My Doyle Stackpack is getting pretty long in the tooth and is now ready for replacement. Has anyone any experience with the Doyle Cradle cover? I want to move away from the membrane attached to the sail.
Any ideas and/or advice is appreciated!
Dave DeWolfe
NS26C #150 ‘Ascension’
Gold River Marina
Nova Scotia
Dave,
Take a look at the plans titled, Nonsuch 26 Top Loading Sail Cover - Posted October 2020, by Ted & Cyndie Eedson, Sue & Martin Lennox, and Dave & Annette Bailey. It’s found on the INA website by clicking on MEMBERS TIPS & PROJECTS on the MEMBERS tab.
There’s a three-page list of such projects, and this one shows up about 2/3rds of the way down the first page.
Here’re pictures from that doc of how that design presents when stowed and under sail:
Another, similar design was developed by Chesapeake Bay Nonsuch sailors such as Butch Garren. The canvasmaker who did it has since retired, but I have the documentation and can share it with you. Send me a direct message if interested.
Here’s how that design looks like at the dock and under sail:
As you can see, the two designs look pretty similar at the dock. Both have far less windage, and far lower production costs and complexity, than a Doyle or Mack stackpack.
The first design has less interference with the sail when underway. The second design is lower maintenance, because you don’t deal with the cover other than unzipping it going out and zipping it back up on returning.
– Bob
I have a Doyle stack pack. It has a piece of sailcloth that extends up from the sail cover and zips onto the sail, filling that big gap and pulling the sail cover into a more aerodynamic shape. Is that the membrane you are trying to get rid of? I’m not disagreeing, but I’m curious what you don’t like about it.
Someone else was looking for advice on her design for a sail cover.
I am new to discourse and can not find the inquiry
SO
I am having a new cover made for my N30U.
I found this dandy one today
I do not quite understand what the cover does when the sail is raised
It has something to do with the internal rings fore and aft.
There is a N26 in my marina that has a similar cover
His has the rods next to the zipper and has only 2-4 inches of flat top.
I think the design on this web page will leave more usable sail.
I hope this link works
Fran Cichowski 904 772 4712 captfran1@gmail.com
Southpaw N30U #300
Spicers Marina Noank Ct
This looks good but like you say what does it ,look like with the sail raised?
Not exactly sure why this topic is described as a “cradle cover”? Perhaps you mean a sail cover?
To me a cradle is a structure you put your boat in for winter storage. And a cradle cover would be a boat cover when it is in this position.
If you search the Nonsuch info for a sail cover you might get better results.
Cheers
I saw Corvus at the 2024 Toronto International. Several other boats had similar covers. They struck me as very nice looking.
I suspect under sail that they appear very similar to the cover designs in my post above. Two differences, both due to the PVC batten poles running horizontally through them:
– Bob
Bob,
Thanks for this. This is great information. Have contacted Davis at Quinte.
Dave
Don,
Cradle Cover is whay Doyle calls the updated version of their stackpack.
-Dave
My Doyle stackpack is old, heavy, twice as big as it needs to be, and I have never liked the look of the ‘membrane’ at all. I received a quote for a new Doyle Cradle Cover and it is pretty expensive. About $1500 CAD more than a Mack Pack.
So still looking.
-Dave