Vince Innocenzi, Author at Chicago Marine Canvas

October 28, 2019

Azimut 39′ Flybridge

A great way to update your boat is to update the flooring. This summer, while working with Crowley’s Yacht Yard, we got a job working on a Azimut 39′ Flybridge that involved all new interior and exterior flooring. As well as a new folding seat on the bridge. Crowley’s allows us year round access to all their customers boats in storage, allowing us to do work even when snow is around! This way your boat is ready to go when boating season is back!

For the exterior aft area, swim platform and interior bathrooms, we used Dockside Decking in cream over black. This flooring was chose for this area of the boat because it is non-slip, shock absorbent, and reduces deck temperatures. It is also easy to clean and is stain resistant. Dockside decking is put on your boat, with an adhesive 3M backing, so its there to stay!

Up on the flybridge we did some upholstery work. These customers wanted more seating on the flybridge when using the boat. They needed a seat that would fold down when the canvas was up on the boat. So we made a custom folding seat, that could be folded down when not in use. For the frame of this seat we used stainless steel tubing and hinges. For the base of the seat and the backrest, we used starboard. Starboard is a marine grade plastic that we love to use on new upholstery work. It is non absorbent, which means that it won’t get water logged when it rains so it wont rot like wood. We did a full back upholstered bench seat with Ship 2 Shore vinyl. We did double needle stitching, to make sure that the new custom seat matched the existing seats on the flybridge.

October 23, 2019October 29, 2019

Sea Ray Sundancer 460 Hardtop

We created five custom forward semi-rigid windows for this Sea Ray 460 Hardtop this summer. These windows flip up and attach to the hard top with a fastener. It allows the windows to stay up, but for extreme airflow if needed while out on the water.

For this forward enclosure, we used Tuffak (Markolon) polycarbonate for the window materials. Polycarbonate is a semi-rigid material, that is more stiff then Strataglass. Tuffak does not shrink or stretch in the sun, it stays the same size. This ensures that your canvas will always fit as perfectly as it did on the first day of install.

For the fabric the customer chose Sunbrella for their new enclosure. This fabric has a 10 year warranty. It is fade resistant and lasts while exposed to harsh weather elements. Sunbrella helps provide good protection from the sun. You can enjoy long hours out on your boat. It is breathable and allows air to pass through it. Sunbrella fabrics are also mold and mildew resistant. If exposure to certain debris cause this to happen, it can easily be cleaned with a simple bleach solution, without the canvas loosing its color.

We used SolarFix thread for these windows. SolarFix is a PTFE (PolyTetraFlouroEthylene) thread because of what it is made out of it has a lifetime guarantee. It is UV resistant and resistant to chemicals too, so this means that this customer will never need any re-stitching repairs. For zippers we used Lenzip plastic molded zippers which also have a life time guarantee on them. Here at Chicago Marine Canvas, we suggest you allow us to use the highest quality materials, that way your new cover, stays new for a long time, and you never need to get repairs!

October 23, 2019October 23, 2019

Outdoor Kitchen Cover

Winter is just around the corner, which means it’s time to get a custom outdoor kitchen cover created. Here at Chicago Marine Canvas, we do custom covers, for any outdoor area, to protect it from the elements during our seasonal changes.

We partnered with EDG Patio & Shade to help protect one of their recent jobs here in the Chicago area. EDG Patio & Shade does custom commercial, or residential spaces for people looking to spend more time outside!

For this outdoor kitchen cover we used Seamark in Toast Tweed. Seamark fabric, is Sunbrella fabric with a marine grade vinyl coating on the inside, this helps make it extra waterproof ensuring that no water, gets through the weave of the fabric.

We used Lenzip zippers on this outdoor kitchen cover which have a lifetime guarantee. We added zippers, so that the cover can allow easy access to different parts of the kitchen area. This way the customer can use the kitchen still, while the cover is still on other parts not

January 18, 2019June 9, 2022

Chicago Marine Canvas Wins Twin 2019 Outstanding Achievement Awards

58′ Bayliner Pilothouse – Canvas Enclosure

(Long Beach, CA – Jan. 12, 2019) – Chicago Marine Canvas was recognized with the 2019 Fabrication Excellence Awards for design excellence in marine fabric applications, that took place Jan. 12^th at the 2019 Marine Fabricators Conference, at the Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA.

Chicago Marine Canvas received two Awards of Excellence. The first for it’s The Labor Day Weekend Show project which was recognized in the competition’s soft enclosures category. The second for A “Skater” with Style in the exterior upholstery category.

MFA received a total of 90 entries submitted in 9 categories in this year’s competition. Winners were selected based on complexity, design, workmanship, uniqueness and function. Judges were certified Master Fabric Craftsman professionals who were chosen for their knowledge in a particular product area.

