Week of November 29, 2021
New V-berth Cushion Covers
What a difference new covers make! The old covers were tired but the foam was still good. It was steam restored and reused. The owner supplied the fabric, Sunbrella Embrace in Indigo.
Week of November 22, 2021
Bolster Reupholster
Cracking vinyl and splitting seams signaled that it was time to reupholster the bolsters. The backer boards were fine. The foam was okay. It was steam restored and reused. The vinyl was replaced with new channeling fabric. The tricky inside corners were patterned and the plain vinyl for them was backed with Sew-foam. New cording along the top and sides helped to seal the bolsters to the coaming.
Week of November 15, 2021
Boat Seats and Cushions
The sun damaged vinyl and the rusted staples were replaced. The foam and the backer boards were okay and could be reused.
The new vinyl is off white EverSoft from Sailrite. It comes in many colors.
The customer's seats were showing wear and sun damage. He got new covers for the cushions and new upholstery for the jump seat and seatback.
The view from the helm looking forward. The side panels flair out at the top to redirect wind and spray.
Week of October 18, 2021
Windshield
and Side Panels
For protection from cold wind and sea spray, the owner of this ocean-going fishing boat had a windshield and two side panels attached to his T-top frame.
The fabric is black Weblon Regatta.
The windshield from the front showing cutouts and fasteners. The side curtains are attached to the windshield with zippers
Week of September 27, 2021
Little Chair Makeover
The customer wanted this sweet little chair for her antiques booth but it was in no shape to sell. The chair was stripped, cleaned, tightened and reupholstered. The fabric is good upholstery weight fabric from the owner's own stash. The double piping was custom made from the same fabric. The reupholstered chair sold within days.
Week of September 13, 2021
Weighted Drop Curtain
The drop curtain hangs from a track attached to the hard top and falls to the deck below where it has nothing to attach to. Drop curtains are fastened to supports along the inside walls of the hull, but this one needed to stay clear. The owner made a weight bar to sit inside a casing in the curtain. It works! The curtain takes the shape of the bar and does not swing or sway.
The drop curtain follows a Flex-A-Rail track installed under the hard top and zips to the side panels.
The drop curtain is held in place with a weight bar. The freestanding enclosure keeps the cabin warm and the helm dry. The stern is open for fishing with access to the bow.
The zippered roll-up door has its own weight bar. Lots of clear vinyl allows unobstructed views.
Week of August 16, 2021
Drop Curtain and Side Panels with U-windows
U-windows in the side panels
The side panels and the drop curtain are joined with covered zippers.
The drop curtain was shaped to match the boat's hull. It fastens to stanchions under the gunwale.
The side panels slide between two Flex-A-Rail tracks, one at the top and one at the bottom, and are held in place with snaps. The flaps that cover the zippers are held in place with hook-and-loop. The panel in the center is a roll up door.
Week of July 28, 2021
Console Cover Modifications
The boat owner had a cover for his control panel. He wanted it to extend to the deck. The cover was in good shape. It didn't need to be replaced, just added on to. The owner didn't want snap studs installed in the console, so the added part secures to the T-top frame with hook-and-loop.
The owner also got a cover for his attached console seatback.
Patterning plastic was pinned to the console cover and marked for seams.
Matching Sunbrella canvas was sewn to the console cover. The modified cover extends to the deck. Shaping at the bottom turns under the console and helps to hold the cover in place.
Week of June 21, 2021
Crane Cover
The crane was wrapped in patterning plastic and marked for seams.
The crane cover fits over the arm of the crane like a sleeve and snaps to the base. A zipper along the underside of the sleeve makes it easy to get the cover on and off.
The crane cover has a storage bag sewn in. It can be snapped to the base of the crane.
Wind happens. The owner of this gorgeous Kadey-Krogen lost his crane cover when he took it off the crane and set it on the deck. The new cover has a built-in storage bag. The cover can be stuffed into the bag and snapped to the base of the crane.
Week of June 7, 2021
Pontoon Furniture Covers
The old commercial covers were torn but useful as patterns. They were taped up and placed on the furniture, then marked for alterations. The fabric is gray SurLast, a lightweight water resistant fabric that will protect the furniture from debris and sun.
Week of May 17, 2021
Sail Cover
The owner's sail cover was used as a guide for a slightly longer new one. The collar fastens with hook-and-loop rather than with the traditional string tie. Because a sail cover closes around a sail like a jacket the front zipper opens completely. The far end is held to the boom with a tie secured to a grommet. The bottom closes with twist locks, or Common Sense fasteners. The canvas is Captain Navy Sunbrella.
The old sail cover was used as a guide.
Week of May 5, 2021
Cockpit Cover
Being able to test fit the cover was helpful. The placement of the bimini frame and the snap studs made for interesting cutouts.
Having both the boat and the old cover helped in making this over-the-windshield cockpit cover. The old cover was used as a pattern and the new one was test-fitted in stages. The old cover was taken completely apart--even the snaps were removed--and the pieces were pressed flat. Test fits allowed for adjustments as the work was done.
Week of April 5, 2021
Cockpit Cover
The new cover was copied directly from the old one. The boat was not available. Using old covers as patterns is risky. This one had to be modified on installation day. But it was ready when the owners came back from lunch :)
One of the problems with using old covers as patterns is that they have shrunk in some places and stretched in others. Getting an old cover to lie flat is challenging. It wants to curl. After this one I started taking covers completely apart and ironing the pieces. It helps a lot.
Week of March 22, 2021
Missing Seatback
All that was left of the customer's seatback was the support. He had a framed photograph of the boat showing what it looked like. The seatback was recreated using the photograph as a reference. Foam was folded over the support and held in place with a zippered cover. The bottom is mesh. End flaps hide a glimpse of foam.
The owner's framed photo of the boat showing the original helm seatback. See it?
Week of March 8, 2021
Flybridge Console Cover and Storage Box Seat Cover
The cover comes up from the deck and over the console to gain snap studs already in place on the bench seatback. The front of the cover protects a storage cabinet under the control panel. The cover closes with a zipper and has twist locks at the deck for easy installation.
The unusual "Aruba" color matches the boat's other canvas features, the bimini and the enclosure, and it was a joy to work with. The owner got a custom console cover and a seat cover. The seat is a storage box with a cushion on top. The cover was made with a slight rise to help shed rain water. Sewn-in weather stripping keeps the storage box dry.
Week of January 18, 2021
Windshield and Side Curtains
All four panels are fastened to the hardtop frame and the windshield. They zip together. The owner preferred clear views over U-windows. For air he unzips the center panel.
This Parker has two alleys beside the cockpit that provide access to the bow. The partial enclosure wraps the cockpit leaving the alleys clear. The side panels snap along the windshield, then slide into tracks installed on the partition walls. The panels extend to the hardtop frame where they snap to studs that were tapped for them. Zippers were sewn in for a drop curtain planned for later.
Week of January 4, 2021
Custom V-berth Mattress
The owners wanted a firmer V-berth. Their new 6-inch mattress is made of high density foam. It was too big to install in one piece. The two pieces abut under a flap. To avoid a gap the zippers were placed on the opposite ends. Where the corner is exposed the zipper is hidden. The fabric is Covington Riad in Caribe.