The seats on this luxury yacht are damaged from mold and pink stain bacteria, a typical problem for marine and other outdoor fabrics. Pink staining bacteria produces a red liquid that diffuses into vinyl, creating a stain that cannot be cleaned. Antimicrobial topcoats can help to prevent such damage. Photo: APV Engineered Coatings. When compounded [...]

Positive outlook projected for marine businesses. Six years after the world economy emerged from the Great Recession of 2009, a return to a strong global expansion remains elusive. The downside risks to the world economy appeared more noticeable than ever in 2015. Economic growth has improved in the advanced economies—the United States, Japan and Europe. [...]

On-water repairs aren’t for everyone, but some fabricators are finding business to be lucrative. Question: Do you respond to your customers’ repair needs by hopping in your boat and going to their boats to do the work? Range of answers: “Sounds like fun” to “Nope” to “Oh my God!” Charles Klein, owner of Dorsal LLC [...]

Mobile shops are an increasingly popular option for onsite repairs. In today’s fast-paced world, what could be better than having your marine fabrication projects done on site? These modular, mobile structures are an excellent solution for a world that craves quick, convenient service but is still unwilling to give up on the exceptional craftsmanship that [...]

Luxury pontoon manufacturer Bennington Marine of Elkhart, Ind., has jumped on the woven vinyl flooring bandwagon. The company sources its woven vinyl flooring from Infinity Fabrics. "Our transition to woven vinyl flooring options has been mostly driven by the consumer." says Amanda Jean, Bennington Marine's art director. " Most people want an easy to [...]

Faster, better, smarter: Is there always a way to get there? Maybe. And yet it’s not easy to determine what is faster, better or smarter for any one marine fabrication shop. Technological advancements in three-dimensional software and hardware engineering are changing the way many fabricators do business. While some programs might be cost-prohibitive for certain [...]

Fabricators have seen growth in on-site repair work and see it as more than just a trend. Moving large boats from the marina to a shop can be prohibitively expensive, and many small shops don't have room for a large vessel. Shop owners have also seen a greater willingness among owners of smaller boats [...]

Turn on the radio, read the newspaper, or watch the evening news and you’d be hard-pressed not to find articles and news segments discussing the ongoing financial woes our nation is facing. Many financial aficionados will agree the past two years will go into the economic history books as unforgettable, as progress toward a renewed [...]

There is a discernible difference in the techniques used by fabricators for large vessels as compared to smaller recreational craft, including scale, expense and scheduling. Photo: CHRISTO303 When you think about ocean, lake or river cruise lines, what comes to mind? Luxury travel, certainly. Beautiful, natural surroundings, definitely. And the ships themselves: large, [...]

Sometimes a simple splash of color is all that is needed to modernized a decorating scheme. A successful redesign will take into account the customer's age and personality, and the vessel and it's purpose. The first quarter of each year is rife with predictions. Will the clothing color trends you see in Sunday [...]