Canvas ideas for 27FC

[Sprig1]

Hi Desert that sounds like a great trip. No I don't know of any other Albin 25s in the area. I probably should of bought a 25 instead of a 27 trailering sure is nice. I have always heard good things about the Nanticoke river. Have a great trip and keep us informed. Chris

[DesertAlbin736]

Where you are there are so many places you can go by boat. We live 360 miles from the nearest coastal water, that being San Diego. We have some lakes, including the nearest one to us, Lake Pleasant, is 15 minutes away, but it's only 4 miles long by 2 miles wide with a river arm that goes another 5 or 6 miles upstream. The other major lakes are Roosevelt, Havasu, Powell, and Mead. All are more than 100 miles away. If you've ever been out West, you realize how vast the distances are. After awhile you get bored with the same puddle, no matter how scenic it is. So for us at least it makes no sense to have a big boat "trapped" on a small lake. Lots of people do. There are scores of house boats and big motor yachts on Lake Pleasant, and many never leave the dock.

We used to have a Catalina 25 sailboat, which was also trailerable, but a PITA to take the mast up and down, which why we've gone to the "Dark Side" with the Albin. Since we were sailboaters, we still belong to the Lake Pleasant Sailing Club and do raftups on the lake with them. We were supposed to go to one this weekend, but we're still busy working on our canvas project. Making progress though! We're ready to start sewing the major assemblies together tomorrow.

Picture below is one of our Lake Pleasant raftups last April, one of the first ones we went to after we got our "new" boat. As you can see, we were the only "stink potters" there, but another couple has since gone to a power boat with a VERY nice C-Dory 25.

[coolchange]

Hey all...since I haven't looked at this for awhile imagine my amazement at all the great suggestions. I just got my second bid..$2100 which would essentially replace what I already have but with new bimini and sides...rather than the "fixed" parasol with removable sides. We need the same windows, doors, screens etc but want to be able to take sides off easily..and when really nice take off (fold up) the bimini as well.

a few comments on some of the postings:

our top has reinforced canvas/sunbrella hand holds sewn diagonally on each of the stern corners...easy to make it from the grab on the hardtop to the corner..= safety ( one hand for the boat and one for the job at hand )

I prefer to keep the back dropping short of the back of the aft cabin...this allows me to sit and cook on the grill...or sit and look at stuff...and a little easier (I think) to get the engine and dinghy mated when necessary and I still have storage shelves inside big enough for a fold-able bike, fenders and OC (other crap)

I am willing to build lots of stuff...but sewing a top I will leave to others

I have heard the life of these tops, and the glass, can be extended with use of 303 and a different conditioner for the glass...plus careful rolling and storage...that said here in the Pacific Northwest we do not have the same harsh conditions some of you have to deal with.

..anyway, I am in the water for the season (Oregon City Oregon...just below the Willamette Falls) and only 20 minutes from home. Yeah!

[Isabel]

Jay, thanks for the link on the grab rail, will look into it. We live in Lockport & keep 'Isabel', FC 27, in Wilson Harbor, Lake Ontario. Ice mostly out of harbor but don't launch boats until 1st weekend May!

don123, our canvas work ran about $3500 - included top, 7 side sections with isinglass (5 sections with zippered rollup isinglass, screen insets underneath), 3 window covers for wheelhouse, front hatch cover, 4 pairs handrail covers. Very happy with the result - improved boat livability by a lot.

[DesertAlbin736]

Here are some pictures of just-finished canvas project on La Dolce Vita. Essentially a copy of the common more or less stock enclosure, but with screened side windows and an enlarged back window.

Oh, and the final cost with 10 yards of Sunbrella Plus, of which I have about a yard and a half left over after also making grab rail covers and hatch covers, is roughly $900, including a $140 hot knife, a $120 spool of Helios thread (which we ended up switching to V92 thread after finding the Helios was just too difficult to work with, but too late to get a refund), basting tape, patterning material, binding, zippers, 27 yards of sew on Velcro, twist snaps, etc, etc. Plus four solid weeks of full time work. It went a little slow because this is the first canvas job remotely like this that I've ever done. Learn something new every day, just like the fiberglass hard top project.

At least we're able to bring the boat over to our house and park our front during the day while fitting the canvas. That helped while we had our kitchen transformed into a sewing loft.

Helps too to have sunshine and 80s almost every day. Note that in these pictures there's not a cloud in the sky. Typical Arizona weather.

[coolchange]

looks really good...and a project I would not take on without a gun to my head.... I would rather gut and rehab a 3 story brick building...

Also...I'm guessing that your ladder got a lot of use what with 10,000 trips up and down to fit and install.

[tego]

You did good Mon!Ben

[DesertAlbin736]

Also...I'm guessing that your ladder got a lot of use what with 10,000 trips up and down to fit and install.

You got that right!!!

[DesertAlbin736]

...and a project I would not take on without a gun to my head.... I would rather gut and rehab a 3 story brick building...

Given the choice between sewing canvas and laying up a fiberglass hardtop panel I'd take sewing canvas any day. That fiberglass is nasty stuff to work with!