Not a tent - a cockpit cover for a BC 23

[Rob Johnstone]

I have found a company in Southampton who have a pattern for a cockpit cover (not a tent) for a BC 23. They have now made two of them - one of which is shown in the attached photos fitted to Riff Raff. Their colour choice is a bit limited....
I've given their information to Lara at Swallow Yachts.

[Rob Johnstone]

Sorry, I'd meant to include 2 photo's. Here's the second....

[David Hall]

Hi Rob
Really interested in this, thanks for the post.
I see that the rear of the cover is secured through the fairleads and the front to the shrouds. Can you confirm what fixings were needed on each side to hold the cover down? Are these attached to the wooden toe-rail?
David
Lady G
BC23 #51

[Rob Johnstone]

David,
You are taxing my memory, even though I only fitted the cover yesterday!
Starting from the front edge, there's a an eye at the dead centre, which I have secured to the mast by a piece of cord, to fix the cover fore and aft.
Then, symmetrically on each side, looking down from the top and imagining the cover as a clock face with the front top eye at 12
Eyes at 11 and 1 secured by bungee to the pad eye for the baby stays
Eyes at about 10 and 2 secured by bungee to the chains (the bit that the main stays are attached to)
Eyes at about 9 and 3, attached by bungees to the centre cleats that have been fitted to Riff Raff
Eyes at about 8 and 4, attached by bungees to the aft mooring cleat
Eyes at about 7 and 5 attached to the aft fairleads.
Finally at 6, the cover is split for about 9 inches to allow the mainsheet to lead through it, with a plastic clip to hold the sides of the split together.
Each side of the split is another eye, which I have attached by bungee to a cleat that is fitted to the centre of this "deck".
There are then two attachment points along the centre of the cover, which I have used to hang it from the boom, thus making sure that it drains.
With the exception of the fittings at 11,12, & 1, alll of the bungees are loops, so can be undone quickly. The other 3 are tied in place.
The cover was supplied with the necessary bungees.

By the way, I've "discovered" the supplier to Swallow of cockpit covers. Lara told me today that the company, Rain and Sun of Southampton had prepared patterns a year of so ago.

Hope all this helps.

[Al Beckhelling]

Hi Rob; this is exactly the sort of cover arrangement I'm looking for. From whom exactly did u get this from?
Cheers
Al

[Rob Johnstone]

The company that supplied it to me is Rain and Sun Ltd of Southampton. Phone 02380 348854 or info at rainandsundotcodotuk. Their colour range is limited and I needed to push to make them get a move on but it's well made, reinforced where it covers the winches and, as you can see, covers the (lowered) Spray Hood. It also came with adequate numbers of bungee cords and hooks.


If you buy a cockpit cover from Swallow, it's made by this company.

[Sea Simon]

The company that supplied it to me is Rain and Sun Ltd of Southampton. Phone 02380 348854 or info at rainandsundotcodotuk. Their colour range is limited and I needed to push to make them get a move on but it's well made, reinforced where it covers the winches and, as you can see, covers the (lowered) Spray Hood. It also came with adequate numbers of bungee cords and hooks.
If you buy a cockpit cover from Swallow, it's made by this company.

Agreed.
All of the above, including the delay,  experienced with the new mooring/afloat cover for my BRe.
Rain and Sun do seem to make good quality covers tho, and I have at least two off them for my racing dinghies. They lasted well.