Best way to secure canvas

[davidpm]

I have been noticing a wide variety of fasteners for simple canvas covers. I have the main sail boom cover in mind specifically.

This is what I've seen in the last few weeks:

1. Stack Pack with 30' zipper.
2. Stack Pack with velcro instead of zipper
3. Main sail cover with snap buttons.
4. Main sail cover with zippers
5. Main sail cover with turn buttons
6. Main sail cover with hooks and lashing
7. Grommets with lashing
8. Cockpit cover with pin snaps

I'm sure I'm missing some. What are the issues, easiest to use, longest lasting, cheapest?
What have you learned?

[johnnyandjebus]

I sewed up a new mainsail cover this spring and used the turn buttons, also known as permalock fastners
Found here
http://www.sailrite.com/Permalock-Fa...to-Cloth-White

I like them, in that they are easy to install and easy to use. I tend to fasten them while standing over the boom so I can not see what I am doing(blind) and never have any issues fastening them.
My old mainsail cover used them, it was 20 plus years old and they still worked great.

I have installed snap type fasteners into cloth and find them to be harder to install and they do a poorer job of spreading loads compared to turn buttons, for what it is worth

The fasteners above are used below the boom, at the mast I used a zipper, again no issues.


John

[CaptainForce]

What about the main sail covers with cloth tied straps? That's what we've had for forty years and what I still see most often. Take care and joy, Aythya crew

[chef2sail]

The admiral made us a boom cover and we also use the permalock fasteners for the above reason plus you can do them with one hand if need be. Velcro realy attracts dirt. Snaps can be awkward.

We also made a double sided zipper at the gooseneck end of the boom with a long piece of sunbrella rectangle with a gromet and small line through it to tie the "head of boom cover" around the mast. The end of the boom cover has a gromet and a line also to tie it to the foot of the boom

Dave

[davidpm]

Originally Posted by CaptainForce

What about the main sail covers with cloth tied straps? That's what we've had for forty years and what I still see most often. Take care and joy, Aythya crew

Not sure I've seen that.
Pictures?

[mgmhead]

My mainsail cover set up would be the same as chef2sail. Dodger uses a combination of permalock fasteners across the cabin roof, snaps on each side and zippers for the center window area. The frame is held in place by line fixed through padeyes. The Bimini is held in position by webbed straps. Pretty common stuff I think.

[Omatako]

My Doyle Stacpac has a nylon zipper running along the top. The bag is nearly done in terms of wear and tear so it must be quite old but the zipper still works fine. I have to put a little silicon spray on it every now and then to keep it working smooth but it runs easy as.

The zipper is nylon, not as big as the normal white awning zippers but quite a lot bigger than an apparel zipper.

[dhays]

Simple grommets with lashings is the cheapest I would think.
Turn fasteners are easy and very effective.
Stacpack with a zipper is much more expensive, but a great solution for making putting the main up and down a quick and easy operation.

[SVAuspicious]

My Elvstrom cover has snaps which work fine. I've certainly used turnlock fasteners before. I'd take hooks and lashing in a second given the choice. Dead simple, nothing to seize up, and easy to tighten after everything is lined up.

[QuickMick]

ive got the permalocks that secure the portion running up and down the mast. i like them a lot, but if the canvas is snug they can be a bit of a PITA, ive got velcro along the boom and really dont like it, i dont know if its stretched over time or what, but i end up lashing that portion in place even with the velcro engaged.