A25 canvas design ideas?

[Riverjohn]

I have recently finished a hard top for my A-25 and am at the point of considering canvas for the sides and back of the structure. I am clueless about canvas design and would appreciate any ideas and the good/bad experiences of others who may have faced this problem in the past. Important factors for me are:
-Ease of in/out access--Would there be roll-up, or zip-out portals?

-Visibility--I will need to be able to see out when everything is buttoned up, particularly aft.

--Ease of installation, removal, stowage.

Thanks in advance for sharing your ideas and experiences.

[DougSea]

You should check out Carlson2025's photos in the trailer posting. If it works for Alaska...

[carlson2025]

I've been following your progress on the blog and well done. I love the look of your hardtop. When we bought Lit'l Bit, it came with a hardtop and canvas. The canvas needed extensive repairs to the buttons but it should continue to work fine for a couple more years. The design doesn't seem to need improvement but throughout the years, the canvas has shrunk and doesn't reach the bottom in back. You might want to give a little slack in back. We don't roll up the back that often as we enter and exit from the sides and walk around. The perfect hardtop would have a cut out at the sides that folded up so people wouldn't have to hunch over when entering the boat. (Kind of like the doors of a Delorian) This would make installing a canvas a bit more tricky so I'm not sure if this would be worth it. The hardtop is so valuable for storing large gear and keeping us warm and dry. It was a big reason for buying this particular boat. We plan on adding railings next year to the back for added rod storage and safety when walking to the swim platform. Check out our website for more pictures of the canvas.
http://northernalbin25.weebly.com/

[Riverjohn]

Thanks for the reply. I had looked at Lit'l Bit before and liked what I saw. My boat is at the canvas shop as I write this and I expect my enclosure will look much like yours, though there will be more clear and less canvas surround. I am also having velcro closure flaps made to cover the corner zippers in hopes of reducing UV damage to the plastic zippers. Finally, the back panel on my enclosure will roll down instead of up. I think this will facilitate passage of stuff from inside to the top of the aft cabin. I will post photos on the blog when I get the boat back-- possibly by the end of this week.

[Riverjohn]

The new enclosure for my A25 is finished. Photos and details may be found here:

http://msbettencourtsnewtop.blogspot.com/

Thanks for you interest and advice.

[DougSea]

She's looking great John!

[NickScheuer]

Nice Hardtop Riverjohn! I am considering making one too. We had very good cockpit canvas on our previous sailing yawl that was comparable in function to the Albin-25, with the principal difference being that the rear canvas "box" was supported by a single bow aft and a spar gallows forward, instead of a pair of bows like the Albin. I like the window/insect screen arrangement on our Albin's canvas, and as it would be expensive to have duplicated to fit a hardtop, I plan to have our original (age unknown) recut where necessary so that it is suspended from the hardtop's perimeter by "bead & groove" hardware, minus the top canvas.

We have good canvas awning shops here who can do a good job if I mark the canvas where it needs to be cut.