New Canvas for a boat

[SVSweetestThing]

Hi All,
I don't want to upset anyone when I ask this as I'm coming from a place of not doing this before and was just in sticker shock.

in the process of getting quotes for a dodger and bimini and quotes are coming in upwards of 10K+ (38 ft boat).

My gut says the price seems outrageous. It may be I don't understand the cost of labor and materials to make one. Everyone I have spoken to states "they" are the highest quality and that is why their price is so high.

Question:
Are these crazy high prices or the norm?
What have you all paid for high-quality material for the same?

If It's justified, I'm willing to pay the price, I just have no experience and cant tie the price to the value. You could buy a decent car or boat for this price

[carlosproa]

Compare with a Sailrite kit for a dodger and Bimini top. Do you have the original frame? Are you handy? Can you see if the dogger and Bimini are in photos of similar models?

[SVSweetestThing]

I did check with sailrite and they don’t make kits that are as wide as my beam

[vorpal blade]

There are a lot of hours in making that kind of product and typically 2-3 trips to the boat in the process. The actual fabric is the cheap part, its the skills you are paying for and that is what actually produces the great looking result you are looking for. By all means have a go yourself with a Sailrite kit, if you have the sewing machines, diesets for eyelets etc. but I guarantee the outcome will not be as satisfying visually.

[Perfect Ride]

Canvas prices, like labor, varies by your location in the world and the expertise of the craftsperson.

Sunbrella is not inexpensive, nor are other highquality components.

Get multiple bids and if your boat is not altered from a production model then you might be able to get bids from afar for comparison.

Before you make final choice, visit work they have done on other boats.

If you go sailrite path, make smaller projects before you get into larger ones and consider finding/hiring craftsperson to help with design and consultation. The skills you acquire, you will have for life.

[Dogscout]

In Malta last year Bimini, Dodger, Stack pack and cockpit cushions all Sunbrella. $3.5k euro for my Hanse 430. Considering your more than double the beam you could double + the price. Stainless Frame was already there

[chris mac]

Originally Posted by SVSweetestThing

I did check with sailrite and they don’t make kits that are as wide as my beam

We have a 23 foot beam and sailrite quoted a kit for us you just need to call and talk to them.
It came to just under 1000 usd for a kit using stamoid vinyl. We didn't actually order, decided to upgrade to a hard top instead so I can't comment on the labor involved. But I have made the cusions and stackpack, they are not very difficult as long as you have a good machine and some room to work.
Building these has paid for our sailrite machine.

[NorthCoastJoe]

There was a guy out in Antioch who was cheaper and did good work. It has been several years since he worked on mine.

[guyrj33]

It is entirely possible to sew your own dodger, I did. But it wasn't my first sewing project or my first time sewing sunbrella.
It is a lot of work that starts with making a pattern and considering where every snap and zipper will go. Sewing the actual dodger and then fitting it to the boat. Lots of labor involved.
We're also in an economy where everyone with a skill thinks their labor is worth $100+ an hour, and in many cases it is that expensive to be a small business person. I often find I can buy a tool, complete the job is less time than quoted by the professional, save money and keep the tool. Crazy.

[rosatte]

Prices seem to be spot on as I had a dodger made this year cost 6 thousand and I had the old frame work good quality work cost $$$

[Sailor647]

$10,000 is in the ball park.

Here's why:

* Labor - I worked as an apprentice for a canvas company in 2015 and was able build our dodger and bimini on the weekends. (With their instruction and guidance.) Their shop rate they charged customers labor was $75 per hour. The shop rate covered the sewer's staff's pay of $15 per hour, plus all the insurance, taxes, business expenses, utilities, etc.) The owner was making a living, but he wasn't getting rich by any means.

