Needed a new mainsail cover and a complete bimini. With modern(ish) production boats this is not much of an issue just select the manufacturer (Hunter/Catalina/etc/etc/etc), year, boat length and color.
Not so with a 45 year old boat whose production run wasn't in the thousands. I tried to order a premade main cover and for the overall length (12 ft) I was supposed to have a 24" circumfrence mast! Wow, I like things oversized a bit but that would look pretty out of place on my 24' boat.
Off to the local sail loft and $18/ft.
As for the bimini, most I see in "store bought" are 6' long (fore to aft), which on my boat means I would have to either squeeze out (like toothpaste out of a tube) between it and the back of the house or climb out from the stern end and tiptoe along a very narrow deck around the top to go forward. So I needed something shorter in length and was very lucky to find a 4.5' ski boat bimini in great shape with a stainless frame on Craigslist for $120. Only problem was the ski boat day glow red canvas so off to a canvas shop with $325 and I pick it up tomorrow or Tuesday.
To me these old classic boats are worth the little extra effort it takes to dress them up.
Not so with a 45 year old boat whose production run wasn't in the thousands. I tried to order a premade main cover and for the overall length (12 ft) I was supposed to have a 24" circumfrence mast! Wow, I like things oversized a bit but that would look pretty out of place on my 24' boat.
Off to the local sail loft and $18/ft.
As for the bimini, most I see in "store bought" are 6' long (fore to aft), which on my boat means I would have to either squeeze out (like toothpaste out of a tube) between it and the back of the house or climb out from the stern end and tiptoe along a very narrow deck around the top to go forward. So I needed something shorter in length and was very lucky to find a 4.5' ski boat bimini in great shape with a stainless frame on Craigslist for $120. Only problem was the ski boat day glow red canvas so off to a canvas shop with $325 and I pick it up tomorrow or Tuesday.
To me these old classic boats are worth the little extra effort it takes to dress them up.
.