Company:
Mystery Bay Sails and Canvas Nordland, WA

Project Details

Fabric 1

WeatherMax 80
Producer: OTHER
Supplier: OTHER, Challenge Sail Cloth


Design Name
Suzi Clinefelter

Design Company
Mystery Bay Sails and Canvas

Fabrication Name
Suzi Clinefelter

Fabrication Company
Mystery Bay Sails and Canvas

Project Manager Name
Suzi Clinefelter

Project Manager Company
Mystery Bay Sails and Canvas

Installation Name
Suzi Clinefelter

Installation Company
Mystery Bay sails and Canvas


Please describe the project specifications

This project was for a bow cover fabricated of Weather Max 80, 'Sandstone'.
The cover extends from the anchor roller assembly, aft to approximately one foot over the bow cabin top. A pocket slips over the anchor roller assembly top, with a web strap and buckle going under the anchor roller assembly from the upper edge of the sand bag band. This secures the forward edge of the bow cover.
The cover is supported in the center with a heavy duty, telescoping boat pole in a zippered pocket made of 2'" webbing. This pocket ends 6" short of the cabin top so the zipper does not mar the top surface and goes forward to the anchor roller assembly. A separate pocket fabricated of the 2" web secures the bottom end of the boat pole and provides protection to the cabin top. The boat pole hook end rests on the anchor roller assembly. With this design, the pole can be collapsed for storage, or zipped into pocket and then extended to needed length for ridge pole use.
From the center fore/aft point the cover slopes to the gunnels, with a overhanging band that is made into sand bag pockets. The sand bags hold the cover in tension, allowing the rain to roll off, overboard. The cover has stanchion openings that secure closed with common sense fasteners (twist fasteners). The aft edge of the cover secures to the hand rails on the cabin top with web strapping and buckles. The aft edge of the cover also has an internal bolt rope, similar to a sail bolt rope, to add stability. At the lower aft edge, on each side, is a shock cord through a grommet, attached to a shock cord knob, hidden under the sand bag band. This shock cord holds tension aft, securing the edge from whipping in the changing winds. The shock cord knob is positioned just below the gunnel.


What was the purpose of this project? What did the client request?

The Egg Harbor boat this cover was fabricated for is docked in covered moorage. In the winter the bow is facing outward of the moorage cover, into the prevailing winds. This exposed the bow to rains and debri. This cover was designed to protect the bow from these elements.
The owner of the boat, who lives in Colorado, wanted to cover only the bow of the boat as far back as the cabin top. He had a basic idea of how much he wanted cover. The details of design were left to me to work out.
I patterned the boat, took pictures, and through email, we finalized the design.


What is unique or complex about the project?

The challenge was to determine how to attach a partial cover, with minimum fasteners, and support the center weight of the fabric. The cover needed to not only withstand the rain, but stay secure with the changing wind patterns.
An additional challenge was working with a client not on site. Good communication of details was essential.


What were the results of the project?

Great! The owner came out at Christmas time, after installation and was thrilled! The cover was doing exactly what he wanted. He liked the idea of using the heavy duty boat pole as a ridge pole, because when not using the cover, he would have a good boat pole for use while cruising. I made storage bags for the cover, with a separate one for the sand bags.
I am working on a partial Fly Bridge cover to be fabricated of the same Weather Max fabric.

A neighboring boat owner saw the bow cover and has hired me to make a similar bow cover for his boat before fall rains start. That project has now extended into fabricating mesh window coverings also.


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