With the canoe covers being a current topic, here's the wind cover I made for my Voyager. I wanted to try a cover without making any permanent alterations to the canoe. This first version was made with fabric from a clearance rack for a total cost of about $10. It is held on by clamps made from 3/4 inch slices of 1 and 1/2 inch PVC pipe, with a slit cut in each slice. To make the cover I draped the fabric over the canoe, weighed down with clamps on the outside to hold it taut, and marked the outside gunnel outline on the fabric, then added a 1/2 inch seam allowance. I cut a 4" wide strip of fabric long enough to go around the outside, stitched it to the top, then folded it under and stitched again, forming a tube, but leaving 1" wide gaps for inserting the clips. There are 4 clips on each side of each end cover, one just toward the center from the thwart and one toward the end from the carry handle to hold the cover in position and then a couple more in between. I'd intended to run bungee cord through the fabric tube but didn't get that done before the first use of the cover. It worked better than expected even without the cord, though the ends need to have elastic added to keep them in place. In its present form the cover would sag too much to be a good rain cover, but it works well as a wind cover.
Slick!
Wow. That’s a nice, clean, simple setup. I like it.
Ditto
Thanks for sharing.
Very nice!
I have been mulling over making spray covers, and was thinking about heat-molding the clips. But your solution is elegantly simple, and now I am leaning that way. How long is each clip?
Jim
BTW: Thanks for the pic.
Great Contribution and will be making
one for my W-Vagabond. Use a double paddle to chase yaker friends and will help with wind, keep some of the drips off my lap :-), and leaves out. Many thanks, Rick
pictures of clips
Here are a couple more pictures showing the clips. One shows the underside of the cover with the clip inserted in its pocket. When installing or removing the covers I pry the clips open from the exposed side so that the clip stays in the pocket. The fabric makes the outside slip over the gunnel more easily.
This size works well on the aluminum gunnels of the Voyager. I haven't tried making covers for my other canoes; larger diameter rings and/or narrower clamps for less resistance to prying open would probably be needed for some other gunnel styles.
Nice setup !
I recently sewed a wind cover for my Voyager as well.
It is a prototype and I will probably be making another soon.
I drilled out the gunnel rivets and inserted P clips on the inside and re-riveted. I strung 4 pieces of bungee through the P clips so it stays taught but has some give to make installation easier.
I made the cover from 1.1oz urethane coated nylon, and it attached with Velcro flaps that wrap around the bungee and weighs next to nothing (the bungee weighed more than the cover pieces).
It has been very effective and was well worth the effort. My next one will likely wrap the gunnel so water is deflected out of the canoe on long rainy paddles.
Oh, pics
pic of mine here
http://public.fotki.com/YetiMan/weekends-away/october-canoe-campi/img1004.html
Very Nice!
Looks darn good as well.
Tom