We just bought a 2010 SR 390 Sundancer. ...

[cbruck]

We just bought a 2010 SR 390 Sundancer.  We have the standard canvas package that came from the factory.  The first question is that the hardtop is about a foot short in the front and without the front canvas in the windshield, it rains on to the helm area.  We live on the gulf coast and prefer not to have any canvas because of the heat. Does anyone have a reasonable solution?  Also, our boat will now sit in the sun continuously, is there a good solution for new canvas to protect the cockpit and back seats?

[wingless]

If dry operation in the rain is required then the plastic windows will need to be installed.

The best option for keeping sun and rain out of the cockpit is a sunshade for the front and the rear canvas for the rear.

When I designed and built my custom canvas I added a second set of zippers up front to attach my ~40' sunshade that covers all the glass windshield and works with the Strataglass installed or stowed.

My custom canvas also has a detachable canvas panel that covers the two rear windows while at dock.

When I designed my canvas I selected Sunbrella Supreme w/ Navy color on the outside and Linen color on the inside. The lighter interior color decreases the interior solar heat gain by decreasing the radiation transfer. It also improves lighted interior visibility at night over the darker color.


http://forum.sailrite.com/wingless-custom-enclosure_topic2801.html

http://images0.boattrader.com/resize/1/69/57/366957_0_091020091322_1.jpg?t=1220121

[cbruck]

Thanks so much for the information. I thought the custom front and back canvas was going to be needed for sunshade. It looks like you did excellent work on your canvas and I especially liked the idea of the linen interior.

On your second picture of the 390, it's not real evident in that picture, but the front of my hardtop is short of the front windshield meaning that water running off of the hardtop pours into the cockpit. If it was even 6 inches longer in the front then the water would run onto the windshield and not into the cockpit. I was wondering if anyone had any ideas on how to solve that issue? One thought I had was to have someone build a permanent canvas solution like the one on the back of the hardtop. Again, here in the south, it's too hot to keep the front glass up when using the boat but having to put up the front glass whenever we don't use the boat to keep the rain out is a real pain.

[wingless]

Thanks very much for the kind words.

A visor could be created and added but I don't think the style would be visually appealing.

Dealing w/ removing, stowing and replacing canvas can be a butt pain. My removable panels can be rolled and stowed in a carry bag.

When I am doing a day trip I just lay all the panels on the master stateroom bed to decrease the handling time.

Another option is a dash cover. I designed and created this dash cover for sun and rain protection. It deploys and stows very quickly.

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m52/wingless-pics/Sew/DashCover_zpsc9f9770c.jpg

My ~40' custom sunshade deploys very quickly, no fiddly snaps to deal with...

It might be possible to modify the top Strataglass attachment to add an additional zipper for a sunshade, similar to mine.

[cbruck]

Thanks for the ideas. I do have a dash cover from the factory but when I get water in that area, my salon door leaks water right down into the salon, onto my teak steps. So maybe I need to look at sealing that better. It's not a solid door like yours but a multi-piece door.

I'm going to explore the visor idea. If I can extend the windshield just far enough to get under the drip line of the hardtop, I would be happy. Or I can just get the front canvas made and that would solve both sun and rain issues.

Thanks again,

[wingless]

The salon door could / should be fixed to not leak.

Mine is a two-panel door and it withstands garden hose cleaning w/o leaking.

Maybe another option would be to make a larger dash cover that extends to protect the salon door.


http://images0.boattrader.com/resize/1/91/97/5439197_20151111091602570_2_LARGE.jpg?t=1219309

[cbruck]

You are absolutely right, it appears I am missing a gasket/seal where the top hinges. I also checked more on the visor idea but it's almost 10" of offset and the visor would have to come up nearly half way in order to get under the drip line of the hardtop. So the solution is to get the door fixed and then look at the custom canvas for sun and rain. Just one more thing, what material did you use for your dash cover? It looked more shiny and water repellent then regular canvas.
Thanks again for all the help.

[wingless]

All of my canvas is Sunbrella Supreme. It has a soft internal flocking and is much, much more water resistant than regular Sunbrella.

I agree, a visor would not look good.