Marine Fabricator | March 2010

Compiled by Juli Case

Question:How can I prevent mildew build-up under the mattresses I’ve installed in boat berths? I’ve heard there are some products you can put under the mattress.

Answer:Because boats exist in an environment that’s already moist, condensation between the mattress and the surface it rests on creates problems. There are a number of techniques that marine fabricators use to combat these problems. Drilling holes into the berth’s support helps airflow, as does suggesting that your customer use a dehumidifier in particularly humid conditions. In some parts of the world, cold weather can be an issue. In those cases, keeping the cabin warmer than the outside conditions can help.

In addition to those techniques, there are products on the market that can help. Each product is a three-dimensional layer between the mattress and the berth support, allowing for air flow between them. This cuts down on the condensation and gives mildew less to work with.

One product is called Dry Mesh and it comes from Europe. Supplied by the Marine Bedding Company, it uses a three-dimensional fabric as an anti-moisture layer. We’re not sure if they have a distributor in the United States, but in viewing photos of their product, it appears to be a type of fabric called a spacer fabric. Spacer fabrics use special knitting or weaving technology to create 3-D material. The material is used in applications like cushioning for athletic shoes and in high tech military bags.

Gehring Textiles told us that they are willing to work with a marine fabricator to determine if their fabric could be used in this type of application.

Another product is called HyperVent. It achieves a similar 3-D effect with different technology. HyperVent uses tangled monofilament yarns that are fused together where they cross, providing a three dimensional open structure.

SOURCE Gehring Textiles/Militex Inc.

SOURCE HyperVent Marine

SOURCE Marine Bedding Company

Juli Case is IFAI’s information and technical services manager.

Marine Fabricator | March 2010

Compiled by Juli Case

Question:I’m applying for a loan and the lender wants me to submit a business plan for my marine shop. How do I find out how many boats are registered in New Jersey so I can provide data on potential customers?

Answer:Boat owners are usually required to register with a state’s Department of Transportation. We contacted the New Jersey DOT and were told that you need to make this sort of request in writing. We weren’t sure if that would be timely enough for your bank loan, so we looked for other sources of information. Discover Boating is a public awareness effort managed by the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), under the GrowBoating banner, on behalf of the North American recreational boating industry. They list the number of registered boats in New Jersey in 2007 at 183,147.

NMMA has a more complete report available for purchase. However, an older version from 2005 is available on their website at no charge. It lists the number of registered boats in New Jersey in 2005 at 199,106.

SOURCE GrowBoating

SOURCE National Marine Manufacturers Association

Juli Case is IFAI’s information and technical services manager.

Marine Fabricator | March 2010

By Mark E. Battersby

In the not so distant past, marine fabricators spent hundreds of hours or large amounts of money hiring a programmer to customize an accounting system for their shops. Fortunately, the days of cumbersome, manual systems are long past, and today there are a number of affordable and full-featured software packages that allow business owners to track and manage every aspect of their operation’s finances. Expenses can be reduced for the accounting software and for the computers needed to operate it, along with many other business operations, under current tax laws.

Under our federal tax rules, computers and peripheral equipment are classified as “qualified technological equipment” and are usually written off or depreciated over a five-year period. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) that became a reality early in 2009 increased the write-off possibilities. For example, the increased Section 179 first-year expensing allowance was extended one additional year.

Section 179 property is depreciable personal property when purchased for business use. An expense deduction allows marine fabricators who choose to treat the cost of qualifying property, such as computers, called Section 179 property, as an expense rather than as a capital expenditure. Off-the-shelf computer software placed in service last year, before 2010, is also treated as Section 179 property.

A dollar limit of $250,000 is placed on the maximum amount of Section 179 property that a marine fabricator may expense and immediately write-off during the tax year. That annual dollar limitation is reduced, dollar for dollar, by the cost of Section 179 property placed in service during the year in excess of an investment limitation of $800,000.

New—and temporary—50-percent bonus depreciation deductions were also included in ARRA for qualifying depreciable property acquired after Dec. 31, 2007, and placed in service before Jan. 1, 2010. Unlike the Section 179 expensing election, however, there is no limit on the total amount of bonus depreciation that may be claimed in any given tax year.

The bonus allowance is only available for new property (property whose original use begins with that taxpayer) that is depreciable under the Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System (MACRS) and has a recovery period of 20 years or less. Off-the-shelf computer software depreciable over three years under Section 167(f), also qualifies for bonus depreciation.

