Pop-Top Covers

[heinzir]

Now that I have the right size struts and my pop top raises to the proper height, I am thinking about making a new enclosure. I've actually been meaning to do that ever since I changed the sail cover color scheme from blue to green years ago. Every pop top enclosure that I have seen, including the one I made many years ago, covers the entire pop top like a tent. It seems to me that I could save a considerable amount of work, material, stowage space, and expense by making just a skirt that fills in the open area between the hard top and the deck. Why cover the already waterproof fiberglass? The bottom of the skirt could attach in the same manner as the old cover and the top edge could fasten inside the lip of the pop top. I would use a wide heavy duty Velcro-type fastener for starters and add metal turn buttons later if necessary. It might even be possible to lower the pop top temporarily (to move to a new anchorage) without taking the enclosure off; just fold the skirt into the boat as the top comes down. Comments? Potential problems?

Henry

[Sumner]

I think it could be done the way you envision, but let me play devils advocate as to why I wouldn't do it.

1. I feel it would be slower to install. With the full one you just throw it over the top like a blanket. No need to attach to anyplace on the pop-top itself.

2. More places you have to seal for air leaks, insects if that is a concern.

3. More fasteners to install. We only have a front and rear place where we have to fasten the bolt rope that goes through the side curtain at the bottom.

Here is a picture of how Ruth modified the stock cover we got with the boat.....



Ruth made it so that there are skirts on the inside and......................



................ outside. That means no need in most instances to have to fasten it down to the deck. We did find some lifting of the sides in winds over 20 mph. You just need to put something heavy on the inside at the front on top of the inside flap. We are going to put some tabs in where we can tie the sides to the pop-top uprights if we get into high winds again. We might also add some side screened in areas similar to what Ruth did to the fronts for cross-ventilation.

The real shortcoming of the orginal cover was lack of any zippered windows with screens for ventilation. She fixed that up front with the new screened windows (above picture) and in the back with a..............................



......................... a screened door that now goes down to where the original one should of gone to to keep water out of the cabin. The orginal one now rolls down if we want to cover the screened area.

One thing to consider with a cover that doesn't go over the top is how are you going to handle the sliding hatch?

We can also pull the door up in light rain and attach it to the bimini to get back and forth to the cockpit.

We are in the boat every night either on anchor or tied to the shore and if it is warm enough the pop-top is up and the cover is on. Going back to my first reason to keep the top portion there one more time. The way it is now I can put it on or take it off in about one minute. Just throw it over the top. Snap the two side curtain lines onto eye straps by the mast. Zip the front up. Run the back of the side curtain lines through some eye straps and take them to the jib cam cleats and cleat them. You are done.

Taking it off is as easy and fast. I do it by myself and just fold it on top of the pop-top. It folds up fairly small and we store it ................

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner ... de-11.html

..............behind the coolers where we also store the sails.

She did all of the sewing with a................

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner ... de-19.html

............... '99 Singer from the 50's that we got off of e-bay. Strong little sewing machine, but as you can see from the picture it is a pain sometimes getting the cover under the small arm. It takes the both of us at those times.

There are more pictures:
(HERE)

Good luck and post pictures,

Sum and Ruth.

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[heinzir]

Thanks Sumner,

You and Ruth have obviously put a lot of thought into your cover. My old one attaches to the boat with turn buttons around the perimeter. I like the idea of flaps both inside and outside. I had also put windows and screens in my old cover and will probably do so on any new one I make.

I don't trailer any more; I don't even have a suitable tow vehicle. We've chartered big boats in the Caribbean a few times when we could aford it and that satisfied our urge to sail on distant waters for a while; we'll do so again when economic conditions improve -- I've been unemployed for over a year now.

Chiquita sits on a mooring two blocks from my house and gets used about three times a week. We only overnight once or twice a season with the kids (We are raising 3 grandkids.) So, while a full fledged all-weather cover like yours would be ideal I think a simple skirt would be sufficient for our needs. (If the weather turns nasty we can just go home!) I still have the old cover to use if we do decide to head off to distant waters on our own boat.

One thing that I have not thought through yet, and I'm glad you brought it up, is how to deal with the aft end and the entry flap. I'll have to work on that before I commit to the skirt.

BTW, I've been following your site for some time now and have gotten a number of ideas from your modifications. I especially appreciate the clear pictures and concise descriptions. Keep it up!

I've owned Chiquita (or she has owned me!) for well over 30 years and am still making modifications and trying out different ideas. She will always be a work in progress. I do keep adding new pictures to my Webshots album but they are not organized at all; some of the pictures are from last month and some are from 30 years ago!

http://sports.webshots.com/slideshow/230613770IXBurv

Henry

[Sumner]

.........I've owned Chiquita (or she has owned me!) for well over 30 years and am still making modifications and trying out different ideas. She will always be a work in progress. I do keep adding new pictures to my Webshots album but they are not organized at all; some of the pictures are from last month and some are from 30 years ago!

http://sports.webshots.com/slideshow/230613770IXBurv

Henry

Likewise we have looked at your site often and I have it in my 'Links Page' with a link to the slideshow. We love the looks of your Venture of Newport . It just has a look that makes you smile.

It must be nice having it that close at hand . Sorry to hear about the job situation. My tourist store was hit bad business wise about 3 years ago, but luckily for me it happened when I could start drawing Soc. Sec..

Take care and post pictures of what you finally make,

Sum and Ruth

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[heinzir]

I was laid up with some health issues for most of this season but am recovering and finally got Chiquita in the water in August. Here are some pictures of the poptop skirt that I am working on. The front window zips out and can be replaced by a screen. I don't have the door flap made yet.

[argonaut]

Wow... impressive work Sumner!
I couldn't follow the links but navigated to your boat site from your home page.
Sumner's wife is quite a skilled craftsperson, all of her canvaswork really adds to that boat.
I'm with Sumner that it would be easier to sew and attach a throwover cover than a skirt but it's certainly doable. Chiquita proves that.

[Sumner]

I was laid up with some health issues for most of this season but am recovering and finally got Chiquita in the water in August. Here are some pictures of the poptop skirt that I am working on. The front window zips out and can be replaced by a screen. I don't have the door flap made yet.

That looks nice. Sorry to hear about the health issues, but glad you are back on the boat. I like the touch of the boat name on the sail cover,

Sum

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[Catigale]

Henry - I wish you well in these tough economic times. Keep your chin up.