foggysail
Guru
AU Contrarie! My huge flybridge enclosure--- though a minor work of art-- started falling apart after just 5 years in the Florida sun. I had to pay $700 dollars to get it restitched with TENARA … Tenara is also much stronger. So for an additional cost of about$40 by the previous owner I had to pay $700!!!Plus the work of removing transporting and re-installing. My previous boat's Sunbrella fabric lasted 15 years , with Tenara thread of course !!!!
Canvas life is tougher when exposed the bright sunlight every day without a break. Here in Massachusetts our boats for the most part .....at least mine..... gets hauled late October and launched again early May. As to how fabric and vinyl life is defined, it most times becomes a personal issue. Thread failure is real, not subjective.
My brown sunbrella looked worse than an old pair of dock shoes after 10 years, panels' vinyl lost their luster long before 10 years causing me to replace many before before I installed a second hardtop and replaced all the canvas (navy blue) about 3 years ago. My canvas panels remain installed during the winter where they are protected under shrink wrap to endure the winter months.
I tried using Gore Tex thread years ago, at that time I don't recall it being called Tenara then, I remember it only as Gore Tex. My reason for not using it as I mentioned earlier was I believe it was only available is a 120-122 size. Sewing thread that thick is almost the same as sewing string. I see now it is available in a size equivalent to 92. When it comes to sewing, size matters.
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