Winter Storage Cover - 1985 Beneteau 325

Sep 5, 2017
1
Beneteau 325 Boyne City MI
Hello, I am looking for a winter storage cover for a 1985 Beneteau 325. Can anyone recommend a fabricator? Thanks
 
Sep 25, 2008
957
Macgregor & Island Packet VENTURE 25 & IP-38 NORTH EAST, MD
I had a miserable experience with "The Canvas Shop" out of Long Island. The end product was ok, but it took over a year to get it right. They were very hard to get in touch with, once they had my money, and very unsympathetic to the problems they had caused. I would not recommend them.
 

jviss

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Feb 5, 2004
6,745
Tartan 3800 20 Westport, MA
Fairclough, in Connecticut, is top notch, but not cheap. I have one for my Catalina 36, I recall it was over $3,000.
 
Apr 11, 2010
946
Hunter 38 Whitehall MI
Hello, I am looking for a winter storage cover for a 1985 Beneteau 325. Can anyone recommend a fabricator? Thanks
White Lake Canvas in Whitehall Michigan.
Marc who owns it is absolutely the best.

The Only thing is that he is so good that he's really busy and you have to get on his schedule.
First one he made for me was for Catalina 34. Used it 12 or 13 years before it wore out.

Now have one on our Hunter 38.
 
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Jan 7, 2011
4,727
Oday 322 East Chicago, IN
I had a miserable experience with "The Canvas Shop" out of Long Island. The end product was ok, but it took over a year to get it right. They were very hard to get in touch with, once they had my money, and very unsympathetic to the problems they had caused. I would not recommend them.
I had problems it's them too. Ordered a cover at the Chicago Strictly sail show in January. Got the cover after many calls, it it had stancion collars in the wrong place. Sent parts of it back after the winter to have it fixed. Had to check all al times to finally get it back in November that year. Broke one zipper and had a gaping hole in it all winter. Sent it back this summer and waiting for them to return it. Hopefully it will last at least one season.

The material seems very sturdy, and no issues with the seams or stitching. But the service seems somewhat lacking.

Greg
 
Jun 1, 2007
265
O'Day 322 Mt.Sinai
Greg (Tally Ho), I winter my 322 within 100 yards of The Canvas Shop. I haven't dealt with them myself yet, but if you need me to walk in their door and ask about your cover, let me know. I'll probably go with a tarp myself this winter, my 2nd winter with the 322.
 
Apr 28, 2005
267
Oday 302 Lake Perry, KS
Shipshape Products...talk with Jim Welisnki, the owner. They made a cover for my O'Day 302 and after two seasons in Kansas winters it looks brand new. Easier to put on and remove than the old blue tarps I was using (looks much better, too!) Jim is terrific to work with. I bought the better material and added a door (a must) and a couple of other little extras. Very quality work.
Can't recommend them enough given my experience. Here's the info:
ShipShape Products Inc.
611 N Central Ave
Duluth, MN 55807
(218) 624-5677
shipshapecanvas@me.com
 
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DougM

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Jul 24, 2005
2,242
Beneteau 323 Manistee, MI
White Lake Canvas in Whitehall Michigan.
Marc who owns it is absolutely the best.

The Only thing is that he is so good that he's really busy and you have to get on his schedule.
First one he made for me was for Catalina 34. Used it 12 or 13 years before it wore out.

Now have one on our Hunter 38.
+1 For White Lake Canvas. Mark made my 323 cover in 2005 and it survived 10 Michigan winters. Perfect fit and finish.
I couldn't get my schedule and his to coincide to get the boat to him for a new cover.
and had to resort to shrink wrapping.
 
Jan 7, 2011
4,727
Oday 322 East Chicago, IN
Greg (Tally Ho), I winter my 322 within 100 yards of The Canvas Shop. I haven't dealt with them myself yet, but if you need me to walk in their door and ask about your cover, let me know. I'll probably go with a tarp myself this winter, my 2nd winter with the 322.
Thanks Mickstr, I hope that won't be necessary.

I did the tarp thing my first winter with the 322, but it was a lot of work. And it looked butt-ugly. But it did keep most of the ice and snow off the deck.

I do like a custom canvas cover....just wish their customer service was a bit better.

Thanks again for the offer....


Greg
 
Jun 9, 2004
615
Catalina 385 Marquette. Mi
Shipshape Products...talk with Jim Welisnki, the owner. They made a cover for my O'Day 302 and after two seasons in Kansas winters it looks brand new. Easier to put on and remove than the old blue tarps I was using (looks much better, too!) Jim is terrific to work with. I bought the better material and added a door (a must) and a couple of other little extras. Very quality work.
Can't recommend them enough given my experience. Here's the info:
ShipShape Products Inc.
611 N Central Ave
Duluth, MN 55807
(218) 624-5677
shipshapecanvas@me.com
Second that with Ship Shape.
 
Nov 14, 2016
18
Hunter 30 (1978) Milwaukee, WI
How much does geography come into play when choosing a company to make one of these? Is it essential for someone to come out to your boat to take measurements?
 
Jan 1, 2006
7,040
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
I don't know if it's essential but I would prefer it. And you have to think of service. It's too expensive to ship it back. And at least with the cover to my 356, it was a bear to even load into the car. It was comical to see myself with a rotator cuff injury, the the sailmaker with a bad back, try to hump this cover up the stairs to his loft. We collectively sounded like the 2,000 Year Old Man.
 
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Apr 11, 2010
946
Hunter 38 Whitehall MI
I don't know if it's essential but I would prefer it. And you have to think of service. It's too expensive to ship it back. And at least with the cover to my 356, it was a bear to even load into the car. It was comical to see myself with a rotator cuff injury, the the sailmaker with a bad back, try to hump this cover up the stairs to his loft. We collectively sounded like the 2,000 Year Old Man.
I agree with you completely. Without specific measurements for a specific boat the fit is going to be generic and could lead to performance issues or additional effort to put it on.
The cover I had made is custom to my boat. It is made in three sections with zippers that connect the sections together, fits around the mast and standing rigging, over the arch, has reinforcing where it touches the jib sheet winches, has an access door that allows entry through the transom platform.

On my Catalina 34 I could working alone have the cover on and secured in 1 hot start to finish.
Now even better, our guy offers a service where in the fall he puts the covers on for us. In the spring he takes it off, inspects it and repairs chafe spots, and then stores it for the summer. All for a very modest fee.
 
Jun 9, 2004
615
Catalina 385 Marquette. Mi
I would call these recommended cover makers, and see if they already have a template. Maybe, just maybe they might !
 

MitchM

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Jan 20, 2005
1,011
Nauticat 321 pilothouse 32 Erie PA
when we bought a 30 boat in august 1995 , all the local canvas makers were 'too busy' to do a cover by fall haul out. i bought a sail rite sewing machine for $500 and 30 yards of wide 'boat top' fabric at 9$ a yard from sail rite. i sewed 2 lengths of boat top together and put heavy brass grommets in the perimeter for tie down straps . it went over the dropped mast like a tent, bow to stern. 20 years later, the cover was still in great shape . it is still covering the boat for its new owners in lake st. clair as of 2016--- 21 years later. and the sewing machine still works...