[Rhodes22-list] Pop Top Enclosure

[Mary Lou Troy]

Hi David,
Our first pop-top enclosure was one we bought used from Stan. We 
added screens to the back door (which unlike the newer ones, had no 
screens or window.) We used it so much we wore it out and purchased a 
new one a couple of years ago. We haven't been sailing nearly as much 
since and haven't used it much but we like it a lot. The new one has 
a window in the back door with a screen. The enclosure has fairly 
good ventilation with side and back window screens. We added a zip-in 
piece of screening so we could prop the front open and still have 
some mosquito protection. However, if it's raining you need to close 
the windows.

We never left it in place for sailing - the boat has enough windage 
without that added to it but it is easy to put up and take down. We 
substituted twistlock fasteners for the snaps with the new one and 
that makes it even quicker to set up or take down. The only thing I 
don't like about the fasteners is that the ones in front tend to snag 
the jib sheets. If I had it to do over, I'd use snaps there and the 
twistlock fasteners everywhere else.

We usually sail with the boom in the upper position (more room in the 
cockpit) and the poptop in the lower position (less windage, less 
likely to take a big powerboat wake into the cabin.) The only time we 
use the boom in the lower position is when the wind picks up and we 
want to lower the center of effort. It makes a major difference and 
can be done underway (assuming the IMF main).

The utility of the poptop enclosure depends on how you are going to 
use the boat. If you are going out overnight, sleep in the cabin and 
stay in places with lots of mosquitoes it's priceless. We spent every 
weekend on the boat from May to November for 7 years. We couldn't 
have done that without the poptop enclosure.

Best,
Mary Lou
1991 R22 Fretless
Rock Hall, MD


At 08:07 PM 9/24/2012, you wrote:
>Hello,
>
>What are folks experiences with the Pop Top Enclosure.
>
>You can sail with the boom in the up position?
>
>Keeping foul weather out at night and still allowing some ventilation?
>
>Overall utility and value?
>
>Thanks for responding and before you reply,   perhaps edit most of the
>unrelated digest off your email?
>
>--
>Regards,
>
>David B. Craft
>Greensboro, NC
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