Depreciation deductions for so-called “listed property” are subject to special rules. Computers and peripheral equipment, cellular telephones and similar telecommunications equipment are lumped into the “listed property” category along with cars, boats and airplanes and “amusement property,” because all lend themselves to personal use. Unless used more than 50-percent for business, no deduction can be claimed for listed property. In fact, unless used more than 50-percent for business, depreciation deductions on listed property must be determined under an alternative depreciation system (ADS).

Generally, the purchase of computer software can be compared to the purchase of any business asset: If computer software has an expected useful life of longer than one year, its cost should be written off or deducted over a 36-month period. Although treated as a capital asset, most off-the-shelf software can, at least for the time being, be expensed and immediately deducted as Code Section 179 property.

Depreciable off-the-shelf computer software placed in service during the 2009 tax year, is expensed and immediately written off under Code Section 179 of the Internal Revenue Code, our basic tax law. Again, this is software that is readily available for purchase by the general public, is subject to a non-exclusive license and has not been substantially modified, and which is usually depreciable over three years.

Like computers, computer software placed in service from Jan. 1, 2003, to Dec. 31, 2010, is eligible for a Section 179 deduction. This means that 100-percent of the cost of software can be deducted in the year purchased.

When software comes with a computer and its cost is not separately stated, it is treated as part of the hardware and is depreciated over five years. Under Section 179, however, the entire computer system (including bundled software) can be written-off in the first year.

In a related area, the IRS has yet to issue formal guidance on the treatment of website development costs. However, informal internal guidance suggests that one appropriate approach is to treat those costs like an item of software and depreciate them over three years.

It is clear that taxpayers who pay large amounts to develop sophisticated sites have been allocating their costs to items such as software development (currently deductible, like research and development costs), utilizing the Section 179 first-year expensing election and even as currently deductible advertising expenses.

Unfortunately, as with many areas of our tax law, there’s far more to computers, peripherals and software deductions than a simple depreciation write off. Fortunately, the benefits far outweigh the restrictions and limitations for those willing to adhere to the rules—and seek professional assistance whenever necessary.

Mark E. Battersby is a tax and financial writer based in Ardmore, Pa.

How to cover your assets with top-notch boat covers

Marine Fabricator | March 2010

By Mary Jo Morris

“Travel covers are notoriously good and bad,” says Steve Griffith, owner of Marine Tops Unlimited in Madison, Wis. “The good part is they will keep your boat clean and dry.” The downside is that the wind created by driving down the highway can cause the cover to billow out, blow around and damage both the cover and the surface of the boat.

Full-size travel covers need to fit snugly and attach to the boat or trailer to prevent them from billowing in the wind. Smaller versions cover part of the boat: the bow-well, the cockpit, or the cockpit and the windshield.

A full-size mooring cover covers the entire boat, including the rubrail. They are best at a dock, protecting all the top surfaces of the boat and keeping the boat clean and dry. They are typically secured to the boat with a draw cord, snaps or tie-downs.

Creating a successful cover depends on the fabricator’s critical first conversation with the boat owner, as well as the subsequent planning, design, execution and installation.

For Griffith, the primary determinant is “where the boat lives.” Is it in the water at dockside, on a trailer in a garage or perhaps in the backyard under a tree? Will the cover be removed every weekend or will it cover a cockpit full of fishing gear for a couple of highway trips each year? Once you determine those basic ground rules, then it becomes a process of figuring out which cover is going to do the best job for the customer, and what material to use.

Paul Charpentier of Paul’s Custom Canvas, in Denver, Colo., uses the photos on his website to guide the conversation with his customers, who come from any of several neighboring states. The customer points to photos of various covers and Charpentier walks them through the discovery process by referring to and commenting on the photos. His covers are designed to travel the long distances boats are typically trailered in his region, as well as allow snow to slough off before accumulating and damaging the cover and the boat.

In Wisconsin, Griffith designs travel covers with low profiles to minimize buffeting. He designs mooring covers with a high center to ensure water runs right off, avoiding problems like mold and mildew.

Mike Johnson, owner of Mike’s Marine Custom Canvas in Virginia Beach, Va., says, “I tell people not to trailer with a cover. But if they insist, then we charge them a little bit extra and make the cover super form-fitted.”

