Bridge covers and bimini assistance

[Steve Kraus]

SEEKING ASSISTANCE to LOCATE A CANVAS SHOP TO MAKE BRIDGE COVER, etc,  FOR   my  30' and 26' Tollys.

I have both boats! 

I Need an experienced shop , pls. 

Thank you, Steve

[Marc Talley]

Steve!

The BEST Canvas outfit near La Conner is Lee Bailey, Owner of  'Canvasman'

He will come to your Boat or you can go to Anacortes.

WK phone... 360-293-2812

Cell 360-630-9310

401 34th ST

Anacortes, WA 98221

 As you know May is a BUSY time in the Boating Community up here :)

He does great work... call him.

The pictures of Quest are GREAT!

Is this a different 26' then you started with?

Let's have lunch in La Conner this spring!!

Marc,

Cell... 425-214-2579

[Brian Edmondson]

Hi Steve,

Sorry to be slow with my reply.  I  have attached some pictures.  Unfortunately, I do NOT have a lot of positive things to say about canvas people.  I used Mark Minor who owns Ontario Canvas.  Mark is a good guy and I like him, but I had problems.  First of all, you need to get all the specs nailed down IN WRITING.  Once Mark and I agreed on what I wanted, he wrote down a number (somewhere around $4200) on his business card.  Then, he proceeded to do very nice work and a very good design.  He has over three decades of experience and it shows.  The work was NOT flawless, and I do not believe I got the heavy duty frame I asked for, but the big problem cam in when he said he was done with the "full canvas" and the cockpit had a cover but no sides.  It was open all the way around.  He said that's what we negotiated.  From my viewpoint it was NOT and the price negotiated was what I was told to expect for "full canvas."   He said it would be another $1,200 to enclose the cockpit.  I agreed.  Then when he was done he said it was $2,200 (or there-abouts - can't recall exactly but I have records of payments someplace).  So, I ended up spending $6,400.  After that, things fell apart further as I asked for window covers and pointed out an example on my dock (I have dated pics) and he built me something completely different.  At that point I asked him to remove the window covers and refused to pay.  He did so, but I still have a bunch of snaps screwed into my boat that I have to deal with.  I'm confident there is no warranty and I'm on my own, which is frustrating.  

I am generally pretty happy with Mark's work and I still like the guy, but I'm not sure I could recommend him.  "Burien Upholstery" was recommended to me, but every time I tried calling them they were totally rude - I mean ridiculously rude - on the phone.  They can't even say "hello" politely, so I couldn't go there.  I called King canvas and they were responsive, but they sent out a young guy who could not verbalize what he would do for me and I couldn't get him to understand what I wanted; and that made me look elsewhere.  I think I will try King again.  They are a sponsor for the Tollycraft Club, and that carries some weight with me.

Last comment:  I discussed my canvas work with a local boat & trailer retailer who had been in the business for 43 years at that time (in 2016) and after I told him of my experience, he said, "In 43 years, that's the kind of stuff we have seen EVERY time with canvas guys.  We have never seen a canvas guy who did a good job, and was fair and honest."  That was a shocking statement to me.

BrianE.

[Brian Hoover]

We bought our 34 sedan last year and I thought it had brand new canvas, but it was installed in 2003 by the Noat Top Shop in Tacoma, http://www.boattopshop.com/
We have some older covers that were made by Greg’s Custom Marine Canvas and Upholstery in Gig Harbor, these covers were installed in 95-96 and other then be stored improperly and the plastic cracked the canvas in in good shape. Don’t know about there work now but they seem to have held up well and I have no complaints about the fly bridge cover, never used the cockpit cover, we do have the brow cover over the door that is nice.