Cratch cover

[stickybun21]

Anyone know where I can get a cratch cover for my narrowboat that isn't going to cost me an arm and a leg?

 

HELP!!!

[dor]

How much is your arm & leg worth? Wilsons & AJ are expensive (£800 - £1200). Coverit are reasonable (~£500). A local chap might be cheap (£?).

 

Don't forget to haggle - we are currently in a buyers market for just about everything.

[Liam]

Letting us know where you are in the country will help with advising you on local companies

[WJM]

Are you sure you want one - they are ugly!

[Jason Wilson and Family]

Doesn't Woolworth's or someplace carry a tarp and some bungee cords?

[Boats in the head]

Anyone know where I can get a cratch cover for my narrowboat that isn't going to cost me an arm and a leg?

 

HELP!!!

 

Im having one fitted in Middlewich on Friday I will let you know the out come Im paying around 500

[Machpoint005]

Just had one fitted by Coverit (01942 883310) - excellent service, nice looking job (zips but no windows) - £530.00. I'd recommend them for friendliness and efficiency.

[Liam]

I think you're better off without the windows... they don't seem to last very long before discolouring and cracking.

[David Schweizer]

How much is your arm & leg worth? Wilsons & AJ are expensive (£800 - £1200). Coverit are reasonable (~£500). A local chap might be cheap (£?).

 

Don't forget to haggle - we are currently in a buyers market for just about everything.

If you don't want windows or zips in it, AJ Canopies of Braunston will be about £600

[Ray]

I've just had one fitted by Wilsons. No windows, two zips and it's a Reeve's boat so the foredeck is longer than on a lot of boats. less than £700 (£70 plus VAT for the two zips)

[sidewaysid]

Find someone handy with an old Singer sewing machine then go on a lorry park and nick a brand new tarp, then a couple of zips off an old tent, and there you go £20 and it's done

[Liam]

I don't think "nicking a lorry tarp" is the best idea...

 

However, the older ones which are classed as being at the end of their useful life, and have probably been patched up are OK if you can get a piece big enough that's generally OK. It probably won't look the best but would do the job I suppose. My friend sourced something similar to cover the boxes on his roof are they are fine.

[Madmark62]

You could always have a look at these.

http://www.canvasman.co.uk/cratch.php

[homer2911]

Are you sure you want one - they are ugly!

 

 

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder my friend. On the plus side, they are an extra space to do all sorts of things, like seating extra guests in the dry when it's raining, finishing that article on the laptop, growing a few herbs - also handy for drying your smalls!

[stuart]

Find someone handy with an old Singer sewing machine then go on a lorry park and nick a brand new tarp, then a couple of zips off an old tent, and there you go £20 and it's done

 

 

There was a link on the forum a few weeks ago for a material supplier. Think it worked out about £100 for the materials to make your own.

[David Schweizer]

Find someone handy with an old Singer sewing machine then go on a lorry park and nick a brand new tarp, then a couple of zips off an old tent, and there you go £20 and it's done

 

 

I don't think "nicking a lorry tarp" is the best idea...

 

However, the older ones which are classed as being at the end of their useful life, and have probably been patched up are OK if you can get a piece big enough that's generally OK. It probably won't look the best but would do the job I suppose. My friend sourced something similar to cover the boxes on his roof are they are fine.

 

My Father was in the Leather and Textiles sewing business most of his working life. If he were still alive he would be telling you that an old domestic Sewing machine, sewing

heavy PVC coated or canvas material, would not last two minutes before the needle broke, An old treadle with a heavy duty needle might work, but you would really need an Industrial sewing machine. and he always recommended Frister and Rossman machines.

 

I would not recommend an old lorry tarp as a source of material. PVC coated fabric has a life expectancy of about 10 years, and any discarded tarp will probably be approaching

that age before it is disposed of. Constant subjection of the material to rain and UV lighting breaks down the molecular structure making it brittle and prone to cracking when folded or rolled. Far better to purchase new material if you plan to make one yourself.

Edited October 31, 2008 by David Schweizer

[barge sara]

Anyone know where I can get a cratch cover for my narrowboat that isn't going to cost me an arm and a leg?

