Yuku free message boards

Hi Johan

We just had a full enclosure built by Sportech Sails in St. Catherines, Ontario http://www.sportechsails.com/. The final bill was a little over $7000, but I had several options added such as strata-glass windows, detachable screens, external grab handles, California style panels (all side and front panels are detachable, with only the top of the dodger and bimini left up for shade) and Sunbrella Ultra 2 tone fabric. If memory serves correctly the options totaled over $1200.

The fit and finish of the enclosure is perfect. Everything is tight enough to be wrinkle free and taut, and either my wife or I can put it up, or take it down single handed. The reason everything fits so well is that Sportech builds the enclosure the way a fine bespoke tailor makes a suit. They come to the boat and take basic measurements for the frames, taking into account the height of the skipper, the specific area you want enclosed etc. Once the frames are ready, they install them, and tape them in place before creating a cardboard pattern for the canvas work. The canvas pieces are brought back to the boat for trial before the final finishing and hemming and snaps are installed. The whole process takes 3 trips and about 3 weeks in total, but the results are worth it.

On my Catalina 320 I purchased the boat with factory canvas, because I was assured that it would fit better than any aftermarket canvas, and I was somewhat disappointed in the "template" approach. The devil is in the details and the folks who did the canvas on Threepenny Opera enlightened us on considerations that we would never have thought about until it was too late. Winch handles turn freely without hitting the enclosure, I can carry a case of beer on board without having to do the duck walk and I can use my helm seat if I want without opening the aft panels. The amazing thing is that all of the above were accomplished by merely moving a zipper or a snap by only an inch or two.

If I were doing it again, I would not bother with the California option but everything else would stay exactly the same. IMHO Strata-glass is a must because it is as clear as glass, and the Ultra 2 fabric changes the entire feel of the enclosure, by making it feel much more open than a captain navy interior. Since we installed the enclosure, I've had more people comment about the enclosure than about the boat! Overall the project was not the cheapest enclosure I could buy, but for the difference of a few hundred bucks, I have added a 3 season cabin on my boat, instead of merely adding a little shelter.

Addison