The Tools, Tricks and Tips competition at the 2019 MFA conference had no shortage of good ideas. David Huntington of River Custom Canvas was the first-place Don Racine Award winner for his Redesigned Button Die tip. He received a complimentary full registration for the 2020 MFA Conference in Daytona Beach, Fla. Mike Peterson, SugarHouse Awning, [...]

Roundtable discussions were popular at the2019 MFA Conference. Three large rooms, a 40-minute timer, fifteen tables and more than 200 people make for a high-energy, high-volume afternoon. The marine industry “speed dating” roundtables at the 2019 MFA conference in Long Beach, Calif., gave participants a chance to discuss burning issues and exchange best [...]

I ran into the term “generativity” recently. It was coined by psychoanalyst Erik Erikson in 1950 to denote a concern for establishing and guiding the next generation through caring, teaching and engaging in creative work that contributes to society. I saw numerous examples of generativity at the MFA conference in Long Beach in January, and [...]

These are submissions to the 2018 and 2019 Marine Fabricators Conference Tools, Tips and Tricks contest. Tip 1 Document your projects with a drone Photo documentation is the most important tool we use to show our work to potential customers on our websites and in promotional documents. But in a tight marina with full slips [...]

Digital design processes can be used to create this curved backrest, but traditional draping pattern and design methods create fast, beautiful results. At Chicago Marine Canvas, our MFA- and IFAI-award-winning canvas and upholstery shop, we have fully integrated digital methods into our canvas work. There are many benefits to implementing a digital measurement [...]

The custom SeaDek kit for Planet Nautique’s G23 show boat features 9mm triple color lamination, designer laser patterning and inlaid logos. Photo: SeaDek. Marine flooring options have exploded in the last decade. Thanks to technological advancements, the quality of materials and the ease of installation have improved dramatically. This cycle of continuous improvement [...]