I need an enclosure for my Quinnie. It's a 19' 10" CC by Quintrex. I have found no ready-made enclosures that'll fit it. So I'll have to have one custom made.

I'm in Southern RI (Wakefield).

Question: What custom canvas people have you guys had good luck with? I'd like the kind that I can zip closed behind me so I can stay at least a little warm in the fall & spring.

What do these things cost?

Boat picture attached:

The 23' walkaround I previously owned needed the front side and rear plastic replaced when I bought, cost me $700.00 just to replace that, can only imagine what it would cost to custom make pieces of canvas from scratch

If he'll do it, there's none better than Danny Aiello, he keeps a boat at Stone cove marina on dock A called the Pegasus.

MM:

Does he have a shop somewhere?

Bob,
Yes he works out of some shop in MA during the winter, but unfortunately I have no idea of where it is.

I'll check it out. Steve Wood must know him.

Thanks, Mike.

Peter McKay in Warwick
www.custommarineproducts.com

Bob,
Mike @ BOATS can't order you one from the manufacturer?

Don:

No, they don't make one. I've talked with the place in Charlestown and they want almost $900 for one. Actually, that's not a bad price given the idiosyncracies of the boat and accoutrements. But I'd like to get another quote before I go ahead with it.

Bob

Bryan:

Thanks. I just sent him a msg.

Bob

Bob S, you could also consider a much cheaper alternative. I would suggest thin Lexan sheets. Cut slots in them near the edges and you can use velcro straps to attach to the legs of the T-Top. If you get a little creative (not very), the side panels can also swing out away from the top from the back legs and attach to the gunwhales to act as wings to block wind and or spray. Very low maintenance too as well as easy to replace when it gets scratched up too bad. I've seen a couple boats with this arrangement and it doesn't look as cheesy as it sounds. You can even shop around and find some that's tinted if that's your preference.

Oh btw, nice boat! Nice T-Top too. Is that an Atlantic Towers Top?

Yikes $900.00 that's alot of money. I bought mine from Scout for $300.00. I would shop around a little. The lexan idea above sounds like it could also work. If you have one made make sure it has a zipper so you don't have to play with snaps each time you want to remove it.

The enclosure is a great addition to the boat though, I leave mine on all season. In the colder weather it blocks the wind, and in the warmer temps it keeps you dry while running in rain...

BB:

Yuh, it's an Atlantic Towers, the small one. I wanted to install it myself, wanted a hard top, elec. box, 2" tubes, and, most importantly, one with feet that were multiples-of-16-inches apart. (The boat's ribs are 16 inches apart). It wasn't easy putting it in the boat last spring. Running wires was the worst part. I love it.

But I got awfully cold out at SW Ledge a couple of weeks ago and decided my Xmas present to me would be an enclosure, ready to go before March. I have a little Coleman propane heater at Wal-Mart that worked great to thaw finger tips but in a 360 degree enclosure it should be at least a little warmer than the outside world. I don't want to cremate myself with alcohol or white gas.

BTW, the best part of the whole rig is, to me, the leaning post. It's a custom one from Nautical Design in PA. It has two tackle lockers and six tackle/gear drawers (all with locking doors), room for a big cooler aft, removable seat back with 4 rocket launchers, GG Schmidt folding footrest, map storage locker, sliding cutting board. It's fantastic. I Installed some LED lights in it, too, and a fire extinguisher holder. AND, my downriggers stow inside it, just forward of the cooler (they're a pain in the butt when you don't have a place to get them out of the way).

Check out www.nauticaldesigninc.com for some nice stuff. Mine's the LPC model, with modifications.

Don:

Wife keeps telling me she can build one but she seems to have a motivation problem over actually doing it. I think I could jimmy one up, too. I got her a commercial sewing machine years ago that'll do the sewing in canvas and Lexan. I'm at the stage of seeing what a professionally built one will cost. I'll haul up to Warwick and get an cost idea from Peter in a week or so.

The problem with DIY is getting the right parts: snaps, zippers the right length and sizes, fasterning strips, and so forth.

I have drawn what I want, and it'll have zippers in several places, and zippers to attach/detach pieces. I want to connect the forward enclosure to back pieces that'll connect to the leaning post so that I'll have 360 degrees of Lexan/canvas. Then I'll take the back off in the warm weather.

Anyway, thanks for your ideas, guys. I'll think through the DIY Lexan system BB talked about. I've worked with Lexan on the plane and it's good stuff.

Believe it or not, I have yet to get wet from spray in that little thing. But I'm sure I will. The bow design actually works--how straaaaaange is that: a boat maker's claim that might actually be TRUE!!!

Bob,
Let e know if you decide to go the DIY lexan route. I built an entire wheelhouse on my boat our of aluminum mouldings and lexan.

Mike:

How did you attach the Lexan to the aluminum mouldings?

Bob

Mike:

As soon as I read your msg it hit me that that might be the way to go.

With my 1/4-inch-thick solid top and its 2-inch downturned edges, the problem of attaching the unit to the top is greatly simplified. And attaching aluminum mouldings would be easier than attaching canvas or anything else, for that matter.

Did you use just flat aluminum strips, or do they have some kind of profile? And, like I asked in the other msg, how did you attach the aluminum to the lexan?

I'm excited; I wanna get on it right now!!!! :happy:

Bob

Most of the aluminum mouldings are right angles in various dimensions. The lexan is attached via small stainless nuts and bolts though holes I drilled about every 5 inches. The width and shape of the aluminum was dictated by the surface the lexan was to be attached to. Basically the aluminum moldings are the structures that attach the lexan to the rest of the boat. Before it was finally assembled I had the aluminum powder coated. You can buy the lexan in any size you need, but it is expensive.