An arrangement of hair-on leather trunks makes a stunning centerpiece in a lounge area of the 147-foot motor yacht "Africa," made by Sunrise Yachts. Interior design by Franck Darnet. Hair-on leather can evoke an exotic setting or the American West, depending upon the overall "look" of an interior. Photo: M.Carlin, LuxMedia Group/Sunrise Yachts. [...]

The Hood California dodger installed on the boat. In the last article (Jan/Feb issue), we covered patterning a California dodger on the boat. Then we went back to the shop and developed the raw pattern into a workable version for cutting out the dodger pieces and parts. (Refer to our “Fabricating an enclosure” [...]

Proper preparation, a good pattern and a firm foam base will yield a wrinkle-free corner cushion. The inside of a corner is one of the most difficult areas to get looking good. Here are a few tips for good-looking corners. To start, you must have a good foam base. Because of all the [...]

Organize snaps on a tool belt with custom pouches. Problem Carrying a number of boxes of snaps to the installation site can be cumbersome and take up space in the vehicle. Solution Make special pouches that hang on a tool belt to hold snaps of different sizes and types to minimize the number of tools [...]

After Project: Fabric re-cover of cabin V-berth. The customer wanted some color in the small cabin. I used a sunburst pattern to give the appearance of the space being larger than it really is. The bolsters had sew foam applied to the fabric, and were top-stitched to create a quilted look. The plastic [...]

A Hood California dodger on a Catalina 30 sailboat. At Hood Canvas, we use a 10-inch radius bender for our California dodgers. This produces a squarer frame than our more rounded 18-inch radius traditional dodgers. The style provides more room under the dodger, as well as superior ventilation and visibility for the helmsman. [...]

Build a tangle-free cradle for binding and bungee. Problem Narrow goods, like binding, bungee and line, sold on spools, can be difficult to work with, and can tangle while working. Solution Build a simple cradle out of plastic or plywood to hold various size spools. Process Cut cradle pieces to the size and shape, as [...]

After Project: Updated helm chairs on a 35-foot Viking Sport Fisher. Two considerations involved were integrated lumbar support, and a rolled front bolster for leaning purposes. Materials: Dri-Fast foam and starboard for easy maintenance; marine-grade vinyl for durability. Fabricator: Trevor Kennedy Shop: Kennedy Custom Upholstery, Somers Point, N.J. Before Show off [...]

This fabric was selected for its ability to blend with the other elements. Winter is here and many shops have been shoveling snow. How could that be good for the boat repair business? Well, if you have been planning ahead, it means good things. Throughout the year, as customers come into our shop [...]

Inside view of a Hood Track to Track Enclosure on a Tiara 36. Notice how the tucks on the inside edge of the "smile" windows are barely noticeable. At Hood Canvas, we put a storm flap over all our “smile” windows. This is important because if you do not, they will leak, especially [...]