' Custom Canvas (on Marine Drive). Gordon (of Carol's) visited me at my slip on Tomahawk Island and ended up quoting the lowest price on the specialized top I wanted. My top extends almost to the end of the boat and has no side curtains. When not in use it folds and stows in back held off the floor by the inside steps. I always have a cover over the back of the boat. I was very satisfied with the price and workmanship and would recommend Carol's to any C-Brats.

Chuck
 
Chuck
Thanks for the heads up. Are you going to be at Lopez this weekend? I would like to check out your new cover.
I've been up to my eye balls in work lately, hope things will sloooooowwwwww down so I can get up your way to visit Carol's.
 
Terry,

I'm moored on Tomahawk Island which would be a very short detour as you head up to Seattle on I-5. Just let me know when you'll be thru. I'll pass on Lopez as I'll be doing some 4-wheeling on the Alvord Desert the weekend of the 8-9th and will need to catch up on around-the-house things this weekend.

Chuck
 
The frame I built for Sunset Ride (see photos) was built with the eventual addition of a cockpit cover, which I had built for me this summer. The way the frame is built allows the sides to be rolled up and tucked away inside the side rails. The canvas work cost me $650, the stainless steel work cost me about 300 bucks and a few weekends.
 
I don't know if this exactly fits your need, but maybe it's a place to start.

I've posted this and am including it 4 u 2 c. Cap'n Rich

Hi Fellow Marinaters,

Cap’n Rich here. I live and fish on the Gulf side of Florida off of Tarpon Springs.

I recently bought a 19’ Fisherman C-Dory. It came with a ‘back drop curtain’.

As many of you know, the sun is brutal here and I wanted a sunshade but balked at prices, not to mention that I’m broke.

So I took my ravaged brain and fabricated a stand for the back drop curtain.

Plz be kind, I don’t explain things well.

I went to my local home supply store and purchased some white PVC tubing, a couple end caps, two 90-degree elbows and 3 pipe couplers. I put the thing together to form an inverted U. I have a rod holder in each corner of the transom. I put one 6’ (two 3’ sections with a coupler) section down in each vertical rod holder. Use the 90’s at the top to run a pipe between them horizontally. This forms an inverted U. I thread the drop curtain thru the hard top holder and fasten a snap on each side. Then drape the transom end over the PVC and put a plastic spring clamp on each end to hold it in place. I use the 3 pipe couplers so that I can disassemble the 3 long sections of pipe for storage convenience. I glued only one end of the coupler and took the unglued pipe end and with a channel lock pliers, ever so gently squeezed the other end of the pipe a teensy out of round so friction would hold it in the coupler and still be able to disassemble same.

It works great, looks good, shields me from the sun and probably cost less than $25.

If my instructions are confused, drop me a line and I’ll try to expand.

I fish in the Tarpon Springs area on the Gulf side of Florida and answer to On_Line_Systems. Yep, I used to work in I.T.


Cap’n Rich .)
 
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