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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Hand Rail Cover Patterns

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bouy
1st Mate

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33 Posts

Initially Posted - 09/07/2010 : 18:46:45

Anybody know where to find patterns for making your own hand rail covers. I contacted Sailrite, and they didn't carry such.

81 sksr #1733

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OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3370 Posts

Response Posted - 09/08/2010 : 03:17:39

This is also one of the things I would like to do...eventually. Don't know of any patterns. My thought was that I would buy sunbrella material and design my own pattern. Have not given it a lot of thought since it is a project as with others on the backburner but my hope would be to come up with a pattern that not only covered the hand rails but most if not all of the wood trim strip that is below the hand rails. Probably would use snaps between each rail support and have a flap that extended down past the wood trim holding the flap down with some small/mini lead weights sewn into the trailing edge of the flap. This is something that I would not expect to find a pre-existing pattern. Anyway, I am curious if you get any responses to your request.

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Leon Sisson
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1889 Posts

Response Posted - 09/08/2010 : 05:52:47

I just glanced at "Canvaswork And Sail Repair" by Don Casey, and was surprised not to see hand rail covers in the contents or index. I plan to make some for my C-25 'one of these days'. Without having thought it through in detail, I would first try something shaped like a long thin canoe or envelope, deep enough for the extra material to form a short 'skirt' flattening out slightly onto the surrounding deck. I would use snaps and/or Velcro fastening the two sides of the cloth together through the loops of the hand rail to keep the covers on.

If, like me, you also want a cabin top cover (for when the pop-top is lowered and the boat unoccupied, not the pop-up camper tent), I'd make that 'skirt' part wide enough to well overlap the edges of long 'button hole' slots sewn in the cabin top cover. The cover would attach to the same snaps as the tent. It would have a flap which extends down over the varnished companionway boards. An enthusiastic canvas worker might also add a band of cloth to form a raised rectangular 'tophat' a couple inches high for the closed pop-top and sliding hatch cover, rather than stretch flat cloth over that lumpy terrain.

-- Leon Sisson

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Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5851 Posts

Response Posted - 09/08/2010 : 07:07:03

I have made sunbrella hand rail covers for three boats, and they're very easy. You don't need a pattern, but, if you prefer, you can make one by taping together pieces of a brown paper bag so that they cover the hand rails in the way you want, and then cut them apart at the ends. When you open them up, like a butterfly, you'll have a flat pattern that you can use to cut the fabric.

There's an easier way, however. Just measure the height of the hand rail at a point where it is screwed through the deck. Then double that measurement, and add enough for a hem on both sides, plus a little extra (perhaps 1/2") to make sure you don't cut it too narrow. Then cut a strip of sunbrella that is the width of that measurement and that is long enough to cover the hand rail, plus about 3". Then fold the fabric over the hand rail, and mark the point on each side where it just touches the deck that the hand rail is bolted to. That mark will tell you where to sew the hem. I sew the hem along both sides with a zig-zag stitch, because sunbrella has a strong tendency to unravel.

At this point, you'll have a long strip of fabric with a hem on each side. Lay it over the hand rail so that the hem is facing the outside. Pinch the ends together, and mark a line on each end that matches the angle of the end of the hand rail. Sew the ends together along each of those lines. Turn it inside out, and you'll have the basic cover. Check it to make sure it fits nicely, and then cut off any extra fabric at the end seam.

Finally, turn the cover inside out again, and put it on the hand rail. Pinch it in between each loop of the hand rail, and mark it. At each of those marks, sew a piece of velcro, with the hooks on one side and the loops on the other side. Then, when you put the covers on, all you have to do is pinch them lightly between each loop. I have left mine on during a tropical storm, and never had them blow away.

You can use a snap instead of velcro, but I don't think snaps are necessary. Moreover, they're harder to put on each time you use the cover, and they tend to tear the fabric when the fabric gets old and a little sun-rotten. Also, I think you need to reinforce the fabric if you use snaps. The bottom line is that, even if a cover is blown away in a storm, you can make new ones in an hour or two, and losing one isn't that big of a deal.

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dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 09/08/2010 : 07:08:05

For an inexpensive cabin top cover, The edit below is my reply to an earlier thread. Depending on how much boat you want to protect, a cover for a 14-18 ft. powerboat will work.

Edit:
I bought a powerboat cover cheap on Ebay and took it to a canvas shop and had a hole cut for the mast and a zipper to one side, and the pointed front squared off. It too covers most of the boat and can go over the boom or lay on the deck, which is how I use it. I use some of the straps that came with the cover to secure it to the stanchions. The whole project cost under $100 the first time. I've just done a second one, fixing some of my measuring mistakes from the first one, using a Sunbrella cover for a Malibu powerboat. They are not as nice looking as Larry's above[his custom work], but are much less expensive. The second one cost a bit more than the first one, but was still less than $175.

Edited by - dmpilc on 09/08/2010 07:14:02

Prospector
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
3159 Posts

Response Posted - 09/08/2010 : 07:27:21

What Steve said.

I would use newspaper or a roll of paper tablecloth so there isn't so much taping. Velcro works great on the ends.

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GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4275 Posts

Response Posted - 09/08/2010 : 19:51:58

Or you can just write a check for $46 and go sailing while you wait for the FedEx guy!

http://www.catalinadirect.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&product_ID=431&ParentCat=117

Edited by - GaryB on 09/08/2010 19:54:14

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