Well, it took awhile to get the photos and a few of the videos uploaded, so sorry for any delay for folks wanting to view the photo shoot. However, here it is, and at this time it's still doing some final uploads. This Photo Album is as of this time unedited, but will add some comments in a bit or maybe a fe bits.... stay tuned.
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https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B1A5CmvASjGwkf
Note.... the wind-tunnel noise you can hear in the first video's audio is my Webasto heater running at full blast. The heater needs to be run every 30 days to keep the combustion chamber in good condition. When I started it today, a puff of blueish smoke was being blown out the Webasto's heater exhaust hull port and at first concerned me.... but a few seconds later the exhaust was clear without any sign of blue smoke. You can tell it needs to be run as both side lights on the controller flash red every few seconds and the display tell you the run the heater as a maintenance item. The default run time is 20 mins.
1) The installation took the single workman around 4 hrs to complete it. A large part of the time was making all the small black 12" long loop bungees for securing the bottom of the panels to gunwales.
2) The stock Bimini top had to be removed and taken to the King Marine's factory to alter the edge zips to accommodate the 7 panels.
3) The 7 panels are; two on each side and three on the transom. The transom panels are one for the doorway, one large wide one for the center and the 3rd one is for the port side corner. The two large wide panels on port and starboard sides adjacent to the cabin can be rolled up as can the rear doorway panel and the large wide center panel at the transom. So a total of 4 of the 7 panels can be rolled up. The plastic is 40 gauge and very sturdy/strong.
4) Entry to the cockpit can be achieved via the transom starboard side door panel, and both the port and starboard side panels that connect to the cabin thus entry to the cockpit has three options.
5) To retrieve the fenders hanging off the cockpit sides one will need to loosen the two rear most panels on port or starboard side from their loop bungees and zipped them up a bit. I tried this and it's quite easy.
6) It pays to have the zip latches at the bottom of the panel sides above the looped bungees up a tad so that they can be pulled up when inside the cockpit. This technique is just a matter of practice IMO.
7) The panels are very nicely taught and there's very little flapping.
8) With all the panels deployed the inside of the cockpit feels well secured from wind and weather and the strong canvas and 40 gauge plastic windows will resist most pets from leaping or wanting to, leap overboard -- a big plus for our very excitable and energetic Wire Hair Fox Terrier, and of course secures small grandchildren as well.
9) The R-27/OB has two chrome stanchions holding the top Bimini and they angle out some from the Bimini. I was concerned that these angled poles would wear on the plastic so had King Marine stitch in canvas at these points to avoid this issue. They made a good job of doing this.
10) All of the panels edges that secure to the gunwales and the cabin side wall are very nicely sealed and suspect in heavy seas and heavy rain will avoid water from finding its way into the cockpit.
11) My overall impression of this King Marine Canvas cockpit enclosure for the R-27/OB is an outstanding product and would recommend it to any R-27/OB owner without hesitation.
12) The installer who did the work today is a King Marine employee with 31 years of experience, which is when Dave (the boss) bought the business some 30 years ago. The installer fella's wife also works for King and she was the person that did all the stitching for the enclosure.
13) Several weeks ago the King Marine fella came to my boat to do the canvas templating, so now King Marine has the templates for the enclosure to lessen the effort for other R-27/OB owners who wish for King to install a cockpit enclosure like mine.
14) Note, I decided to keep the RT stock Bimini and for King to use it for the enclosure. It's possible for the stock Bimini to be discarded and for King to install different chrome stanchions to have a Bimini that extends all the way back to the transom. If this is done it will add cost obviously, but will mean the sloping panels at the transom would be more vertical, if that is a desirable thing for some people.
15) It's a great looking enclosure IMO and I'm extremely pleased with it.
