bimini

[Jeff Kaplan]

i have decided to treat my boat and especially myself, to a bimini, sun doesn't like me anymore.  has anyone dealt with the canvas store in ny.i have seen their ad in mainsheet,so i called and spoke to steve yesterday and liked what he said and does to build and price quoted was in line with local canvas shops in my area, $1,250 for 7/8" stainless and $1,425 for 1". if anyone has had experience with them, i would appreciate any feedback. thanks...jeff

[Stu Jackson]

Jeff, there was a long discussion on catalinaowners.com recently about this.  Here's an archive search link from their site FYI: http://archives.sailboatowners.com/?fno=20&uid=73200280089  Type in canvas store, click the "find exact phrase" button, and read on...

[Ron Hill]

Jeff : Follow up on Stu's' site.  I'd only consider the 1" tubing as it's stronger and a Bimini does need to take wind. 
You might also think about an connecting piece to the dodger.  Look and you'll find all kind of other ideas C34 owners have had when installing their Bimini.   

[Rick Johnson]

Jeff, 

The PO of my C34 installed a bimini with a 7/8 frame.  It flexes way too much!  Go with the 1 inch frame as Ron suggested.  Mine is also very flat across the top, while most others I see are nicely bowed.  Mine always catches a pool of water on top so I'd make sure it's bowed.

My 2 cents...

Did I mention it gets cold here in Austin????

[Stu Jackson]

Nice way to make side curtains   

[Jeff Kaplan]

stu, thanks for that thread. upon reading some of the postings, there were not many good things said about the canvas store. i have decided to seek a local canvas shop and with the boston boat show opening this week, my wife and i will be on a mission. ron, definately will go for 1" ss and a connector piece to the dodger. thanks again for the input...jeff

[Larry Robertie]

Jeff:

Guess I'm a little late on this one but I thought I should put in my two cents.

I had bought a cover for my my Catalina 27 in 2002.  This year, when I put it on with the new owner it still looked like new.  The material they use is excellent, and not one stitch of one seem has given way.

As for the service - when I was looking to buy I called and spoke to a guy I think was the owner.  When I said I was looking for a cover for a C27 he, without prompting, asked "tall or standard rig".  That showed me he knew what he was about.

This past Fall I purchased my C34 MkII and was thrilled to know that it also came with a cover from The Canvas Store.

The covers take about an hour, maybe less, for one man to put up.  They come down to the base of the stanchions and not over the side, witch is also good.  You might be tempted to by one that covers half way down the topsides - but think of that canvas rubbing on the gelcoat all winter long.  I'd rather deal with the the UV problem of exposed topsides (with wax) rather than scratches.  What you are really looking for in a cover is something that will hold up to the weight of the snow, allowing it to slide off.

Luckily my new boat is in pristine condition, but if and when I am in need of new canvas I will go to these guys in a heart beat.

[Jon Schneider]

If the covers come down to the deck, what difference would standard or tall rig have to do with measuring for a cover?  And can't you simply specify Sunbrella from any canvas maker?  FWIW, I think the point of this thread has been that The Canvas Store is really lousy at service and delivery, not that the end-product quality is poor.  If you can wait months past the due date and deal with lots of calls and incompetent phone service, this is a good place to save a couple hundred bucks.  Otherwise, run, don't walk, away from this place. 

Jeff:
I had bought a cover for my my Catalina 27 in 2002.  This year, when I put it on with the new owner it still looked like new.  The material they use is excellent, and not one stitch of one seem has given way.

As for the service - when I was looking to buy I called and spoke to a guy I think was the owner.  When I said I was looking for a cover for a C27 he, without prompting, asked "tall or standard rig".  That showed me he knew what he was about.

This past Fall I purchased my C34 MkII and was thrilled to know that it also came with a cover from The Canvas Store.

The covers take about an hour, maybe less, for one man to put up.  They come down to the base of the stanchions and not over the side, witch is also good. 

[Larry Robertie]

Actually, tall vs. standard rig makes a great deal of difference to the proper fit as the cover relies on the mast and boom for support.  It also shows that the guy is familiar with the boats and to me that said something.

As for the service, I've had no problem.  The order was taken courteously and delivered promptly.  My PO did tell me about a problem he had when he got a little to close to the canvas with a knife and ripped a hole in it.  He called, was told to send it back and the thing was patched free of charge.

It's very easy to find threads on the internet with negative content.  In fact it's rather natural.  Hardly anyone speaks up to say they are satisfied, but let there be a problem and the flood gates open.  I worked in a service company for years and the axiom was that one in ten satisfied customers will tell another of their experiences, but nine out of ten dissatisfied people will relate their stories.

