Fitting Lottie‘s hood
The hood was purchased from Martex for about £350. For that you first of all receive the three-bar frame of the chosen width. You set this up on the boat at the desired height and rake (remembering to leave plenty of clearance beneath the boom. Telescopic stretchers between the bars hold them in situ.
[Click the thumbnails for larger images]
First the frame is set up to the desired height and rake
Then you send Martex the measurements between the bars and they make a cover to fit the hood shape you have just designed. This arrives with plenty of spare material around the bottom which has to be trimmed to fit round the hatch, roof handrails and windows, leaving enough surplus to turn up a hem inside.
Trimmed round handrail and taped over hatch
We used webbing to edge the bottom of the hood where it rests on the deck and passes over the sliding hatch. The bottom of the hood was fixed down to the cabin roof with press studs.
Coaming straps tension the hood
Webbing straps are sewn into the cover. These lead back to attachment points screwed outside the cockpit coaming in front of the winches. These straps tension the cover.
Finished hood
The bottom bar on a three bar hood allows the sliding hatch to pass under the hood. It also enables ropes to be led back under it from the mast. Two stainless bottom bar supports are provided though these are not strictly necessary as the bar rests on the hand rail
See further details of fitting here: Lottie’s Hood
Lottie's Log 