July 1, 2020
By Leo Pohlmann, in collaboration with Zach Pohlmann Throughout my 30 years of marine canvas experience as the owner of Uncharted Marine Canvas, I’ve seen many trends come and go. One that has emerged within the past five to 10 years is the creation of cockpit covers on sportfishing boats. Located in the Florida Panhandle, …
By Terri Madden When I moved to San Juan, Puerto Rico, and registered my business 23 years ago, I had only $2,000 in my pocket. It bought me the key to the door of an 800-square-foot space with a few worn-out tools and tables. I paid the lawyer who drew up the paperwork in the …
May 1, 2020
By Keith Purves, MFC One of the most useful, purposeful and absolutely frustrating features on a clear vinyl enclosure is the simple U-zip. A properly built U-zip looks good, opens and closes easily, and allows boaters the freedom of having the wind in their hair or the full protection of an enclosure when Mother Nature …
New trends in marine upholstery. By Terri Madden Marine fabricators can find the latest design innovations for marine canvas and upholstery by attending any of the top U.S. boat shows sponsored annually by the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA). It is an ideal way for fabricators to glimpse the newest innovations in design, construction, equipment …
March 1, 2020
By Clint Halladay Here in Salt Lake City, Utah, towboats are king. We have a few lakes with cruisers, but for the most part, it’s day trips to the lake to play. We have one of the highest boat ownerships per capita in the country. Because of this, we have some of the biggest towboat …
By Terri Madden In the January/February 2020 Marine Fabricator article “Part One: Fabricating knee-rise contour cushions,” I walked you through the steps to fabricate hi/lo knee-rise marine seating independent of a firm base. To achieve a similar stylish and impressive result, you can also fabricate this type of seating using a wood or PVC base. …
January 1, 2020
By Terri Madden Stylish, durable hi-lo/knee-rise contour cushions have become extremely popular. Executing these successfully can elevate your company. However, a project with contour cushions has a high degree of difficulty and requires expertise in specific techniques that can easily consume more hours than estimated. It’s a delicate dance to fabricate seating that is not …
By Rob Kotowski At Lake Shore Boat Top Co. in St. Clair Shores, Mich., we fabricate custom marine canvas year-round. Our customers come to us for high-quality marine fabrication, and we depend on our staff to help provide new ideas to make every boat truly a work of art. We treat our flooring the same …
By Larry Oxenham Succession planning can be a tricky matter, especially if you’re passing your business on to a family member. Sometimes keeping it in the family is viable, but not in every case. If it comes time to sell the business instead, you should be armed with some strategies for getting what it’s really …
September 1, 2019
Simplifying employee training and complicated patterning By Broc Wodzien Grand Traverse Canvas Works, in Traverse City, Mich., has had many wonderful employees over the past 30-plus years. Our shop has grown from just my mother, Mary Wodzien, using the skills she learned at her stepfather’s canvas shop, to a staff of 16 employees. Growing and …
