Hand rail covers?

[Mambeaux]

I'm ready to have some hand rail covers made. What is the best material to use for this?

 

[Werner Schoenknecht]

We have had them from day one. Ours are vinyl coated Sumbrella one piece from pulpit to gate and a separate piece for the gate railing. The cover wraps the railing and uses Velcro to hold it in place underneath.Velcro is also used to hold the gate piece for the wrap and also to attach to the long piece. Color matches Hatteras 1986 hull and should still be available since we recently converted our windless to chain drive and had to modify the pocket for it. We also have a cover for the bowsprit. This cover wraps over the the front and attaches with four snaps at the rear.
Werner Schoenknecht MIRAGE

 

[SKYCHENEY]

Mine are Sunbrella with velco on the bottom. They were on the boat when I bought her and I've been using them for the last eight years. They still look good, so I'll probably redo with same when the time comes.

 

[fissioneng]

Mine are Sunbrella with snaps on the bottom. They came with the boat. They're cut just like Werner's. I also have the pulpit cover with snaps. They're black to match my accent stripes.

 

[Bill Allen]

Never thought of a pulpit cover anyone have a picture? My railings are sunbrealla made them myself easy job used snaps. Bill

 

[fissioneng]

Never thought of a pulpit cover anyone have a picture?

It has a pocket in the front that cups over the front of the pulpit. Even has a hole for the flagpole.

 

[Bill Allen]

Humm, I'm not a bright bulb all the cleaning the teak and watching it go to crap over the summer. Thanks it's now offically on my to do list. Bill

 

[Werner Schoenknecht]

Our 1986 43 MY has two additional features on the bow cover. The windlass has a added piece,like a top hat, so the cover lies flat on the bowsprit and since we have a cleat and they simply just went around it. My pictures do not show the cover closeup. If a picture is still desired we can do that but not till we return back to Michigan in mid June.
Werner Schoenknecht MIRAGE

 

[1jparker]

Can anyone post a picture of their rail covers? I am in the process of making them, and trying to figure out how to make the pattern to go around the stanchions.

Thanks,
Joe Parker
Timeless
1979 58' MY

 

[Outfitter]

I've owned & operated a canvas shop for 12 yrs. now. I would use Sunbrella. I use it 95% of the time. It's the workhorse of the marine canvas industry. I use Stamoid mostly on Tiara's ,Pusuit 's & flybridge window panels. Harbortime is a good fabric for some applications. Don't pay a ridiculous price online. Like $25 or $35 a yrd. I would suggest have a few repairs done on something you have at a local shop. Get a little working relationship going with them. Then ask them to order ya 3 ,4 yrds or whatever you need. They should be cool and charge ya $18 or $20 a yrd. Then when you need a few snaps or something do the same thing. Don't pay for 3 snaps in a cute little package at WM for godsakes! Use a dark color of Sunbrella also. Man the natural (white ), oyster, silver, and the lighter colors look rough after only a couple seasons.
Zak K
1973 C
"Black Hat Affair "

 

[bobk]

Mine are covered with Cetol gloss. I like the look of teak, so did Jack Hargrave. Treat it right and coat it once a year or so and it is not difficult. My forward rails haven't been wooded in 10-12 years, my aft deck are at nine years. And they look like they should. And I don't need to screw with covers every time I'm on the boat.

Bobk

 

[Angela]

I made mine out of Sunbrella in Captain's Navy. They are basically a flat strip of canvas that drapes over the rail and then snaps together underneath - extremely simple with no need to work around stantions. Below is a photo of my handrail covers, including the snap detail. I used a small piece of navy vinyl where the snaps are to give it some structure there to keep the snap from tearing out. It was one of the first pieces of canvas I ever attempted, and they've been in place for about 9 years now. I absolutely hate to varnish, so I keep mine covered at all times unless we are out on the boat. Thus, I've only recoated the rails once in 9 years. The Sunbrella did give up its water repellent properties with time, and I have never bothered to recoat them. I am in South Florida where the sun is brutal and hot. When I have to do this over again, and at some point I will, I think I will go with an off-white Weblon material that I've started using for covers. It's not hot to the touch in the sun, unlike the dark materials. I recently sewed a new pulpit cover using the Weblon. My sunpad cover is Weblon. It's waterproof (with the exception of the tiny bit of water that seeps in through the stitching) and stays fairly clean. I used Stamoid for two dinghy covers, and I will never use Stamoid again. Within a couple of weeks, the dirt in the air that got on it would not come off, no matter how much scrubbing was done. Those covers are now light gray and they were bright white when I sewed them.