 

Try http://www.kenscovers.co.uk/

Ken did a replacement cratch cover for our NB a couple of years ago for under £300.

He's in Liverpool, but if you post him your old cover he'll use it as a pattern and ship the new one back to you with a kit of turnbuttons etc. for fitting.

Not very good at checking his Email - better to phone him.

 

John

MV Sara.

[Machpoint005]

If you post him your old cover he'll use it as a pattern and ship the new one back to you with a kit of turnbuttons etc. for fitting.

John

MV Sara.

 

Caution advisable - our new cover was made using the old one as a pattern - they allowed a good bit for shrinkage, but as it turned out, still not enough. They pointed out the problem, took the new one back and remodelled it without my saying anything at all. That's service , and that's what you get when you pay for a decent job.

 

David pipped me with his remark about old tarpaulin material - if it's nearly at the end of its service life, it's nearly 'dead' as a cratch cover too before you even start thinking about stitching it together.

Edited October 31, 2008 by Machpoint005

[Clive Morris]

Anyone know where I can get a cratch cover for my narrowboat that isn't going to cost me an arm and a leg?

 

HELP!!!

 

 

 

You know what they say - you generally get what you pay for. If you expect a cover to last a decent amount of time (10 yrs?) then it would be false economy to buy cheap. I had a cover from AJ Canopies fitted in Sept this year - superb service, excellent product quality, good advice to go with it; can't fault them. I had an acrylic one, double zips for £1200. I've been looking at all covers I can see on the cut - to date I haven't seen a better one. I can recommend a great cratch board maker as well if you're interested...again, the best I've yet seen.

[FadeToScarlet]

Sometimes it pays to think outside the box. The cratch cover on my boat- being nearly eight feet long!- would cost a small fortune from Wilsons or similar, but it was made by a firm that specialised in making roofs for convertible cars and so apparently cost far, far less.

 

It might be worth looking in Yellow Pages or similar for firms that operate with the same materials and make similar products to see if there's any savings to be made.

[Matt&Jo]

Apologies to revive this thread....but why are they so bloody pricy.......i know workmanship is important but £1200 for a cratch cover is just silly money in my opinion. We are in the market for one currently but im struggling to swallow that cost......

[Boater Sam]

A recommendation Staffordshire Canopies  07761432092

[SUIGENERIS]

Have a look at Protective Textiles, They have a website.

 

Made a brilliant job of our cover at excellent price, half what others quoted, and made out of Top Gun which is supposed to be the best material. And done within weeks!

[DandV]

On 31/10/2008 at 11:17, homer2911 said:

 

 

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder my friend. On the plus side, they are an extra space to do all sorts of things, like seating extra guests in the dry when it's raining, finishing that article on the laptop, growing a few herbs - also handy for drying your smalls!

When we bought a cratch cover was not on our list of desirable features but the boat we bought did have one. It was brilliant in that we used it all the time as our drying room. It could handle a full load from our compact  washing machine, and even in poor weather we could dry a full load including towels  in two days in the cratch followed by the last night after bed, in the saloon. We did not envy those who had to share their cabin with drying washing.

Closing the covers down also gave a warmer boat in cold windy conditions.

[Kinver Canopies]

Hi

 

Ours start at About £620 Inc VAT.

 

 

All depends. on what you want.  Here's my normal reply to the standard question "How much is a cratch?" 

 

Based on an average 5' Cratch

 

I’ll break down the price for you.

 

The Blank cratch ( no windows or zips) retails at

 

£687.96 in PVC and  £740.88 in HW Acrylic Canvas.

 

Then we come to the extras ;

 

Each Zip you would like is £46.31 , This includes splitting the cover and turning back the edge of each zip to avoid fraying, A zip cover storm flap, Branded material zip pullers and roll up straps for the open section.

 

Each window you would like in the cover is £36.38 ( size and location can be decided on site)

 

If you require window covers to protect the windows from dirt /UV and also for security to hide the contents of your bow they are £49.61 each.  This includes turn button fittings to lock the covers down and roll up straps to keep them up when light is required.

 

Decorative coloured edge pipe work is also available at £8.40 per running foot.

 

Hope this is clear and you can work out what you would like in your cover.