Johnson designs travel covers to fit the bow “like a sock over your toe,” then pull back and secure it with suction cups and adjustable buckles. Instead of using webbing as a draw cord around the entire boat, Johnson developed the adjustable buckle and webbing system that he places at critical points on the boat: aft corners, engine mounts and around pulpits.

Regardless of how effective tie-downs are, a cover on a trailered boat must fit well enough to minimize wind resistance and flapping. The best practices are learned through experience, from other fabricators through the Marine Fabricators Association and dedication to constantly improving the product.

“A lot of times I follow my customers down the road after they get the cover to see how the cover reacts,” Johnson says. “It gives me a good idea of how to design the next one.”

For customers who trailer their boats on a regular basis, Griffith recommends a cockpit cover. These covers fit from the stern to the windshield frame or wrap all the way to the windshield’s base, protecting instruments, upholstery and gear in the cockpit. Attached with snaps, cockpit covers are taut, use less material, present a lower profile and have less wind resistance. A full cover may not actually protect the boat underway because the action of the fabric flapping against the gel coat can dull the finish. Cockpit and bow-well covers also flutter in the wind, but the stress on the cover and gel coat is minimized by the lower profile.

Johnson generally uses Sunbrella for covers, especially when the customer already has canvas on his boat and wants the new cover to match. For larger covers, he uses polyester. “It’s a little more flexible than acrylic, more tear resistant and abrasion resistant.”

Griffith also uses Sunbrella for many covers, noting it is easy to work with and is breathable. “If it’s a boat that’s going to live on a boat hoist or in a garage, then a totally breathable fabric with a little less abrasion resistance is a good way to go,” he says. “However, if the boat is going to go down the road a lot, you need to build something that has a very high abrasion rate.” Then he uses a coated polyester for the added abrasion resistance with additional reinforcement at all wear points, windshields and deck cleats.

Charpentier uses Sunbrella for convertible tops and WeatherMax for larger travel covers, since both fabrics stand up well in the intense sunlight at high altitudes.

Fasteners often affect the cover’s performance while traveling down the highway. “If you take the trailer on the highway and you’re going 50 to 75 mph, that’s hurricane force wind,” Johnson says. “The appropriate fastener in the right spot will ensure the cover’s performance. If it’s a cover that snaps on rather than straps on, we put snaps underneath, toward the ‘south pole’ of the rubrail about 1/4-inch from the fiberglass. The cover wraps around and snaps to it. You can actually trailer down the road with a cover like that. There is a lot of gripping power in the snap when it’s being pulled sideways and gets leveraged around the rubrail.”

Johnson further reinforces the snaps by installing Lift-the-Dot fasteners just above the standard “button” snaps at critical locations: at the bow and the back corners. “As long as that ‘keystone’ snap doesn’t come unsnapped, the rest of them are going to stay there,” he says. “I’ve had clients drive four hours to Cape Hatteras with their boat cover in the middle of the night, and they get down there with everything in place.”

Key to building a successful boat cover is a good pattern. The best patterning material depends largely on the size and style of cover and the boat’s location. When boats are trailered to the canvas shop, fabricators can pull patterns while protected from the weather, using craft paper. The paper comes in a variety of widths so there’s little waste, and it’s easy to correct and store, allowing the build up of an inventory of patterns.

“If I already have a pattern for a particular boat, I’ve just saved myself an hour’s worth of time, plus the drive out to go measure the boat,” Griffith says. “I’ve saved the customer time to not have to bring his boat to me. Time is saved since a pattern in inventory is ready to use. All I have to do is pull that pattern off the shelf, lay it down and it’s ready. I just mark the fabric, cut the fabric and sew it together.”

If a boat is moored at a dock, then patterning takes place on the boat, over the water and in the weather. In these cases, clear plastic works best. It’s easier to manage when patterning a full cover, which can take up to 30 to 35 yards of fabric, and the clear plastic makes it possible to create accurate patterns for complex covers.

