Refit & Repairs: Yacht Canvas

We undertook the following yacht canvas refit and repair projects on our 1985 Tayana 37 after we purchased it in 2005:

• replaced all exterior canvas (bimini, dodger, sail cover, hatch covers and wheel cover)

• made custom-designed sun awnings to shade main cabin and forward cabin in tropical environments

• modified the bimini slightly in order to mount solar panels to the existing frame

• modified the butterfly hatch cover to allow more light into the main cabin

Since installing the yacht canvas in April 2006, we maintain it regularly by spraying it down with freshwater to remove salt and dirt.  Once a year, we wash it thoroughly according to the Sunbrella factory instructions, and then treat it with fabric guard.  We have removed the bimini fand dodger for minor stiching repairs (near the zip-ins) in 2007 and 2009, but unfortunately, the latter inspection and repair was not done properly, so we removed the cockpit canvas again at the end of the season to replace much of the original stitching.  The Stratoglass has held up remarkably well after year-round use for four years in the Caribbean and Mediterranean.

Click on the thumbnails below for enlarged photos:

	New Canvas: Justin and Kathy of Cooper's Canvas (now based at Comanchee Island Yacht Harbor in St. Augustine) install the new cover for the sail and the butterfly hatch (see below for later modification).  We chose one of Sunbrella's newest colors "brass" accented with burgundy to complement the paint colors we selected for the hull detailing.
	New Canvas: The Cooper's also designed and installed the bimini and dodger. The frames are free-standing and constructed of 1" stainless steel.  The two parts zip together as shown at right, or the bimini can be unzipped from the dodger and folded back into its own cover, a configuration we preferred on our previous boat while under sail.  However, unlike our previous boat, this bimini is so strong and offers so much protection from sun and rain that we rarely fold it back while sailing.
	Dodger: The visibility through the dodger is excellent and is helped significantly by our splurge in using a superior product called Stratoglass.  Justin of Cooper's Canvas talked us into it, and we would never go back to the regular stuff.  In nice weather, we can unzip a central section in the glass to allow for better ventilation in the cockpit and cabin.  When zipped up, we can usually leave the companionway open except if there is wind-blown rain.  We are extremely pleased with the way the bimini and dodger work together and the quality of the work by Cooper's Canvas.
	Post-refit: Gyatso gleaming at anchor just of the ICW in Florida after completing a major refit in St. Augustine, Florida which included a new bimini, dodger, sail cover, wheel cover, butterfly hatch cover and main hatch door covers.
	Post-refit: Gyatso with new canvas after the refit in St. Augustine.
	Sun Awning: Gyatso at anchor in the Caribbean with the sun awnings in place.  The forward awning fits snugly over the staysail boom and gives great shade to the sleeping cabin and allows us to keep the forward hatch open for ventilation even during the frequent rain squalls in the Caribbean.  The main awning fits over the boom (the main halyard is used to lift it off the boom) and shades the main cabin, with the option of rolling up any of four side panels (see below) to make it easier to walk around the deck.  Our sun awnings were custom-made and installed while we visited Point-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe in the Caribbean.
	Sun Awning: Gyatso at anchor in the Mediterranean with the main sun awning in place, rolled up in one section for easy access to the boarding ladder.  We have found that the awnings lower the temperature in the main cabin by at least five degrees Fahrenheit on a hot day, and even more with a slight breeze.
	Bimini modification: Solar panels were mounted on the bimini frame during our first year of cruising and no modification was necessary, except adding panel mounts and running the wiring through the frame.  This required simple modifications to the canvas itself: zippers were added where the bimini is attached to the frame and 10 small holes were cut into the top of the bimini to allow for the solar panel brackets (8) and to feed the wires through to the solar panels on top (2).  The solar panel wiring passes through the frame on the starboard side and then below deck through a deck fitting in the fiberglass on the side of the cockpit.
	Butterfly hatch cover modification: Because we keep the butterfly hatch covered unless it is open for ventilation, we decided to add a plastic window to allow light into the cabin when it is in use.  We made this simple change after seeing it on another boat.
	Old Canvas: For reference, this is what the canvas looked like when we purchased the boat in 2005.  All of the worn-out blue canvas was redesigned and replaced in St. Augustine, Florida.

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