Any express owners remove enclosure based on weather?

[jip40]

I am having a new enclosure made for my 2002 330 and I have to send the old one to be used as a pattern for the new enclosure. I removed the enclosure on Friday, which was quite an experience since I don't believe it had been removed in the past 16 years.

After removing the enclosure the feel of the boat totally changed. It feels so much more open and gives a much larger feel to the helm. Since I keep the boat on the FL panhandle & the summer months can be brutal from a heat standpoint, I am considering removing the new enclosure (after final installation) and running it au natural until the weather starts to cool down. I guess I would need to keep the three small sections that cover the area between the windshield and hardtop on the boat in case of running into storms. I just don't know how much of a PITA it would be to put them on and take them off.

BTW, I keep the boat on an indoor rack totally protected from the weather, so I don't need to have the enclosure for protection during non use periods.

I would be interested in getting some feedback from other owners that do it or have done it as to their experience.

 

[Jody]

Yes and I do what you said, keep the front two onboard all the time and if I'm going out overnight I might grab more.

 

[SkunkBoat]

They are a pain to put up and take down.
Mine have to stay up due to outside docking and weather. I take the 3 rear pieces off when its warm. Roll up the front center.
It is possible to roll everything up without removing it.
If you are getting all new it will be easy. Its the old zippers, snaps, and the shrinking canvas that make it difficult

Florida weather and inside rack storage is definitely a plus.
I guess the question is "How often do you get caught in rain and how often do you get wind & spray?"

It really sucks when you get sprayed for an hour running back in the afternoon wind. If you wanted that you would have bought a center console :lol:

If you are going to keep it off make sure you don't fold it. If you roll it, make sure it doesn't get squished flat.
You really need a safe place for it. It is more fragile off the boat than in place on the boat.
On my old boat I had the rear enclosure in the garage and it got ruined.

 

[drbatts]

On my current boat and previous 265, I left the enclosure on all season which here in the NE runs April/May through November. My boat is docked outside and the enclosure keeps the helm area clean and dry. Once the winter cover goes on, the enclosure gets taken off cleaned/polished and kept flat in the house for the winter. When using the boat I will usually open the entire back up and some of the sides and/or front as needed. I have smiley faces on the forward side panels which allows them to be rolled up if needed but not taken off. The back panels just roll straight up. The 3 front panels in front of the windshield I usually just leave up all the time. On my 265 I would roll up the front panels as needed for weather conditions.

 

[2 Little Time]

The panels are difficult to remove and install. Get a snap tool to ease the process.

I leave mine off most of the year. Last winter was so mild that I only installed the panels between the windshield and hardtop.

 

[jip40]

Thanks for the responses. After reading them and thinking it through I am leaning toward keeping the three pieces between the windshield & hardtop on all the time & opening the center smiley face on real hot days. I will have to see what it's like without the side panels as far as wind and spray. I know they will need to go on in the Fall but it would be nice to be able to keep them off for the Summer.

 

[glacierbaze]

I have a 22 foot dual console Tournament, in NC, and I have no curtains, we just learn to duck. I can't imagine running a 33 in Florida for 16 years with the curtains up.

 

[SkunkBoat]

Its June. I was at the boat yesterday working on it. Docked 3/4 mile from inlet. East wind at 15mph blowing in across 59 degree water...
I had the full enclosure up! ...and I was at the dock!

Dreaming of the old days in Pompano Beach....

 

[jip40]

I have a 22 foot dual console Tournament, in NC, and I have no curtains, we just learn to duck. I can't imagine running a 33 in Florida for 16 years with the curtains up.

Big smiley faces on side panels, front panel too & rear panels rolled up made it tolerable

 

[jip40]

Its June. I was at the boat yesterday working on it. Docked 3/4 mile from inlet. East wind at 15mph blowing in across 59 degree water...
I had the full enclosure up! ...and I was at the dock!

Dreaming of the old days in Pompano Beach....

I was raised in Jersey fished head boats out of your area - which is why I’ve been in Atlanta & boat in Florida since ‘76

 

[Fowl Hooked]

The full curtains on my 265 come down every spring when the weather warms and go back on in the fall when it starts to cool. In the summer it's hot enough that taking some spray over the glass isn't that bad and it doesn't happen all that often anyway. I also have a 'summer' cover that came with the boat when I bought it, don't know if it was a factory option or if the previous owner had it made. Same canvas material as the full enclosure and uses the same snaps that the bottom side of the full enclosure uses, provides full coverage for the entire helm area when not in use and is easy to take on and off.

 

[everwhom]

I've never taken all them down in my 330, but I do have big smileys on the side curtains which allow me to roll up almost the whole area. With the 3 aft curtains also rolled up it's pretty open, but sometimes I'll take down the front windshield connector which is easy to remove and replace (no smiley on that one).

I just had all the stratoglass replaced this season and it made a huge difference -- can actually see everything! I used 30 mil for the windows that roll and 40mil for the rest. When I had 40 mil, the rear curtains were quite difficult (for me at least) to roll up tightly enough to snap, especially when it was cold and the windows were wet! The 30 is a lot better.

 

[mmiela]

Not an express owner but I leave my curtains installed all year on my Seafarer. I roll them up and just leave them there, I find it a struggle to take them out and install them again, plus it makes it convienent to just drop them down in bad weather. With them I can use my boat until late November(cold in New England) if I didn’t have them it would be deer hunting starting mid October instead of chasing Stripers.