Johnson begins full cover patterns that go over the rubrail with a fitted “skirt” by putting strapping tape on the rubrail, then double-sided tape on top of that. “We put the strapping tape on, mark the seam line on there with match marks and zipper marks and put the sticky tape over that. Then we pull the pattern,” he says. The two pieces have to fit together at that seam. “We’ll mark every third screw on the rubrail; that’ll be a match mark,” Johnson continues. “Every 18 inches we’ll have a little tick mark to match the top section to the bottom. That way, you can pattern the top, take it off and you can stand where that pattern was, then reach over the gunwale to pattern the skirt—even when the boat’s on a lift or in the water. It’s a little more time consuming, but we get a nice tight fit and a product that sells more covers to the neighbors down the canal or the guy down in the marina.”

Griffith’s business has two locations: one retail outlet, where customers can bring their boats for patterning, and one where all production sewing is done. He uses his mobile facilities to pattern at the customer’s house or at a dock. This frees Griffith to schedule patterning within a few days of the customer’s first phone call. The cover may take a couple of weeks to complete at his sewing facility, but in the meantime, he is free to pull patterns on additional boats. Organizing his production process this way has given Griffith a competitive edge in his area. “I’ve done two things now,” Griffith says, “first of all, the customer is getting immediate service. The second is that I’ve just taken him out of the market by giving him immediate service.”

The pressure to get something done right away is off, so the customer is likely to stop shopping. In addition, Griffith takes the finished cover to the boat owner’s home and installs it there, saving the time and effort needed to trailer the boat to Griffith’s shop.

Excellent customer service, coupled with a custom-designed and well-fit cover can ensure referrals and repeat business.

Mary Jo Morris owned and operated Berkeley Marine Canvas for five years. She lives with her husband in Point Richmond, Calif.

Traditional tactics yield results, but so do the web and social media.

Marine Fabricator | March 2010

By Marc Hequet

Recession’s rough seas haven’t changed Jeri Perillo’s marketing approach: word of mouth is her best marketing tool—that and her website.

Business is changing, but tried-and-true marketing tactics still work. “We’ve pretty much stuck to our plan and we’re doing pretty good,” says Perillo, president of Custom Canvas of Charleston Inc. in Charleston, S.C.

Yet even as old tactics continue to produce results, high-tech techniques, like social media, are blending with the old.

You’ve heard the marketing basics: Word of mouth is invaluable. Web presence is a must. Get your name, phone number and logo out there. Network. Build relations.

So let this be a kind of advanced primer, to remind you of those basics, and then point you to some good working ideas.

The situation nowadays is fluid. Be flexible. The best expert on your own business is still you, of course—and that includes being open to new ideas.

Know your customer’s needs

Let’s go back to basics for a moment. Sue Clement, a marketing consultant in Vancouver, British Columbia, says small businesses too often make the mistake of not identifying their target markets and key decision makers.

Boat owners? Of course, but what size and type of boat? And how does the owner use the vessel? And under what circumstances might that owner come to you? Once you get clear on such points, you’ve taken a key step.

It’s not rocket science. Darren Arthur, MFC, owner of Nautilux Custom Canvas LLC in Hazlet, N.J., attends an annual seminar for deep-sea fishing enthusiasts—boat owners. He may not sell anything there, but he builds relationships, swaps cards and has good talks with exactly the right people.

It allows him to go one-on-one with them about a key issue. In the canvas business, Arthur says, customers must come to know how well particular products work under different conditions. “Based on that conversation,” Arthur says, “you can develop very quickly a rapport with someone.”

Here’s another basic: patience. “They’re not ready right now?” says Arthur. “I’ll give them a call in a year—and I will make a note of that.”

A year later, when he makes contact, Arthur prefers phone to e-mail in order to continue the real-time context in which he met his prospects.

This, says Clement, is the kind of targeting any small business must do. “If you begin to get into the mindset of clients in terms of who they are, it makes it easier to create your marketing message,” she says.

So explore that mindset and find the hot buttons. What are your customers’ and prospects’ priorities? Their most pressing needs? What is it they really want? “Most business owners are happy to get anybody who pays,” says Clement, but when it comes to good, targeted marketing, looking for just anybody who pays leaves you “rudderless.”

Throw yourselfs at prospects

Going straight to prospects is another good basic principle. Dan Ene, president of Enewhere Custom Canvas LLC of Brooklyn, N.Y., throws himself at them. When he’s out on a job, Ene may toss a printout of his services onto adjacent boats—in a Ziploc bag so the paper won’t get wet, and with a fishing-gear sinker enclosed so the bag won’t blow away.

