Ditto Rachel's comments on better fabrics for storage covers. My Flicka has a full mast-up cover made entirely from Top Gun. It has seen many seasons of continuous use, and is showing virtually no signs of wear. It is much easier to clean, doesn't absorb stains or bird droppings, and is much tougher/chafe resistant overall. It is also totally waterproof--even when washed with a high-pressure nozzle. A surprising benefit of this fabric (as compared to Sunbrella) is that is folds very compactly (counterintuitive given its heft and weight). My entire three-piece cover folds very flat and compact. My friend's comparably sized sunbrella cover is huge by comparison. Also, the manufacturer claims that Top Gun actually breathes. I was skeptical about this, but then I have never experienced any condensation on the inside. I like Sunbrella for weather cloths, dodgers, sail covers, etc., but I wouldn't use it for a storage cover after having one made of Top Gun. I recently bought some additional matching Top Gun fabric to make additional sand bags, and found it to be comparable in price to Sunbrella. Scott M15 #478 PSC Flicka #392 In a message dated 8/20/05 10:55:31 AM, montgomery_boats-request@mailman.xmission.com writes:

I just have one comment here, on the Sunbrella. Although it's a fabulous fabric - I ordered some in Erin Green to patch a bit that had

been on a cruising boat for at least 10 years and the color matched perfectly; that's saying a lot as the boat had been in Mexico's hot sun

- it is very vulnerable to chafing. As such, I would probably look into something like Top Gun (doesn't come in as many colors but is very

chafe-resistant) or something similar for a boat cover, especially if you might trailer with the cover in place. There is a lighter version

(less heavy I mean) of Top Gun (Odyssey?) that might be fine for an M-15.

Not that Sunbrella can't work - especially if you cover chafe-prone areas with Stamoid or something similar, but if I were starting from scratch...

www.sailrite.com has good info on the properties of the various fabrics and their suitability for various boat projects, and if you decided to order from them they're great folks. I like their paper catalog for reference.

--- Rachel

Fatty Knees 7' #302 Former owner, M-17 #334 Former owner, M-15 #517