Hardy 18 Navigator — Full Cover Replacement, River Avon, Stratford-upon-Avon
Complete cover replacement for a Hardy 18 Navigator moored on the River Avon at Stratford-upon-Avon, including a new rear spray curtain and rare-earth magnet windscreen seal.
Stratford-upon-Avon is one of the most visited river towns in England, and the moorings at the foot of the town are rarely quiet. For boat owners keeping their vessel there year-round, that means constant pedestrian traffic past the boat, frequent weather changes as Atlantic fronts sweep up the Avon valley, and the added complication of willow and ash trees overhanging the bank — dropping debris, sap, and bird activity onto anything moored below.
This Hardy 18 Navigator had been on the Avon at Stratford for four seasons. The owner brought it to our attention after the rear curtain — the section of cover that wraps around the aft of the cockpit — had torn along its lower hem during a particularly windy November storm. Rather than patch the curtain alone, he sensibly decided to replace the entire cover set while the boat was ashore for winter antifouling.
The Hardy 18 Navigator is a well-regarded coastal day boat that many owners use on sheltered rivers and canals. Its distinctive raked windscreen and open-plan cockpit make it a pleasure on the water, but the windscreen-to-hood seal is always a point of focus when patterning: get it wrong and you end up with a drip line running straight down the centre of the helm seat.
We re-patterned both the main hood and the rear curtain from scratch. The main hood was made in 600D polyester with a PU coating — our standard inland waterways cover fabric — in dark graphite to complement the boat's navy hull. The rear curtain was constructed with a welted lower hem and a full-width stiffener batten to prevent it billowing inward in wind. The windscreen seal was achieved with a broad overlap section held in place with rare-earth magnets sewn into a fabric pocket — a method that gives a weathertight seal without any fittings on the gelcoat.
The owner collected the finished cover directly from our Carterton workshop.
Cover type: Forward hood and rear spray curtain
Material: 600D PU-coated polyester, graphite
Fittings: Stainless steel press-studs, rare-earth magnet windscreen seal
Turnaround: 6 days
Location: Stratford-upon-Avon, River Avon, Warwickshire
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Boat covers for the River Avon
Request a free quote — bespoke covers made to your exact pattern. 6-day turnaround. No VAT.