The last time he tossed 50 of these packages, he got four or five responses—a decent return on a minimal investment. Meanwhile, his business phone number is on his truck, on labels marking his work and on employee T-shirts, sweat shirts and jackets. Custom Canvas of Charleston has its logo on docks and cards in marina offices.

Here’s another old-fashioned principle: once you get a job, it’s all about quality and hustle. Business may include boats staying in port only a day or two. “If you say you’re going to show up at a specific time,” says Jeri Perillo, “you need to be there.”

Being small isn’t a drawback. Big businesses can’t always manage such small touches. Small businesses can groom personal relationships. “Large companies just can’t know all their customers,” Jim Perillo says.

Defining your customers and their hot buttons lets you focus on what you do best, and even charge a premium. But beware of cutting prices and trying to make up for it in volume during bad times, warns Jim Perillo. Quality counts. Good work and good personal relations with existing customers mean good word of mouth and free marketing.

Good service at the Perillos’ shop means referring customers to competitors if the Custom Canvas price is too steep. “Sometimes these jobs can be done cheaper or faster by someone else,” Jim Perillo says. “If I was having work done on my boat, that would be the type of info I would want.”

Get online

All this old-fashioned stuff notwithstanding, however, the benefits of using the web are undeniable. Jim Perillo says his websites have done the most business for us in the past few months. Adds his wife, Jeri Perillo, “Most people now, if they don’t find out about you by word of mouth from another boat owner or the marina owner, find out about you on the internet.”

So the Perillos make sure their company’s web presence blooms with photos of their best work. “That is probably our largest marketing tool,” Jeri Perillo says. “We include lots of photos.” Because of his website, Ene has received orders from Brazil, Egypt and France.

Marketing professionals are going further, talking up social media, such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, as ways to market products and services. The claim is that social media involve recipients to a greater extent than printed brochures or e-mail. Recipients may be more likely to respond. Then you can do what has become known as “inbound marketing” after you have a lead on a new prospect.

Not everyone is convinced, however. Facebook? “Haven’t tried it,” Jeri Perillo says. “We’ve kept busy enough.”

Ene is sufficiently interested that his wife is setting up a page on Facebook. “I still don’t know how it works,” he adds, “a lot of my customers are not there yet.”

Still, you might want to keep an eye on it. For one thing, that old standby, word of mouth, may become more significant in cyberspace. Search-engine optimization may soon include recommendations from people’s online contacts.

Someone seeking a good marine fabricator may be pointed to you by a Google search. But the prospect’s online friend may suggest a competitor. Maybe you should make a few friends out there to chirp your virtues.

So never say never. For example, Nautilux’s Arthur didn’t use mass e-mails but when his firm moved a few minutes down the road this year to Hazlet, N.J., he sent out his first-ever e-mail blast. Existing customers heard about the new location—with an offer of a 10-percent discount to encourage them to come by and see the new place. “We obviously want our existing clients to know we moved,” Arthur says.

In short, stay flexible. Checking online and listening to peers at conferences and other settings is always a good idea. You may be able to find a free online marketing seminar to follow as you eat lunch at your desk. Or a local college or other organization may offer such a course for little to no cost.

Of course, you know that presenters at free events are probably consultants angling for business—but isn’t that just good marketing? Getting out there and showing prospects what you can do?

Your task will be balancing tried-and-true marketing tactics with the new and untried. You don’t know yet whether any new approach will work, but exploring is the only way to find out. Every small-business owner has been in uncharted waters before, and the opportunities outweigh the risks. The result is more business for your shop.

Marc Hequet is a business writer based in St. Paul, Minn.

Bennett Custom Canvas Inc., Toronto, Ontario

Marine Fabricator | March 2010

The title of this project is Misty Isle, a dodger and step bimini for a C&C 35. The project won a 2010 MFA Award of Distinction and an Award of Excellence in the tops 27 feet and up category. This customer has been restoring his boat for five years and has almost completed it. The customer wanted a dodger and bimini that are very low profile and stayed within the confines of the coaming. He was very particular about the height of the dodger and the bimini and the angle of the windows. The dodger had to be exactly one foot above the companion way at the center, and the bimini had to be exactly six feet at center. The windows had to be 45 degrees on the dodger and the connector. We had to put 105-degree dog legs in the bimini frame to provide clearance for a full swing on the primary winch handle. We built the dodger and bimini entirely out of Sunbrella Supreme to give it a durable, yet elegant finish.

