This summer I had a new top zip sail cover made (not a Stack Pack). I’m generally pleased with the cover except for the zipper arrangement. It was made with two zippers, one short and one long. A short zipper goes from the aft end of the boom to where the reefing lines exit. The long zipper goes from the reefing line exit point up to the mast.
Unfortunately, the starting point of the long zipper (exit point of the reefing lines) is over the bimini and starting the zipper is a pain. Have to pull the boom over, try to hold the two sides of the cover close to one another, and use my remaining two hands (LOL) to start the zipper.
I’m thinking that the situation would be much better if the zipper started at the mast. But before I have the sailmaker reverse the zipper, I thought I’d ask those of you with any type of top zip cover…how are your zippers arranged?
Thanks,
Jim Cosgrove
FATE 30U #343
Galesville, MD
P.S. Great sail yesterday on the Chesapeake. Blue sky, very clear, and 21 knots sustained wind with higher gusts. Best sailing of the year is yet to come!
Jim: One thing I’ve noticed with a lot of Nonsuch boats is the wishbone, when not sailing, is secured to the center of the vessel. Mine is secured on just one side which places it within reach of someone working to remove or unzip the sailcover. Is yours centered?
Joe Valinoti
S/V IL Gatto NS30U #221
Sea Harbour YC
Oriental, NC USA
Joe,
Mine is normally centered, but I clip it to one side when doing the cover. Still is a reach for me with the bimini up (I'm 5'10", so I assume would be easier for taller sailors.)
Thanks,
Jim
I have a stack pack with 2 zippers; arranged as yours are.
Mine come together just forward of the bimini, very easy access.
It is a great arrangement
Can you lengthen the aft zipper and shorten the forward one?
Do you clip your cradle lines together before zipping to take all the pressure off the zipper?
Jim I have just had a similar cover made by Evolution. Though I have only used it once , it appears I have the same problem of reaching over the dodger to pull the Zipper. I plan to attach a pull chord of about 18 ins and see how that works out.
Bob Jenkins
Good News 30 U #323
Aurora On
Jim I have reread your email and see that I need to address another issue–that is the long Zipper does start at the mast and the short zipper starts at the aft end of the boom.
Bob Jenkins
Hi Bob,
In my case a long cord would not help. My problem is getting the zipper started when trying to close the cover. Once it's started, I can pull it forward.
Thanks,
Jim
I have a top zip sail cover made by Genco. It has one long zipper starting at the mast. The reefing lines are led out the aft end of the cover. This has worked well over the last two years and is very easy to use.. I initially thought about having two zippers but had some concern about long term wear on the reefing lines where they would exit the sail cover
This was our first season with our Classic 30 and I had a Stackpack made up. The convenience of not having to manipulate the cover around that monster sail is a great releif. Unfortunately, there was no provision made for the reefing lines, so I had to tie them on each time I thought there would be any significant wind. And there were a couple of times when the wind came up unexpectedly and I had to tie them on while underway with the boat bouncing up and down. I have asked the sail maker to split the zipper and have one end start at the mast. After reading you post, I am thinking it may sense to have just one zipper that goes all the way aft and have the lines come out at the end of the wishbone.
We also had an issue with the front zipper that ran up the front of the mast. There wasn’t enough slack to allow the wishbone to pull all the way back. They are also going to have to extend the fabric somehow.
Can someone with a steady hand sketch up what is meant by ‘leading the reefing lines out the end of the sail cover’? My cover is almost ready to fall to pieces and I want a top-loading replacement, with integrated webbing straps.
I just can’t get my head around how to deal to the lines coming out of the mast on the port side (both halyards exit about 6’ up from the deck and go to a turning block before going aft to the cockpit, and how to deal with the reefing lines that come aft along the wishbone.
BTW, I picked up a very expensive can of Plexus, which is a plastic cleaner/polish used on motorcycle face shields. It was recommended for cleaning and polishing my new clears on the dodger.
Hi Jim… You do want to have the long zipper begin at the mast… but I also have a boom vang that I fasten to the end of the wishbone and pull the wishbone to one side where I can reach the zipper arrangement that you describe by standing on the coaming where the dodger ends… I’m not as tall as you are but I can easily reach the zippers with no problem as the boom vang holds everything very steady. Pull your mainsheet tight after you pull in the boom vang. After I’ve zippered everything up I leave the boom vang in place but relax it so the wishbone is centered and I relax the mainsheet so the wishbone goes to its highest position, which the topping lift will determine, so the cover doesn’t rub on the dodger or bimini.
I have one long zipper starting at the mast & going all the way back. Only problem is running the reefing lines to the back end of the wishbone before zipping up. Otherwise, works like a charm.
Very interesting reading about the sail covers as I’m due for a new one and thinking about some kind of Stack Pack or top zipper cover as a replacement. How are the reefing lines handled with a Stack Pack?
I have one long zipper starting at the mast & going all the way back. Only problem is running the reefing lines to the back end of the wishbone before zipping up. Otherwise, works like a charm.
Gary
Catspaw
N30U #362
Blaine, WA
My StackPack was designed and fabricated by Paul Beaudin at Doyle/City Island. I recommend it and him to all of you.
I have two zippers, one beginning at the aft end of the mast and one beginning at the mast. They almost join where I have arranged for the reefing lines to exit the sailcover. Obviously this spot varies a bit each time. Each zipper pull has a long ?dacron strip attached so I am able to pull the zipper by pulling on the cloth strip at a distance from the zipper pull. A great convenience. My wishbone is pulled over somewhat to port by a line attaching the end of the mast to the aluminum ring at the port aft corner of the deck. The boom is stabilized by that line and the tightened mainsheet. With the boom somewhat moved to port, I am able to stand on the coaming and lean over my bimini enough to get the aft end of the zipper moving forward. Then I can go to the front of the bimini and standing on the cabin top, I am able to continue to move the aft zipper by pulling it forward by its cloth tether.
I hope I am making this clear. The basic idea is that two zippers are needed, one from aft, the other from the mast. The reefing lines comfortably emerge from the small hole where the zippers meet. Works fine.
Just had a top zip cover made this summer. It has been a wonderful improvement. My wife is the happiest she has been with the boat since we got it. Used it way more this year because it was so much easier.
The solution the canvas maker and I came up with, for the reef lines, is two reinforced sets of holes, one for each reef. Works fine, the only issue is to make sure there is some slack in the reef lines so the cover hangs true when the sail is hoisted. This is only an issue because of the friction on the lines along the wishbone.
The cover un zips from the front to back from the mast. Zips back up from the same place. We do tuck in the sail after dropping it. The only issue we found is that the choker can be limited in it's adjustability with the cover left on. That is solved by using some bunji cord on the aft end,of the cover, in place of the original rope. We tried unzipping the front of the cover and tucking in the front section of the cover but that is a lot more work and does not look as neat
The cost for the cover was just under $1,000 USD.
George Brandt
Zephyr N 30 #118
Western Lake Superior.
Duluth, MN
John mine was $1400 from evolution. Installed it for one day to test and then removed for haulout- so not fully tested yet but no problems so far. Bob.