Looking for a replacement tender cover

[BCRyan]

We have a 2001 Nautica Int'l tender, 15' long, and the cover is getting pretty tired. I've been trying, unsuccessfully, to find a replacement.

All the usual online "replacement boat cover" sites state that since our RIB is quite wide (84" at the widest part of the sponsons), they have no pattern to fit.

The one custom cover shop I inquired with came back with a $2500 estimate, quite a bit more than I was hoping to spend.

Has anyone found a reasonable solution to this particular challenge that they could share?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Comodave]

On a previous boat we had gone through 2 $600 semi custom covers and they would only last 2 years in Arizona. I wanted a Sunbrella cover but the shop wanted $2,000 for it. I spent some money on a good Sailrite sewing machine. I sewed the Sunbrella cover and bought the machine for less than the $2,000 quote for the cover. Since then I have done full enclosures for 5 boats. I figure that I have saved in excess of $20K by owning the machine. We are currently waiting for the tops shop to finish our new tops to launch. I can’t do big sewing jobs anymore due to arthritis in my fingers. But the machine has paid for itself many many times over.

 

[BCRyan]

On a previous boat we had gone through 2 $600 semi custom covers and they would only last 2 years in Arizona. I wanted a Sunbrella cover but the shop wanted $2,000 for it. I spent some money on a good Sailrite sewing machine. I sewed the Sunbrella cover and bought the machine for less than the $2,000 quote for the cover. Since then I have done full enclosures for 5 boats. I figure that I have saved in excess of $20K by owning the machine. We are currently waiting for the tops shop to finish our new tops to launch. I can’t do big sewing jobs anymore due to arthritis in my fingers. But the machine has paid for itself many many times over.

Thanks, this was actually something I was considering, but frankly wouldn't even know where to start to attempt something like this. Were you able to use the old cover as a template, cutting apart the old stitching and then copying each piece?

 

[danderer]

Highfield sells covers tailored to their boats, w/ and w/o a console. You might look at their CL460 - the dimensions might be similar to your RIB and their cover may fit.

 

[Comodave]

The first one I did I used the old one as a pattern. It was ok but from then on I really didn’t use patterns. I would sew the pieces and then fit them to the boat, but our boats have been docked behind our house so it was easy to make 20+ trips to the boat. I would start on the Sailrite website. They have tons of videos on how to make things. They sell patterning material, plastic sheeting with webbing in it so it doesn’t stretch out of shape.