Canvas

Attractive Grand Banks Canvas Makes Your Boat Stand Out from the Crowd

Few things have the overall positive impact on boat ownership as professional canvas.
Canvas
It is great “maintenance reduction” for your Grand Banks, Eastbay, or other fine yacht, looks great when professionally installed, and gives you improved quality of life while you are using your boat. It’s a bargain when you think of all it does.

Make Your Grand Banks or Eastbay Stand Out With New Canvas

With stock boats all starting out the same, how you outfit your boat with canvas often makes the difference between the top 10% of Grand Banks and all the rest. That gets reflected in the sales price and how you enjoy your boat, both underway and at the dock. Canvas can’t be beat for maintenance reduction. Just consider one case of canvas for your Grand Banks trawler. Two coats of varnish on your rails, transom, and Flybridge can easily cost $3,000 to $5,000 per year to maintain in top shape. A great set of rail covers and a Flybridge cover will probably cost you about the same. But, your varnish will last at least two years longer and maybe more. That means you are paying yourself back over $3,000 per year with this simple investment. A great canvas package can easily add tens of thousands of dollars to your Grand Banks trawler.

The larger the flybridge canvas, the more your deck is protected

Anywhere the sun reaches is fair game for installing canvas over. The larger your bimini top, the more your Flybridge deck is protected. A nice dingy cover can make your $10,000 dingy last two to three times longer, probably for the life of your boat. Canvas outside window covers save your interior fabrics and wood trim. The list is almost endless on quality boats like Grand Banks and Eastbay. The sun is the enemy of maintenance reduction and canvas fights back. One of our more modern Grand Banks 42s, Patriot, even had side awnings for in-port that protected much of the teak deck from the sun. It will really pay off in another 10 years. Some will say that the canvas itself is a maintenance issue, and it DOES take some care. If not professionally installed up front and properly taken care of, canvas can need to be replaced every few years.

Follow these simple annual tips to make your Grand Banks canvas last a very long time

  • Keep it clean. Wash it with a fabric soap and a blue bristle brush at least annually and every few months if you get a lot of dirt or bird traffic
  • Rinse your canvas really well when you do wash it
  • Rinse it down every couple of months with fresh water to wash off the loose dirt
  • When you store it just remove it and vacuum only. Defer washing it until you are ready to put it back on wet, otherwise it can shrink. This way it will fit perfectly
  • Never wash it in a machine and use cold water only. Be very careful about the soap you use, go mild
  • Here is a link to the official Sunbrella cleaning recommendations
  • Promptly repair any seams that come out, stuck zippers, or minor wear points
  • Use 303 Fabric Guard every year or two to restore the waterproofing of your Sunbrella
  • Lubricate your cover zippers every year