*Materials are not cheap. Because I was an "employee", I was able to buy my materials from them at their wholesale costs. The total bill for materials at WHOLESALE was $1,177.85. (I have original receipt.) This total did not include sales tax as our state doesn't have sales tax. In California, add the state, county, and city sales tax to this total. And then adjust for inflation. I used 12 yards of Sunbrella, 2.75 yards of abrasion resistant TopGun, 2.5 sheets of .04/.06 Strataglass, 8 oz Solafix lifetime thread, 10 zippers, stainless fasteners, etc, etc, etc.

Dodgers are very labor intensive and you need to know how they are put together, and in what order, to make them look good, be sturdy enough to hold up to high wind, and functional. You'll want zip-able or removable panels so you can let the wind through when it's hot, and snap on covers for the Strataglass windshield and windows to protect it from the sun when you're not moving the boat and want shade in the cockpit. Insist on lifetime thread. Regular thread will rot away in 5 years in the Mexico/Southern California sun.

All that being said, a good dodger/bimini system is WORTH EVERY PENNY! The protection from the elements while you are sailing - or lounging in the cockpit - makes sailing/cruising life a lot more enjoyable. I can't even imagine not having protection from the sun, rain, and wind.

Best of luck!

[jen1722terry]

We have a Cape Dory 31. We had done a bit of sailmaking for small boats some years back, so we had a Sailrite machine. You really need a machine that's heavier than the average portable to sew the multiple layers of Sunbrella and plastic. There are a few gadgets for the machine you may want to get as you go along.

The bimini was our first canvas project. Using the kit, we made the frame and bimini for about $1K. We've since made new sailcovers, a pretty easy project and the only extra tools required were the dies and punches to install the snaps and twist locs. Also made some smaller covers.

Next, we tackled te dodger, an intimidating task due to the compound curves. We made the patterns with the kit, but took the materials to a local pro to do the actual cutting and sewing. Kit and pro about $2K total.

Not sure if we want to do a stack pack as we'd also have to install a better sail track on the mast for the stack pack to be worth the effort.

We had a pro do new interior cushions. We wanted them done right with good foam and ventilation. We live aboard all summer in Maine and really wanted good comfort and low mildew.

Nothing to be afraid of with these DIY sewing projects. If you have the time and are near your boat for fittings, it will come out nice.

Cheers!

[dkroar]

I just finished my new dodger/bimini/weather cloths/dinghy chaps, and previously sailcovers. I used my Sailrite LSZ-1, ordered most of my supplies from Sailrite, and watched the videos a bazillion times. I'm also not a newby to sewing, I've been doing it for about 50 years. Good canvas work can be very challenging, it must fit each individual situation perfectly. I really take my hat off to those who do that work professionally, and having once contemplated opening my own shop, now after all of those projects, I would never go that route. I'll do my own work, and maybe minor repairs for friends, but I'll leave the custom work to the folks who do it on a daily basis. After all of that explanation, no, that quote is not out of line, it takes experience, and skill to create a good fitting, weatherproof strong structure. It's hard work, to design, and execute a quality product. One thing to be aware of, don't scrimp on the materials, use marine grade Sunbrella, good UV proof thread, PfFE, Tenara, Solorfix, use high quality zippers, make sure they are covered to prevent sun damage, use as high a quality plastic for windows as you can afford, and take GOOD care of them, and put chafe protection where needed. I say do it once, and do it right, otherwise you'll be taking it down often for repairs, and be dissatisfied with the results.

[kenL]

I need a new dodger and enclosure made for my 38 foot sloop and am considering using 1/4 inch thick Starboard to make a hard dodger and bimini. The stainless tubing is already there. I have done other projects with it and found that with a heat gun the material can be bent around a curve quite easily and the final shape could be trimmed after shaping. The material can be through bolted to the tubing. A thicker edging could be made where snaps or toggles for windshields and side panels need to connect. The 1/4 inch material is not heavy and can be had in 54x96 sheets for $200 or so. Has anyone out there heard of using Starboard for this.

[seaskip]

Plus one on the hard dodger option.