[omc-boats] canvas

Hi everyone - hope all had a wonderful holiday season - the weather has temporarily turned warm here in SC and my boat is up for the winter and the motor wiring harness all apart for a rebuild and I cannot go boating! But I can order parts which is the next best thing! I recently ordered a mooring cover for my 19ft Rogue I/O circa 1969 from Nielsen Canvas formerly Pfferkorn Canvas which is the original producer of the mooring covers for Johnson/Evinrude. The business is still in the family, same location etc. They requested I send the original to help them determine the pattern to use. I was not clear but think they still have the old patterns but may not know which pattern to use for which boat.They are numbercoded but I did not have a number on my original canvas. They make them as they are ordered. I sent the old cover which they returned. The new cover cost $520.00 plus $15.00 S/H total of $ 535.00. The new cover fit is exact with one modification from the original - the back does not extend rearward as far as the original - it just goes to the back of the open cockpit. This is no big deal and it could be an improvement over the original. The canvas is dead on like the original and the nylon clip thingies are like the originals. This cover is not what I would use if putting the boat outside over the winter but is more suitable for indoor storage. It is tent canvas and you remember those pup tents you had as a kid, they would leak! Overall they are a nice original touch to your boat. I had a sunbrella fitted cover made for my boat years ago which I keep outdoors and it is really more practical and seems to be very durable. I paid about the same thing for the sunbrella cover but had to leave the boat at the top shop several days for fitting. No big deal. These covers seem to sag in the center and collect water and eventually rot and or rip dumping gallons of water in the boat, again no big deal if you are there to get it out or if it doesn't freeze. You can configure a support from PVC pipe and lightweight roofing material such as convoluted fiberglass like I did. Anyway enough said. Niesen Canvas Company; 805 W. Water St.; Sandusky, Ohio 44870 419- 625- 0581 ALSO- I have been following ebay for parts several years now and the number and quality of parts is still about the same but the bids seem to be drying up, maybe a seasonal thing but I have picked up some nice parts and lots of times I am the only bidder. Check it out. Be sure you know what you are bidding on first and don't be afraid to ask the seller for clarification. Dave Losvar of Sea Way Marine in Seattle 1-800-332-0803 has helped me many times and sometimes he will reduce the price a little. This is their slow season so they are ready for business. Not as cheap as ebay but they are very reliable. I was able to get terminal fittings for my wiring harness from Dave. I couldn't believe they had that kind of stuff! Now is the time to be tackling those big boat projects so ---hit the decks as they say! TK
Received on Saturday, 8 January 2005