Mariner Canvas Company, New Bern, N.C.

Marine Fabricator | March 2010

This project, which won a 2010 MFA Award of Excellence in the dodger category, is a large, one-piece dodger with maximum view. The solid, self-supporting frame is made of heavy-gauge stainless steel and includes four stanchions, outside side grab bars, aft grab rail and stainless steel rivets securing all eye-ends for safety. The side Strataglass windows are separate panels, contoured to fit the framework. For exceptional strength and clean finish, Patio500 is used for an inside lining on all front and side panels and the aft grab area, plus leather chafe protection.

SeaCanvas, Egg Harbor Township, N.J.

Marine Fabricator | March 2010

A traditional dodger design, which won a 2010 MFA Outstanding Achievement Award in the dodger category, utilized the Rainier Diamond Series windows for the three front windows. Windows are removable, while still keeping the dodger top up and connected to the bimini. Full zip-in screens to help shade the cockpit. Stern rail mounted 1 1/4-inch stainless steel bimini with dual mast view windows to match the port and starboard helm stations.

SeaCanvas, Egg Harbor Township, N.J.

Marine Fabricator | March 2010

This project, which won a 2010 MFA Outstanding Achievement Award in the dodger category, helped a three-year-old boat get that all-important dodger that it never had. A traditional dodger design with triangle side windows and roll-up forward window; aft stanchions support the framework. Zippered pockets and an aft zipper on the top of the dodger for a future connector.

Admiral Marine Canvas, Baltimore, MD.

Marine Fabricator | March 2010

The aim of this project, which won a 2010 MFA Award of Excellence in the rigid enclosures category, was to complete an EZ2CY helm enclosure with new forward and aft biminis and EZ2CY aft enclosure with a new windshield cover. There are two main forward facing windows with a vertical centerline zipper separating the two panels. Each panel has half of the old u-zipper design.

Sharp’s Custom Canvas Inc., Georgetown, S.C.

Marine Fabricator | March 2010

This project, which won a 2010 MFA Outstanding Achievement Award in the rigid enclosures category, was a full hybrid flybridge enclosure with track-to-track with a zipper release. Combination of 60g polycarbonate for the front three panels and 40g clear vinyl for the center front panel. Both side panels were not able to hinge up, so clear vinyl panels with roll-up zipouts were used. Back five panels will be used only part of the year, so stiffening slats on aft vertical edge were installed.

Weaver Canvas, Wilmington, N.C.

Marine Fabricator | March 2010

This rigid/soft enclosure for aft deck, which won a 2010 MFA Outstanding Achievement Award in the rigid enclosures category, provides exceptional views and breezes. Includes creased clear rigid corners. Three rear panels are installed on separate top tracks providing for unique and efficient storage of the panels in the open position. Beautiful fit, finish and clarity complements the classic lines of the boat. Quickly and efficiently converts from fully closed for winter to wide open for summer.

Bristol Upholstery, Chester, Conn.

Marine Fabricator | March 2010

This complete soft enclosure won a 2010 MFA Award of Excellence in the soft enclosures category. Black Seamark combined with 40g Strataglass and the track-to-track method gives this boat the clean, sleek look of the newest boats on the market. Less material and more glass make for the modern look that the customers were looking for. U-zipper windows fold up to attach to hard top, or roll up.

Admiral Marine Canvas, Baltimore, MD.

Marine Fabricator | March 2010

For this project, which won a 2010 MFA Outstanding Achievement Award in the soft enclosures category, we wanted to fabricate an enclosure that would complement, not complicate, the lines of the boat. The forward center Strataglass panel was originally two panels that separated in the middle. I needed this panel to be one piece and still match the hard windshield lines. The only binding used was to finish the edge.

Seafarer Canvas, Norwalk, Conn.

Marine Fabricator | March 2010

This project, which won a 2010 MFA Outstanding Achievement Award in the soft enclosures category, involved the creation of a framework and enclosure. The client did not have any type of enclosure on his boat and requested that we create a classic flybridge enclosure. We were able to produce a clean, seamless, classic flybridge enclosure for the customer.

