During our latest
excursion to Wells next the Sea it became apparent that our current set of
canopies on Naughty-Cal have reached the end of their useful life. They are her
original set so have lasted almost ten years, not bad considering the
conditions they are exposed to and also the use that they are subjected to on a
weekly basis.
Also in all honesty we have not really looked after them as we
should have.
The fastenings have
started to part company with the canvas, the windows are scratched and
stitching is fraying and tearing in various locations. The plan had been to
refurbish this canopy over the winter months but weighing up what it would cost
to do this work against the cost of a new canopy, the numbers didn’t stack up.
Over the years we have already spent a fair amount on repairs and maintenance
of these hoods so spending more on them didn’t make financial sense especially
as they would still need replacing in a couple of years anyway. We may as well
just bite the bullet now.
So the order has been
placed for a brand new set of canopies which we have been able to modify from
the original design to suit our requirements. Over the years we have made a
mental note of modifications to the design which will help us and make life
onboard easier, safer and at times much more comfortable.
The canopy company we
have chosen to do the job, Marine and Industrial Covers are a very well
respected company, making original canopies for a number of boat manufacturers.
We have seen plenty of their work and know that they do an excellent job. Also
rather handily they are based at our marina so they don’t have to travel to do
the job. The minor modifications we have made to the design have been no
trouble for them to incorporate into the new covers and they have also
suggested further modifications which would be of benefit to us over the
original design.
Hopefully the new
canopies should be finished in plenty of time for our next week long holiday at
the end of August. The estimated completion time for the new hoods was two to
three weeks from the placement of the order. We ordered them a week ago so in
the next couple of weeks Naughty-Cal should be looking like a different boat
and will finally be free of her ragged hoods which age her considerably.
As we are shelling out
a fair amount of money for these new canopies we will have to start a regular
routine of cleaning and reproofing them to help to prolong their serviceable
life span and keep them looking in top condition. The canvas comes ready treated
with a water proofing substance; however come next spring we will be thoroughly
cleaning the canopies and applying a further dose of Fabsil water proofing
agent. This treatment will then be applied once a year each spring after the
pre season clean up, to keep the canopies waterproof, easier to clean and less
prone to mould and mildew growth.
We will have to be
much more careful with the new hoods, taking care about how we take them off,
store them and erect them to prevent unnecessary damage and unnecessary
scratches on the window sections. We will be more than happy if the new hoods
last as long as the original set have done.