28' Skater Boat - Captain Chair — 28′ Skater Boat – Captain Chair

All entries receive prominent recognition at the Marine Fabricators Conference. Entrants receive additional publicity through coverage in the Marine Fabricator and winners not only receive additional coverage in the Marine Fabricatorbut also on the MFA website and in future MFA marketing material.

The goal of the awards is to promote awareness of the marine fabrics used in marine products and applications ranging in size and type.

The Fabrication Excellence Awards is a competition sponsored by MFA, a division of the Industrial Fabrics Association International, a not-for-profit trade association whose over 1,500-member companies represent the international specialty fabrics and technical textiles marketplace.

58' Bayliner Pilothouse Bridge - Canvas Enclosure by Chicago Marine Canvas — 58′ Bayliner Pilothouse Bridge

December 16, 2018October 23, 2019

Winter Sailboat Cover – Cal 25 Sagatuck, MI

The owner of this Cal 25 contacted us to have a winter sailboat cover made for their boat which was being moved to Sagatuck, MI. The winters on the great lakes can be cold and snow fall totals can be in excess of 12″ per event. Instead of draping canvas over the boom and the rest of the hull we fabricated a heavy galvanized steel frame that would sit over all of the rigging and then rest outside of the lifelines. This would ultimately keep the cover off the Cal 25 sailboat itself but also allowed over 6′ of headroom underneath the cover to perform any maintenance or prep work before next season began.

The frame itself acts as a skeleton on top of the boat with a spine and then ribs supporting the winter sailboat cover. For practical purposes of installing and removing, the spine is broken into multiple pieces and joined. Each rib is fitted to spine with a through joint tightened down via screws. The equally spread out weight of the frame assists in stabilizing itself making it an extremely solid support structure. With rubber tips at the bottom of each rib the hull is protected from scratching.

The cover is split into a large forward and aft section adjoining together with a doubled up zipper and velcro flap. With the mast remaining up, we made small collars for each line, nine collars in total. The aft has an oversized access door that fully zippers down allowing large items to be moved in and out with the cover in place.

The beauty of our designs is the ease and quickness that the frame and cover can be installed. The frame is marked as to which pieces goes where and can be reconstructed in 30 minutes. The cover is then unfolded with all of the zippers securing around the mainstay lines. The collars to take time to zipper up and tie off but the install of the canvas should take another 1 hour. The bottom of the cover has connectors for lines made of webbing and not grommets which can scratch up the hull. It may take another 30 minutes to completely tie down the cover to the sailboat’s cradle. The goals is to have an easy to install / removed winter cover that be installed by 1 person in an afternoon.

August 20, 2018August 20, 2018

Private Jet Service Carpet Runner

This past winter, Chicago Executive Airport contacted us, asking if we could do a carpet runner for one of their private jets. The Embraer Legacy 500 is a 12 passenger luxury jet with a 6 foot high cabin, fully berthing seats, and low cabin noise to make sure your journey is enjoyable. These customers wanted a floor runner for when the jet is in the hanger.

The first step to our process is heading out to the airplane to take measurements. This is a quick and easy process for us because of our 3D measuring device. It helps us precisely take measurements of the interior flooring of your jet, to ensure every millimeter will be covered. After we gather all the measurements we need, we head back to our shop and start our design process. Here we use CAD (Computer-Aided- Design) Software to prepare our pattern for our seamstress. Finally, once we finish up our design process, we send the pattern over to our plotter. Which consequently draws out each piece to the pattern quickly and perfectly as a result.

For this service carpet runner, we used Grand Reserva vinyl. This vinyl has a polyester microsuede backing, so it is soft yet durable on both the front, and the back. Above all, this is an aircraft certified vinyl that is flame resistant, anti-microable, and anti-bacterial. Most noteworthy, you can clean this fabric with just a mild soap and water. We used Solarfix thread on this carpet runner. SolarFix has a lifetime guarantee. It is UV, chemical, and weather resistant.

Right now, we are currently in the process to begin to work on aircraft upholstery through the FAA! This is super exciting and allows us to open our doors to the aircraft world!

August 17, 2018August 17, 2018

Dingy Cover For Galeon 560 Skydeck

This 2017 Galeon 560 Yacht needed a new dingy cover.

Here at Chicago Marine Canvas we specialize in custom covers therefore, none of our covers are the same. They are all different to ensure that each one fits the boat in need properly. We also use many labor-saving tools that help us do things quickly. This saves you money at the end of the day on the perfect cover.

The first step to our process is to head out to your boat to take measurements with our 3D measuring device. After we gather precise measurements we head back to the shop to start our design process on the computer. We do all of our design work using CAD (Computer-Aided-Design) Software. Because we are working on the computer we can see exactly what we are creating in 3D. This allows us to create the perfect fitting cover for your boat. After the cover is designed, we draw it out using our plotter. This draws out all the pieces of the pattern perfectly so our seamstress can sew it up!