One word of advice - use a quality UV thread such as Tenara or Profilin which will be expensive (something near $100/cone); otherwise, you will be restitching this in a couple of years. And remember, bleach eats thread. Tenara is a love/hate thing for me. My machine hates it because it's slippery and the skipped stitches are very aggravating. The choice is to deal with it and back up when necessary, or use the common canvas thread and restitch the entire thing 2 years later after it rips apart in a storm. And that is what is on my agenda this weekend - restitching the sunpad cover that neatly ripped apart at the seams during a windy thunderstorm.

 

[johnjen50]

Angela, if you do a fair bit of sewing I highly recommend the sailrite machine. The blue one. When I tell you it makes the sewing effortless it a huge understatement. The tenara thread is no problem and doesn't make the machine crazy. Also the binder attachment makes edging a breeze. It's about 900 but worth it if you have several projects to do. I've sewn a bunch of things and it eats up thick vinyl as well as many layers of sunbrella.

 

[Angela]

Angela, if you do a fair bit of sewing I highly recommend the sailrite machine. The blue one. When I tell you it makes the sewing effortless it a huge understatement. The tenara thread is no problem and doesn't make the machine crazy. Also the binder attachment makes edging a breeze. It's about 900 but worth it if you have several projects to do. I've sewn a bunch of things and it eats up thick vinyl as well as many layers of sunbrella.

I have the Sailrite machine and all of the various binders and other accessories. Tenara is pure hell to sew. I have to set the tension just as tight as I can possibly make it to get even marginal results with the Tenara. I've tried all the different "tricks" - tensioning, needle size, etc. I hate using Tenara, but that thread does last forever. The thread in the handrail photos I attached is Profilen. They don't sell that in the US anymore. It was like sewing with dental floss, but the machine like it, unlike the Tenara.

 

[sgharford]

I had mine made about 6 years ago out of brown sunbrella with snaps on bottom. I leave them on pretty much year round and they still look great. I put them in washing machine every other year just to freshen up. The brown color has not faded much at all and kind of looks like the teak rail, been very happy with it.

I would make them a little longer where they overlap onto stainless steel ends. He cut mine right to edge when he made them and it does discolor about a 1/4" of teak right there, which is just enough to make allot of work when refinishing.

 

[1jparker]

Finished product! I cut, my wife stitched on a Sailrite machine we borrowed from a friend, now she wants to buy one! Will post later once installed.

 

[Walter P]

I bought a sailrite machine about 10 years ago and have not attempted to use it. I wish there was a class that I could take to learn how to sew with it. An eternity ago, when I was in my late teens I used my mothers old foot powered Singer sewing machine to sew new Naugahyde upholstery for my 51 Ford convertible. Mom walked me through the process and it came out great, or so I and all my friends thought. My point is that I'm pretty sure I can learn to use my Sailrite. Does anyone know of any classes within a reasonable distance of central NJ. Heck, I'll even travel a few hundred miles if necessary..

Walt

 

[1jparker]

I bought a sailrite machine about 10 years ago and have not attempted to use it. I wish there was a class that I could take to learn how to sew with it. An eternity ago, when I was in my late teens I used my mothers old foot powered Singer sewing machine to sew new Naugahyde upholstery for my 51 Ford convertible. Mom walked me through the process and it came out great, or so I and all my friends thought. My point is that I'm pretty sure I can learn to use my Sailrite. Does anyone know of any classes within a reasonable distance of central NJ. Heck, I'll even travel a few hundred miles if necessary..

Walt

Go on Sailrite's website. They have tons of videos, or ask them for a dad. The machines are very easy to use, especially if you have sewn before. If you want to sell your machine, let me know. I would be interested.

 

[tellico]

x2 on Sailrite website. Great videos, suggestions, etc. Or just go direct to youtube - you can learn ANYTHING there.

Or call Sailrite and ask for suggestions. They are great folks and will help with about anything. I was just talking with them today at the Annapolis (bleeb)boat Show telling them same. Just wish they would re-open their Annapolis store.

 

[1jparker]

Finished product. Very happy with our work.