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Top Gun safe for gel coat?
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Sue2 View Drop Down
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    Posted: 31 July 2018 at 5:12am
I am making a winter cover for a beautiful little Sea Sprite, and was considering Top GUn fabric.  Two questions:
1. The cover will go to the waterline.  Will the Top Gun abrade the gel coat?
2. The cover will be using the boom and a ridge pole forward for support. Any advice for how to address vents on this relatively shallow slope?

Thanks!

-Sue

(For what it's worth, a Forum search for "Top Gun" yielded no results, but I found at least one post with that title just looking.  The search function may need tweaking.)
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MattGrant View Drop Down
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Points: 2968 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MattGrant Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 July 2018 at 8:12am
Hi Sue,

Top Gun is frequently used for winter and storage boat covers where the boat owner wants a durable and long lasting cover. Though Top Gun is more abrasive than Sunbrella it will not damage Gel Coat when used as intended. And going to the waterline is certainly common.

For vents I really like these and they work well on shallow slopes:

https://www.sailrite.com/Boat-Vent-Aero-White

Thanks for the note on the search. I will look at it.
Best Regards,
Matt Grant
Sailrite
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Tejas View Drop Down
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Points: 204 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Tejas Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 July 2018 at 2:07pm
Originally posted by Sue2 Sue2 wrote:

(For what it's worth, a Forum search for "Top Gun" yielded no results ....]


No particular offense to this forum, but search on most sites is not all that useful. Instead you might want to try google as follows:

top gun site:forum.sailrite.com

However, only four links appeared.
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Sue2 View Drop Down
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Matt,

Can you give me a rough idea of the pros and cons of Top Gun, Top Gun 1S, and SurLast, for use in a winter cover in the Great Lakes area?  I understand the breathability difference, and given that, I am failing to see any great benefit of Top Gun 1S over Surlast.    I do want the cover to last for many years, and do not want it to damage the gel coat.

Thanks,

-Sue
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wingless View Drop Down
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Points: 133 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote wingless Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 July 2018 at 8:47pm
Originally posted by MattGrant MattGrant wrote:

For vents I really like these and they work well on shallow slopes:

https://www.sailrite.com/Boat-Vent-Aero-White
Those vents look nice.

The vent I used on my dinghy cover was this Vent‑Aire Small Polyethylene Natural Ventilator that I upholstered w/ matching fabric and used a fine mesh screen to prevent insect ingress.
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MattGrant View Drop Down
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Points: 2968 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MattGrant Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 July 2018 at 8:54pm
Just thinking about this. What you want for the Midwest is Top Notch 9. It will be soft against the gel coat, it breathes and is still extremely watertight.
Thanks, Matt Grant
Best Regards,
Matt Grant
Sailrite
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MattGrant View Drop Down
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Points: 2968 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MattGrant Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 August 2018 at 1:17pm
I still think Top Notch 9 is the best for your particular use but I did ask one of our marketing folks to write something useful. This is what I got and I agree with it:

Hi Sue! 

 

In regards to your search for a boat cover, here are a few things to keep in mind. 

 

In most applications a winter boat cover does not damage a gelcoat surface even if it touches it. However, for 100% assurance and the best protection you should consider lining your boat cover with Evolution® Block-It® Fabric in areas where you are concerned about it.  

 

There is not much breathability difference between any of the three fabrics (Top Gun, Top Gun 1S and SurLast). While all technically have some breathability, for any kind of cover it will need to be vented to allow moisture to escape as all three fabrics do not have enough breathability on their own to accomplish this. Both Top Gun and Top Gun 1S will last longer than SurLast and will have much better abrasion resistance, meaning it will withstand much more abuse before a hole or tear appears in the fabric. This is especially important if any kind of trailering will be done with the cover. As far as the gel coat, Top Gun may be somewhat abrasive against it (unless you line with Evolution), while Top Gun 1S and SurLast would be slightly better for that aspect.

 

Top Gun and Top Gun 1S are acrylic-coated 100 percent woven polyester fabrics known for their UV performance, water repellency and mildew resistance. Top Gun 1S has no pigmentation on one side, making it nonreversible and a great choice if you’re concerned about color rub-off or color transferring to your boat. SurLast is an all-weather fabric, woven from 100 percent solution-dyed polyester and is also a great choice for a boat cover, but the warranty on this fabric is only 3 years, whereas Top Gun and Top Gun 1S have a 5 year warranty.

 

In terms of longevity, I believe Top Gun and Top Gun 1S would be your best choice out of the three, although it is the most expensive while SurLast is the least expensive (if cost is a priority for you). No matter what you decide, Sailrite carries a wide selection of boat cover fabrics and we’d be happy to assist you with any further questions!
Best Regards,
Matt Grant
Sailrite
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Sue2 View Drop Down
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Points: 162 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Sue2 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 August 2018 at 7:43pm
Thanks Matt and others for the advice. The comparison is very helpful, and I can weigh the pros and cons to make the best choice.

I like the idea of lining with evolution where the cover will touch the teak toe rail, to protect the varnish


-Sue
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MattGrant View Drop Down
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Points: 2968 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MattGrant Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 August 2018 at 8:03am
Thanks Sue and good luck with the project!
Best Regards,
Matt Grant
Sailrite
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