What disadvantages are there to replacing my 8 year old, beat up canvas
convertible top with one made of vinyl? It's for a 19' bowrider.
Most of the top surface is worn along a 2" strip on the forward edge, where
it snaps to the windshield, allowing rain to drip through the canvas onto
our hands and knees. Besides protection from rain, we use the top to get out
of the summer sun on really hot days.
My wife just reupholstered the seats, so she's a pretty good seamstress, and
marine vinyl's readily available and inexpensive. (Although I haven't
checked the price and availability of the kind of canvas used for the top.)
Bayliners wants about $300 for a replacement top; fabric only.

On Tue, 5 Jul 2005 22:25:19 -0700, "William Andersen"
wrote:

~~ snippage ~~

Bayliners wants about $300 for a replacement top; fabric only.

That's a great deal - take 'em up on it.

"Shortwave Sportfishing" wrote
Bayliners wants about $300 for a replacement top; fabric only.
That's a great deal - take 'em up on it.

Yep. Wunnathesedays I'm planning to make a nice breathable fabric top to
replace the stuffy mildewy vinyl one that came with my boat. I'd have a hard
time doing it for less than that.

On Wed, 6 Jul 2005 07:56:25 -0400, "Joe Blizzard"
wrote:

"Shortwave Sportfishing" wrote
Bayliners wants about $300 for a replacement top; fabric only.
That's a great deal - take 'em up on it.

Yep. Wunnathesedays I'm planning to make a nice breathable fabric top to
replace the stuffy mildewy vinyl one that came with my boat. I'd have a hard
time doing it for less than that.

Even with cheap fabric, the labor alone isn't worth the time - even if
it is your wife. :)

I had to replace the top on my Corvette and wanted it custom made by a
guy who does antique auto upholstery restorations - he flat out told
me he could buy an original fabric production top, install it and save
me $4,000.

And that's exactly what I did. The fabric matched, it looks original,
for all practical experience it IS original type fabric - sometimes
it is worth just going with the flow.