Bennett Custom Canvas Inc., Toronto, Ontario

Marine Fabricator | March 2010

Made with Sunbrella Spruce, 40g window vinyl and Lexan windsheild for a catamaran, the client needed a new enclosure durable and weatherproof enough to cruise the North Channel of Georgian Bay and Lake Huron. This enclosure is held down by only four Common Sense turnbuttons; the rest is zippered to keder welt to give it a clean, finished look. The project won a 2010 MFA Award of Excellence in the full exterior canvas sailboat (27 feet and up) category.

Custom Marine Canvas, Noank, Conn.

Marine Fabricator | March 2010

This project, which won a 2010 MFA Outstanding Achievement Award in the full exterior canvas sailboat (27 feet and up) category, involved a new dodger, bimini and connector for a very discerning customer’s boat. We changed the attachment method of the dodger to track from conventional fasteners, and extended coverage of the connector to keep the cockpit drier.

Seafarer Canvas, Norwalk, Conn.

Marine Fabricator | March 2010

This project, which won a 2010 MFA Outstanding Achievement Award in the full exterior canvas sailboat (27 feet and up) category, included two new sets of frames, a dodger and a bimini with a viewing mask. The purpose of the project was to give the client a bimini and dodger to protect him from the elements. The customer also requested that a viewing mask be put in the bimini top so that he could see the boom.

Sharp’s Custom Canvas Inc., Georgetown, S.C.

Marine Fabricator | March 2010

This project, which won a 2010 MFA Award of Excellence in the full exterior canvas powerboat (27 feet and up) category, involved a radar arch top with seven-panel enclosure. The enclosure is a mix of polycarbonate and 40g clear vinyl. Center front and aft zipouts have Velcro flaps to eliminate water leaks. Five-panel lower aft enclosure panels have been widened to improve visibility and function.

SeaCanvas, Egg Harbor Township, N.J.

Marine Fabricator | March 2010

This project, which won a 2010 MFA Outstanding Achievement Award in the full exterior canvas powerboat (27 feet and up) category, called for the fabrication of a five-panel enclosure on a center console T-top boat. Track-to-track side windows unzip and roll up to a secured position under the top. The walk-through panels allow easy access forward by unzipping the outer zipper and releasing two Common Sense fasteners below the gunwale. This walk-through panel then snaps to the inside of the pipe work, allowing 360-degree movement around the console. The center window may be left in place as a windshield while removing the four other windows.

Seafarer Canvas, Norwalk, Conn.

Marine Fabricator | March 2010

This project, which won a 2010 MFA Outstanding Achievement Award in the full exterior canvas powerboat (27 feet and up) category, is a full exterior enclosure that is both soft and rigid and that is complete with a strung top. The customer requested that we replace his canvas with higher-quality materials and a more functional design. The complexities of this project were inherent in its size.

Seafarer Canvas, Norwalk, Conn.

Marine Fabricator | March 2010

The purpose of this project was to replace the client’s old, loose canvas with something cleaner, tighter and clearer. To accomplish this we changed the angles on the frames to give the boat a slick look. We also used 40g Strataglass where he had previously been using a lower quality eisenglass. This project won a 2010 MFA Award of Excellence in the full exterior canvas powerboat (under 27 feet) category.

Bennett Custom Canvas Inc., Toronto, Ontario

Marine Fabricator | March 2010

This Mako was a pleasure to work on. Our stainless supplier did a great job bending and welding this frame. The top is so tight you could play a tune on it. The blue-on-black pin striping gives it that special custom touch. This project won a 2010 MFA Outstanding Achievement Award in the full exterior canvas powerboat (under 27 feet) category.

Seafarer Canvas, Norwalk, Conn.

Marine Fabricator | March 2010

This project, which won a 2010 MFA Outstanding Achievement Award in the full exterior canvas powerboat (under 27 feet) category, called for a complete exterior canvas, including an attached top. The purpose of the project was to replace the client’s old canvas with Sunbrella and Strataglass. The client also requested that all of the framework be outlined by canvas. What is unique about this project, aside from the covering of the framework, is the rounding of all the glass edges.

Bennett Custom Canvas Inc., Toronto, Ontario

Marine Fabricator | March 2010

This project was a conversion from an existing Florida-style bimini to a dodger/step bimini configuration. Some of the old framework was salvaged and altered to design the bimini. The customer ultimately wanted a functional, classic design to complement the classic lines of the boat. The project won a 2010 MFA Outstanding Achievement Award in the tops 27 feet and up category.