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Author Topic:   Mills Canvas e-mail

Novi posted 09-16-2010 09:34 AM ET (US)
Does anyone have an e-mail address for Mills Canvas? Have been to website but no contact there. In Denmark right now and supposed to be working not shopping ;-)
PeteB88 posted 09-16-2010 12:14 PM ET (US)
Suzanne@millscanvas.com
bob@millscanvas.com

There you go!
Novi posted 09-18-2010 10:36 AM ET (US)
Thanks Pete, talking to Suzanne now. She has quoted almost 1300 for a mooring cover and while I am sure it is a great cover it does seem steep. I am looking for a cover for my 1971-72 rib sided Outrage 21 if anyone has any other suggestions on where I might look. Thanks in advance, Sean
andygere posted 09-20-2010 07:25 PM ET (US)
I think if you go to a custom canvas shop (which Mills is) you will find that you'll pay at least that if not more for a cover made out of the same material. One advantage of buying a Mills cover is that you know it will fit and perform well the first time. All the R&D has been done, and the covers are made from a set of proven patterns.
My dad ordered a Mills cover for his Dauntless 16 several years ago, and initially choked on the price but I convinced him it was the way to go. It looks and performs as new, and he does not regret the investment.
PeteB88 posted 09-20-2010 08:31 PM ET (US)
Novi - it is true that Mills covers are great workmanship. It is also true that there are other excellent canvas shops whose workmanship is every bit as good as Mills. However, Mills, besides being unique as long-time Whaler supplier, does some pretty cool things. The first Mills mooring cover I saw was Huron Bob's 130 cover. He kept his boat covered and on a lift in SE Mich. The remarkable thing was excellent fit and the gunwhale clamps Mills uses that fit the gunwhale/rubrail perfectly. I have never seen those on any other cover and assume Mills designed them and has them fabricated for their products.
I bought a used Mills mooring cover for my 13 from a CW member with those clamps. They also have an interesting tent pole (lack of better description/term) system that is built into the cover. It has two vertical poles that attach to a horizontal bar creating a real tent configuration which works very well.
It's spendy stuff but so is most boat canvas that is well made and designed.
You have to figure what your budget allows but if money is no object Mills is great.
jimh posted 09-20-2010 08:39 PM ET (US)
As far as I know, and as far as the collective wisdom of about 15,000 participants in this website over the last ten years know, there is no source of pre-designed, cut-to-pattern, made-to-fit canvas for classic Boston Whaler boats (going back to the 1970's) other than Wm. J. Mills & Co. That is because Wm. J. Mills & Co. were the only authorized supplier of canvas for Boston Whaler boats.
If you want generic Bimini tops that you will have to fit to your boat, there are catalogues full of them at all kinds of prices.
If you want to see if a local artisan can make custom canvas for your boat that is as good as Mills and cost less, roll the dice.
Novi posted 09-21-2010 08:35 AM ET (US)
Sorry guys, I sort of gave up on this thread when I reposted about mooring covers. I ordered the Mills mooring cover early yesterday and I am sure I will have no regrets. Suzanne said it would be shipped this Thursday or Friday so I couldn't ask for better service. Thanks all for their advice, salient as always :-)

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Author	Topic: Mills Canvas e-mail
Novi	posted 09-16-2010 09:34 AM ET (US) Does anyone have an e-mail address for Mills Canvas? Have been to website but no contact there. In Denmark right now and supposed to be working not shopping ;-)
PeteB88	posted 09-16-2010 12:14 PM ET (US) Suzanne@millscanvas.com bob@millscanvas.com There you go!
Novi	posted 09-18-2010 10:36 AM ET (US) Thanks Pete, talking to Suzanne now. She has quoted almost 1300 for a mooring cover and while I am sure it is a great cover it does seem steep. I am looking for a cover for my 1971-72 rib sided Outrage 21 if anyone has any other suggestions on where I might look. Thanks in advance, Sean
andygere	posted 09-20-2010 07:25 PM ET (US) I think if you go to a custom canvas shop (which Mills is) you will find that you'll pay at least that if not more for a cover made out of the same material. One advantage of buying a Mills cover is that you know it will fit and perform well the first time. All the R&D has been done, and the covers are made from a set of proven patterns. My dad ordered a Mills cover for his Dauntless 16 several years ago, and initially choked on the price but I convinced him it was the way to go. It looks and performs as new, and he does not regret the investment.
PeteB88	posted 09-20-2010 08:31 PM ET (US) Novi - it is true that Mills covers are great workmanship. It is also true that there are other excellent canvas shops whose workmanship is every bit as good as Mills. However, Mills, besides being unique as long-time Whaler supplier, does some pretty cool things. The first Mills mooring cover I saw was Huron Bob's 130 cover. He kept his boat covered and on a lift in SE Mich. The remarkable thing was excellent fit and the gunwhale clamps Mills uses that fit the gunwhale/rubrail perfectly. I have never seen those on any other cover and assume Mills designed them and has them fabricated for their products. I bought a used Mills mooring cover for my 13 from a CW member with those clamps. They also have an interesting tent pole (lack of better description/term) system that is built into the cover. It has two vertical poles that attach to a horizontal bar creating a real tent configuration which works very well. It's spendy stuff but so is most boat canvas that is well made and designed. You have to figure what your budget allows but if money is no object Mills is great.
jimh	posted 09-20-2010 08:39 PM ET (US) As far as I know, and as far as the collective wisdom of about 15,000 participants in this website over the last ten years know, there is no source of pre-designed, cut-to-pattern, made-to-fit canvas for classic Boston Whaler boats (going back to the 1970's) other than Wm. J. Mills & Co. That is because Wm. J. Mills & Co. were the only authorized supplier of canvas for Boston Whaler boats. If you want generic Bimini tops that you will have to fit to your boat, there are catalogues full of them at all kinds of prices. If you want to see if a local artisan can make custom canvas for your boat that is as good as Mills and cost less, roll the dice.
Novi	posted 09-21-2010 08:35 AM ET (US) Sorry guys, I sort of gave up on this thread when I reposted about mooring covers. I ordered the Mills mooring cover early yesterday and I am sure I will have no regrets. Suzanne said it would be shipped this Thursday or Friday so I couldn't ask for better service. Thanks all for their advice, salient as always :-)