And the material is not sunbrella.  It's a much more durrable material called "Top Gun", as they describe it, a marine polyester.  I very much doubt sunbrella would last as long.  It looks just as good (in my opinion) at first, much better after a couple of years.



By the way Jeff, if you are at the boat show on Saturday, look me up.  I'll be at the Eastern Yachts booth, at the Catalina Association of New England table.

[Jeff Kaplan]

larry, my wife and i went to the show on mon. i was at east. yatch on the c350 and 387. will probably think of the 35 in about 5 years, nice boat. very warm in the building so be prepared. sat. should be a zoo.i found a local canvas in wenham, ns canvas. my friend used him and he did great work. price was less also.  decided to keep it local so he can come to the boat and we can discuss.springs coming...jeff

[Stu Jackson]

Larry, I agree that it is easy to find negative comments on the Internet, and made that link available only because it was recent.  And long.  A number of respondents mentioned your points as well.  I agree that anyone asking this type of question should get a number of different opinions, hence, this thread.

We have a canvas place right in our marina.  When we went in to talk to them about some major work, the first thing they said was "We don't have time right now and can't work on your boat for a few months."  That made me feel really warm and fuzzy about these folks.  Yes, it was important for them to let me know that right up front, so we didn't waste time, but it was said with an attitude that just doesn't come across in typing this, but I think you know what I mean.  They could just have well said: "We're quite busy now, so let's discuss your schedule before either one of us becomes disappointed."   As I recall, they never said hello.  We didn't do business with them, and as I walked around the docks, I found I could find their products easily because of the (poorer) quality of their work compared to other canvas work.  Of course, they're very "popular" but I personally didn't like their choice of white thread on dark blue fabric (no exceptions allowed or it'll cost extra).  Does blue matching thread really cost more?

I also checked the "standard" houses, including Island Dodger.

In our case, we had a frame we liked and wanted to work with someone we could discuss our ideas with.  We did "get the word out" to a number of friends, and finally, a friend of a friend of a friend got word back to us.

We ended up with a "one-woman" shop who was honest, fair, and on time.

Would I recommend her to others?  You bet.  Only thing is that many of the questions are coming from the other side of the country.   

There are always two sides to the coin, and "your boat, your choice."  My recommendation, regardless of who one chooses to work with, is to be able to develop a personal connection with the vendor, and to avoid potentially adversarial relationships that can and do tend to develop when things are done either long distance or through intermediaries.

I just had a "thing" with our depthsounder, and I spent some time to write to DMI with an explanation of my problem.  Two days later I got a very nice and friendly email response with a picture that cleared everything up for me.  Will I work with these guys, even if they're in Massachusetts?  You betcha!  So distance isn't the only issue, but when it comes to something so big and apparent like a dodger or bimini, it is an important consideration.

[Jon Schneider]

Larry, I don't mean to be a bulldog on this, but I'm intensely curious: is the boom at a markedly different height depending on standard vs tall rig?  Is it longer or shorter?  It wouldn't appear that way to me when I compare my standard rig to my neighbor's TR.  If the boom's in the same spot and the mast is in the same position, I'm at a loss to figure out why Steve's (the owner of the Canvas Store) question was telling.  BTW, I certainly agree with you that negative commentators always outnumber positive, but I've never seen so many consistently negative messages.  In fact, to my recollection, you are the first advocate I've witnessed; that ratio is unusual, and I find most people on these lists to be pretty reasonable and willing to admit that there are two sides.  The Canvas Store provokes very one-sided commentary.  With all the negative experiences and with so many canvas makers out there, why would anyone take a chance?

Actually, tall vs. standard rig makes a great deal of difference to the proper fit as the cover relies on the mast and boom for support.  It also shows that the guy is familiar with the boats and to me that said something.

[Stu Jackson]

Jon

I think Larry was talking about his C27.  On our old C25s the tall rigs had a boom that was much lower than the SR.

[Jon Schneider]

Ah, I see said the blind man.  Thanks for clarifying.  Very interesting that Catalina would cheat the mainsail luff by lowering the boom (so to speak) on the C25.  You'd think they'd have maintained what little comfort there was with the higher boom height of the SR.  Thanks.

[Larry Robertie]

Actually, I believe the boom on a C27 Tall is a bit shorter, and perhaps lower.  I probably overstated with the "extremely important", but I do find it more comforting to work with folks who show a knowledge of my particular boat.

Larry, I don't mean to be a bulldog on this, but I'm intensely curious: is the boom at a markedly different height depending on standard vs tall rig?  Is it longer or shorter?