This dingy cover was created out of Stamoid. Stamoid is a great material to make a boat cover out of. It is water, UV, and stain resistant. We used SolarFix thread in clear to sew this all together. Solarfix is a PTF thread which is also, UV, chemical, and mildew resistant. Which means, that you’d never have to bring your new dingy cover in for restitching after it’s been out in the sun for a few summers! Finally, on the bottom of the cover we did a draw cord. As a result, the cover can tighten around the dingy keeping the cover nice and secure, and your boat dry!

August 17, 2018August 17, 2018

Inflatable Engine Shelter For American Airlines

This past winter we got an phone call from American Airlines asking for repair service to an inflatable engine shelter.

We went onsite to O’Hare to do the repair with our portable Sailrite Ultrafeed sewing machine. This portable machine is great because we can take it out to larger jobs that can’t come to the shop.

These igloo shelters are necessary to protect the engine and workers while its being repaired in colder weather. The inflatable structure is equipped with two portable generators. They supply heat to the portable space and power lights so that the Tech Ops can have proper working conditions. The front of the igloo is easily detachable. This allows you to have enough room to move the engine inside and back out after the repairs are finished. This helps speed up repairs when there isn’t enough room to bring the plane inside, or if the plane is much to big.

This igloo in particular had a small rip in one of the seams that was causing an air leak. We came out, sewed it up making sure it was nice and secure so these guys could get to work in the Chicago winds during the winter!

August 17, 2018August 17, 2018

Sailboat: Dodger, Helm Cover, Winch Covers, Sail Cover

For this sailboat we created a custom dodger, helm cover, winch covers and sail cover.

Here at Chicago Marine Canvas, everything we do is custom. We use many cost-effective, labor-saving tools that help us speed up the process, therefore you save some money. This also helps us make sure that your cover will fit perfectly when it comes to install time!

The first thing we do to begin our process is journey out to your boat. Once we get there we use our 3D measuring device to take precise pinpoint measurements. After we gather all of those, we head back to our shop where our designer gets to work. We use CAD (Computer-Aided-Design) Software during our design process. On the computer we can see the thing we can see the design in 3D.

Making sure everything matched in color, we used Sunbrella fabric in the color toast. Sunbrella is one of our favorite marine fabrics to use when it comes to canvas, it comes with 10 year warranty. For all the things we sewed up for this job, we used SolarFix thread in clear, which has a lifetime guarantee. This means, no more restitching after your new canvas has been out in the sun for a few years! This thread will outlast the canvas it self!

We made sure to add leather reinforcement patches on the forward and aft areas of the dodger where there would be high amounts of friction on the sailboat. For the windows of this dodger we used Strataglass. Strataglass is the only vinyl on the market that offers a 2 year warranty if it is properly maintained and cleaned.

For this sailboat we also made matching winch covers out of sunbrella fabric as well as a matching helm cover!

August 17, 2018August 17, 2018

Reclining Dual Sunpads

We created some custom reclining dual sunpads we created for this Cruisers Yacht 390 SC just in time for the Chicago Air and Water Show!!! The Chicago Air and Water Show is the largest free show, of its kind in the country! It happens right on and above Lake Michigan at North Ave. Beach.

Here at Chicago Marine Canvas, we can create anything quickly and efficiently many of our labor-saving tools. We start off all of our projects by going on site to take pinpoint measurements with our 3D measuring device. After we gather the measurements, we head back to our shop and start our design process. We do all of our design work using CAD (Computer-Aided-Design) Software. This allows us to visually see the piece on hand, before we start to psychically put it together. For these sunpads, the customers wanted something that could lay completely flat, as well as sit up to watch the show in front of them.

For these sunpads we used Sunbrella upholstery fabric in Adaptation Indigo. Sunbrella upholstery fabrics come with a 5 year limited warranty and is super easy to clean! upholstery fabric is easy to clean! You can brush off any loose debris before it becomes embedded into the fabric. If you spill anything on the fabric, you can spot clean it before stains set by blotting the spill with a dry cloth. For more information on how to clean up other spills click this link! The bottom layer of these sunpads are fabricated out of a white screen that helps with water drainage. So when it rains, your sunpads wont stay wet, the water will drain out of the bottom easily!

We also used Drifast foam for these two sunpads. Drifast is a open celled foam that allows water to flow through it instead of absorbing it. So if it rains, these cushions will dry out faster then others with different foam. To ensure that your sunpads wont go flying off your boat when cruising on Lake Michigan we attached a kedar track to the front and sides of these sunpads.

These two sunpads can lay completely flat, and recline up into three different positions. If you have a flat deck where your sunpad would sit, these recliners can be custom made for your boat.