Unlike many things on a boat canvas work is an "arts" trade. Most canvas work is of absurdly low caliber and can severyly detract from the aesthetics of the vessel. Sad but true.
Canvas is also one of the ares where you as a buyer need to 150% do your home work and compare apples to apples. There are LOTS and LOTS of ways to cut corners on canvas work, and most will do that, unless you go in with a very, very specific specification. A good canvas job can easily last 12-18 years and a bad canvas job can be toast in 4-5 years...
Thread - Do not accept anything less than WL Gore Tenera. If your canvas guy balks at this you WALK. Tenara is not easy to work with and only the best canvas guys will be extremely proficient with it.
Tubing - Only heavy walled (.065" min) 316 SS tube should be used. Lots of shops will substitute crappy 304 thin wall. It makes it extremely difficult to atttain a proper fit and shape with thin walled tube.
Windows - Strataglass or equivalent at a bare minimum but preferably EZ2CY or Makrolon double sided abrasion resistant...
Fittings - 100% 316 SS. Double set screw types are preferred but most will source the cheaper single set screw product.
Zipper - While these don't sound glorious there are differences and many unscrupulous shops will use cheap non UV zippers in place of YKK UV or Lenzip UV resistant zippers.
Support Struts - These are very, very good options to go with. Front bow supports keep tension on the window and prevent creases, sagging etc. and also hold shape. A good shop will always use adjustable eye ends so proper tension can be maintained for the life of the product. Coaming struts come from the aft bow to the cockpit coaming and aft tension the dodger. Again these will use adjustable eye ends.
Snaps, Lift-A-Dots, Twist Locks or Luff Track - To get the optimal canvas shape the preferred method of attaching the dodger to the deck, on the cabin top, is to use luff track. This gives even tension across the entire window and prevents creases in the glass and canvas.
Zip Off Side Curtains - This type of dodger is often referred to as a "California" style. They allow open air access without needing to "fold" the canvas. Folding canvas is the absorlute worst thing you can do for it. A good design eliminates the need to fold. We have NEVER ONCE folded, or needed to remove, any of our custom made dodgers. A good canvas guy will make you a fleece lined storage back so teh window can remain flat, never rolled, and store under a berth cushion when not in use.
Fully articulating middle front window - A good canvas guy can make a middle window that folds 180 degrees and lays flat on-top of the dodger when open. Again no rolling & no potential for scratches. A
budget shop will give you a roll up window...
Welded Grab Bar - Another nice feature is a welded grab rail across the aft bow. To take it up a notch baseball stitched leather covering... Expensive but also very time consuming to fabricate, weld and polish.
Suede or Stamoid Reinforcement points - In areas of high hand touching suede or Stamoid will be used.
Custom vs. Pattern - Hands down a custom made dodger, by a good canvas guy, will win every time but will also be more expensive. Why is custom so expensive?
Trip #1 - Meet with owner and discuss needs and use and make suggestions and offer options and pros and cons. Take initial measurements then head back to shop to manufacturer, bend and crown the frame. A good guy will match the crown and cabin rake of your your boats profiles. A hack will use what ever radius he likes to use.
Trip#2 - Show up with frame and mount frame. Pattern for canvas. If too windy this requires another trip.
Trip #3 - Return to vessel with dodger, & bimini, if so ordered, and install. If fit is not absolutely perfect it goes back to the shop for some tweaking.
Trip #4 - Install canvas and fit dodger and bimini to perfection. A good bimini or dodger will NOT use straps to hold it up or tension it. A
low budget job uses straps. Floppy loose fitting canvas wears and degrades faster!! Pattern for connector and side curtains, if so ordered. This step CAN NOT be done with any level of quality until the bimini and dodger have been fitted, tensioned and installed.
Trip #5 - GO back to shop and manufacture the connector and side curtains and or enclosure.
Trip #6 - Go back to boat and install, fit and tension connector and side curtains or enclosure.
A
quality job, by a canvas artist, for a bimini, connector and dodger will consume in the neighborhood of 80+ man hours not including travel time. Quality materials are also not inexpensive....
Rant:Our 2005 Catalina 310 had JSI factory canvas and, IMHO, it was a complete budget level substandard product.. It cost me $1400.00 in modifications (brand new boat mind you) to get it to a somewhat presentable quality and this included many hours of physical thread removal and re-stitching adding support struts etc. and even then the thread, windows and overall quality were barely up to
budget level..... Rant off....
If you want to see some quality canvas work:
IversonsMobile Marine Canvas With proper care a good quality product will LAST..
These are our windows as of this June at year 7..
