In everyday terms, a Carteret Canvas EverClear Enclosure is a modified acrylic, whereas Strataglass is a coated vinyl. Our rigid enclosure panels fold and attach to your top, and Strataglass panels can be fabricated with "u-zips" that roll up.
Typically, a Carteret Canvas EverClear Enclosure runs approximately one third more than Strataglass. HOWEVER, this depends upon several factors such as the difficulty of your enclosure which is primarily based upon the configuration of your tower or top. For a quote, please email us or call (252) 247-9588
Our rigid enclosures are fabricated from an acrylic, whereas other hard enclosures are fabricated with a polycarbonate material. We've noted that the disadvantages of a polycarbonate hard enclosure are that the panels cannot be shaped to achieve "curves" to enhance the lines of the boat which results in a "boxy" appearance. Vision is also affected by a "rainbow" effect seen through panels.
Another very important factor in your decision making should be to note that Carteret Canvas Rigid Enclosures are built "on site"; meaning the turn around time from patterning to fabrication is faster for the enclosure and any future repairs that might be needed. We can typically have a repaired panel back on the boat within the same day; be sure to ask if that can be done with other semi-rigid enclosure brands! Is the length of time that you're missing a panel important to you?
Yes! Our rigid panels can be fabricated with "vents" at the tops of the panels that offer you the control of regulated air flow without being "blown away". You can even regulate what side or part of the vent opens (left, right, top).
A hybrid enclosure means just that: it is fabricated of two different types of materials: Carteret Canvas rigid acrylic (our "EverClear" brand) and Strataglass. Typically the front center panel or 3 front center panels (depending on the size of the enclosure) are our rigid acrylic panels to maximize visibility, while the side and/or aft panels are fabricated with Strataglass. The basic concept in a hybrid enclosure is to save money while still maximizing your visibility while navigating. When pricing an enclosure, we normally quote 3 ways: (1) All Rigid Acrylic (2) Hybrid (3) All Strataglass.
Well, that's a touchy subject with us. An enclosure can literally "make or break" the look of a boat, destroying the beautiful lines that a talented boat and/or tower builder worked so hard to achieve. We take each boat's lines and tower/top configuration into consideration when designing an enclosure, and fabricate it to be seen as little as possible. By using track instead of snaps, we also eliminate another means of distorting the look of the enclosure, and there's less hassle of dealing with those aggravating snaps.
Nothing bothers us more than to see a beautiful boat that the owner has spent lots of money, effort & time (sometimes YEARS!) to build or restore, and absolutely destroying the look of the boat at the end of the project by "skimping" on the very last piece of the puzzle: the enclosure. DON'T DO IT!
WE'RE SMOKIN'!!! Due to aggressive training and investing in dedicated employees, our turn around time is quicker than ever. Keep in mind that although we're fast AND good at what we do (and we're proud of it!), weather (wind & rain) and receiving materials in a timely manner play a big role in production. We cannot precisely pattern if the wind is blowing our patterning materials around, resulting in a poor fit. When it's time to install an enclosure, the risk of panels being blown around and getting dirty and/or scratched is another issue, along with being a safety issue. We always do our very best to give an accurate range of a time period (within 1-2 weeks of accuracy) in which we are comfortable that your project will be completed.