bimini top
 

Replacing the canvas top on our pontoon boat. Any suggestions or recommendations for dealers in the Lakes Region?

Canvas Guy's
 

The Canvas Guy's in Gilford do fantastic work!!

Dan

Bev Lapham's Village Canvas in Meredith does outstanding work at a reasonable price. 279-6717

Tom's Top and Trim
 

does all the marina's repairs. Very reasonably priced and top repairs and replacements. Uses top quality uv resistance threads and canvas as well as upholstery.

I've had boat tops done and repair on my carpet trim done by village Canvas, great work and reasonable price.

I've had Tom's Tops repair my convertible top. Also great work and very reasonable prices.

Get in as soon as you can. It's probably going to take a while to get it done because they get very busy.

Village Canvas....wonderful work at reasonable prices...:D

They may do fantastic work but they certainly, haven't answered the multiple, phone messages left on their answering machine or emails for the last 2 weeks...not a good way to run a business.

I went over to Village Canvas and booked my boat there.

Did you call the winter 305 Florida number as noted on their web site? They are probably not back from Florida yet. Their winter business is in the keys.

Sorry it didn't work out for you...

Dan

Their message says "we're back" so I don't know why they are shunning business by not communicating...they lost ours.

Thread breaking on Bimini
 

When we took our canvas down last year, the thread on our OEM Bimini broke and the zippers pulled away in a few spots. Sunbrella Bimini.

When we had a camper top made at Shipshape, they used "forever" thread... no problem there. Obviously, the OEM bimini did not have forever thread.

I have watched a couple of threads on canvas over the winter, and when I brought up having the canvas repaired my wife said she wanted to try something.

Back in 1973, she bought a Pfaff sewing machine, which was one of the top line sewing machines at the time. She made a ton of clothes for our two kids, me and herself. Over the past 10 years or so, the machine hasn't been used much at all. However, she felt the machine may be able to handle the repairs.

She bought some uphostery thread, some new heavy duty needles, (had a 50% off coupon at Joann Fabrics), and decided today was the day. The sewing machine came out to the kitchen counter, the canvas came into the house, a zipper foot put on the machine, the bobbin was filled with the upholstery thread, and with a deep breath, she stepped down on the foot control, and the machine, and her, did their thing. Went over all the seams, and it looks like we will be good to go. :cheers::banana:

Needles were $5-10, thread was about $5, and she got 50% off. Took about an hour of her (our) time. We'll see how we will make out.

Over the last few years, we kept the bimini and camper top up full time. Camper top got very dirty and mildewy, and so did the bimini. As I said, the bimini zipper connections suffered.

I have an old cockpit and bow cover that we currently using , and are going to re-stitch, and we will use that at the dock. I am going to put cover vents in where the uprights go to keep the canvas up. Will have to see how it all works out.

If we have problems over the summer, it will be off to one of the canvas shops. :rolleye1: