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May 19, 2022December 4, 2023

Custom Sunpads / Bow Pads Features

The Sunpads are made with a Dri-Fast foam, that causes it to dry very fast. Since Drifast foam is a firm open celled foam that is very porous, it allows water to run through it easily, instead of absorbing it like other closed cell foams. After a hard morning rain, Sunpads will be dried out by the afternoon which means no more soggy Sunpads!

Nothing is better than built in pockets, which is why Custom Sunpads have pockets along the sides to hold your valuables. No more having to worry about your phone sliding into the water while you’re relaxing.

Built in headrests help with max comfort while relaxing on Sunpads. Sunpads are made with 3″ tampered foam, whereas the head rests are elevated to 6″. We also have custom foam cutting which is able to level the pads on a convex bow.

The Sunpads are made with a high-quality fabric from Sunbrella. When using a fabric with a pattern, fabric pattern matching is done to keep the Sunpad’s design visually aligned and flowing at the seams and edges. Little details like this are important to ensure that the product is not only high quality, but visually appealing. The image pictured shows our commonly made Sunpads. But we are able to make all different types which are featured on our Bow Pads page.

We all know that Chicago is known for being windy, that’s why we make sure that the Sunpads are securely attached to the boats.

May 19, 2022November 21, 2023

Benefits on Non-Slip Fabrics for Marine Use

Non-Slip Custom Embroidered Boarding Mat

Chicago Marine Canvas offers one-of-a-kind fiberglass friendly non-slip fabrics which can be used on anything, you name it! There are many projects that can be done using non-slip fabrics. Such as non-slip custom embroidered boarding mats and non-slip cushion bottoms.

Non-slip fabrics are easy to put into place and remove. Which is perfect for a quick and temporary reusable solution. Or to move and use throughout the boat over time. Since there is no drilling into the fiberglass, the non-slip material can be placed on any surface with ease and no leftover damage.

Non-slip materials also help keep your boat clean when guest board your luxury yacht. Boarding mats can be placed down moments before a guest boards and be easily cleaned at the end of the day. Like the name states, the non-slip mats will keep people from slipping while keeping the boat nice and clean.

Any project, such as the boarding mat, can be embroidered with a personal custom design using our embroidering machine. Which adds a personal branded touch to any boat.

January 18, 2019November 21, 2023

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

August 17, 2018December 4, 2023

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.

July 5, 2018December 4, 2023

Custom Quad Sunpads

This SeaRay Sedan Bridge 390 had lots of deck space so we went a head and designed four custom sunpads to fit the bow of the boat.

Here at Chicago Marine Canvas, everything we do is custom! So we can make anything you have in mind when it comes to design and functionality. Did your last sunpad get taken away by the Chicago winds!? We can make sure your new sunpad is securely attached to your boat so you wont have to worry about it being gone when you come back to your boat! Is your sunpad looking drab? We have access to lots of fun patterns that can make your boat look chic out on the water this year.

The first step to our process is going out to your boat to take measurements. Here at Chicago Marine Canvas we use a lot of labor-saving, cost-effective tools. Our 3D measuring device is one of those tools! We quickly measure your boat and then head back to the shop to start our design process. We do all of our design work on the computer using CAD (Computer-Aided-Design) software. Once we finish that up, we send everything over to our plotter, another one of our cost-effective, labor-saving tools. Our plotter draws out the pattern of your new sunpads perfectly!

For these sunpads we used Sunbrella upholstery fabric in the pattern Adaptation Stone! We can make sunpads out of any material you’d prefer, but we recommend using Sunbrellla upholstery fabric because it’s softer on your skin, easy to clean in a washing machine, and has many different designs and colors available! Sunbrella upholstery fabric comes with a 5 year warranty. For thread we used Solar Fix which is a PTFE or a Polytetrafluoroethylene type of thread, which is also known as teflon, that is guaranteed for life! That means you can say goodbye to repairs that involve restitching. This thread doesn’t get eaten by the sunlight, salt water, or other outside elements.

We used DriFast foam for these sunpads. Drifast foam is a firm open celled foam that is very porous. It allows water to run through it easily, instead of absorbing it like other closed cell foams. It even keeps you cool when you are on it due to the open cells of the foam allowing air to move freely through the foam. This foam is antimicrobial which helps prevent microorganism growth which happens in wet areas.

October 12, 2017December 4, 2023

Rinker Fiesta Vee 270

To protect the interior of your boat, it is important to have a waterproof cover. Here at Chicago Marine Canvas we do custom covers for every boat, because every boat is different and we want your cover to fit tight so there is no room for water leaks when a rain storm comes. This is a Rinker Fiesta Vee 270 and we fabricated a custom cover for it this summer.

We start off our process by going out on site to the boat to take measurements. Here at Chicago Marine Canvas we have a lot of cost-effective, labor-saving tools that help cut your covers cost down while making sure it is the perfect fit! For measuring we use a portable 3d measuring device. After we gather all the measurements needed we head back to the shop to start the design process. For this cover our designer made sure to make cut outs for all the framing on this boat, leaving it up to our seamstress to make individual boots for each pole, along with velcro straps to assure the cover isn’t going anywhere in these Chicago winds. After we do all of our design work we head over to our plotter which draws out all of the pieces of your cover we just finished up. This is another one of our labor-saving tools. Our plotter can quickly draw out all of our patterned pieces for your new cover, instead of us having to do it all by hand! After everything is drawn out, we hand it all over to our seamstress so she can begin her process. She starts off by cutting everything out and then looking at the pattern to figure out the best way to sew everything together. After that, she organizes all the pieces and gets to work.

For this cover we used Sunbrella fabric in the color doubonette tweed. We love using Sunbrella fabric! It is fade resistant and has a 10 year warranty! To sew everything together we used GORE tenara thread in black. GORE tenara is another favorite product of ours. It is UV, salt water, chemical and extreme weather resistant! It has a lifetime guarantee, which means, all of your seams will outlast your canvas! We also installed a Boat Vent II in the middle of this cover so that all water that hits it, runs off!

We used DOT snaps in burgundy to blend into this cover, as well as stay puts all along the back.

October 10, 2017December 4, 2023

Mediterranean Mainship

This 1989 open Mediterranean Mainship was in need of some protection from the rain, so we created it a cockpit cover using some of our favorite products.

We start out all of our projects by going on site to the boat. We bring out our special 3d device to take measurements. Our 3d measuring device is cost-effective and labor-saving. It saves us time taking measurements which in the end saves you money on your new cover! After we gather our measurements we need we head back to the shop. We upload all of our measurements we gathered and start working on the design process. We do all of our design work on the computer, creating a 3d design so we can see what the end product will look like. This way we can make sure to make any adjustments, or special needs that your cover may need on there instead of making multiple trips out to your boat. In this case we knew where all the poles for the framing of this boat were located, so during the design process we made sure to include them. After we finish the design process, we bring the design to our plotter, which is also a labor-saving, cost-effective tool we use here at Chicago Marine Canvas. It helps us save time by drawing out the patterned pieces of your new cover quickly, instead of us having to do it by hand. Then we hand everything over to our seamstress, who cuts out all the pieces and starts sewing them together.

For this Mediterranean Mainship we used Sunbrella canvas in black along with black Sunbrella binding. Sunbrella canvas is one of our favorite products to use to create a new boat canvas for our clientele. It is fade resistant and has a 10 year warranty. To sew everything together we used GORE tenara thread which is UV, chemical, saltwater and extreme weather resistant. It has a lifetime guarantee and is great for outdoor applications. This thread will outlast your canvas. Our designer made sure to include all the locations of where the framing poles were, so we could make boots that wrapped around each pole, helping prevent water leakage from getting to the interior of this boat. We created custom boots and flaps using Sunbrella and velcro so that the cover would be nice and secure onto the boat. We attached the cover using DOT snaps in black, attaching from the top of the windshield to the back of the boat. We also used Boat Vent II to help with water runoff as well as ventilation in the boat. while your cover is up.

September 22, 2017December 4, 2023

Sea Ray Full Enclosure

Sea Ray 460 Full Enclosure

This winter we did a full enclosure for this Sea Ray 460 at Chicago Yacht Works.

We love doing jobs like this during the winter because we can really take our time to make sure that everything is perfect for when the boat hits the water in the summer!

When we do custom enclosures we always save you some time and money by using our 3d measuring device to take measurements of your boat. Then we custom design your new cover to tailor to your boats specifications. Here at Chicago Marine Canvas we want your new cover to fit like a glove! We also want to help you keep your boat dry along with it looking nice and modern!

For this Sea Ray we used Sunbrella fabric in marine blue along with GORE tenara thread in black. For all of our enclosure we suggest that you use GORE tenara thread because it has a lifetime guarantee. That means that your thread will outlast your canvas. This also means that your seams won’t need repairs the whole time you have this canvas. GORE tenara won’t get eaten by the sun or other elements, which is why we encourage our customers allow us to fabricate their new cover with this high quality thread! Say good-bye to repairs and hello to high quality!

For the forward windows of this Sea Ray we used makrolon which is a semi-rigid polycarbonate. This material is great because it looks as if the windows are extensions of the actual boat windshield. Since it is a semi-rigid material there is no window stretching or contracting due to temperature changes in between seasons.

For the aft windows we used strataglass. As of September 1,strataglass is the only vinyl on the market that has a two year warranty. For all these panels to stay together we used Lenzip zippers in black which have a lifetime guarantee.

September 19, 2017December 4, 2023

Wellcraft St. Tropez

After we fabricated a new cover for this customers neighbor, he called us wanting a new cover as well. This 32′ 1988 Wellcraft St. Tropez needed a new cockpit cover to keep its interior dry!

We do each cover we create custom, which requires us to go out to each boat. We do this because each boat is set up slightly different. Whether it be a minor adjustment to framing or the overall set up of the boat. That way your cover fits your boat like a glove! Our first step is to take 3d measurements of the boat quickly and efficiently. Our 3d measuring device is cost-effective and labor saving, which means it saves us time and you money! After we take measurements we head back to the shop to do design work on the computer making sure that our designer meets all your boating needs when it comes to your new cover. After we finish the design work, we head over to our plotter which is another cost-effective, labor saving tool we have here at Chicago Marine Canvas. After it’s all drawn out, we give everything over to our seamstress and she sews it up.

For this cockpit cover we used Sunbrella fabric in the color dubonnet tweed along with Sunguard polyester thread in black.

We did cut outs for this boats poles that had custom cuffs and velcro flaps to ensure security of the cover onto the boat, as well as preventing water from getting into where the poles are on this boat.

32' Wellcraft St. Tropez Cockpit Cover

We used a boat vent II to ensure airflow so that no mildew or must get stuck inside the boat if the inside ever gets wet!

We also put 2″ black webbing all around the bottom edge of this boat to to reenforce where we placed each one of the snaps. For snaps we used DOT fasteners in burgundy to blend into the cover.

December 5, 2016December 4, 2023

Forward Window Replacements

A lot of people come to us with their canvas in great shape but their windows are on their last leg. When it comes to cases like these, we do window replacements. Today that’s what we are doing, forward window replacements.
These windows are starting to discolor, become foggy which can prevent visibility. They are also starting to crack which will cause water leakage. A cost effective way to help fix this issue is to replace the glass.
We start off by measuring the windows with our 3d measuring device then we go to the computer and have the actual window size that’s needed to replace the glass.
While one of us does the design work, we have another person prepping the windows.
We start off by cutting as close as we can without damaging the canvas with a knife to give us room to start using scissors to cut the old glass out of the windows.
After all the old glass is removed we cut out the new glass for the windows. For these window replacements, we used Strataglass in Light Smoke, which has a slight tint to it.
After those are all cut out, we start replacing the new glass into the old canvas. Using seamstick to make sure that all of our needle holes can become waterproofed, we line the whole outside edge of where we will be sewing along the window. We don’t want your new windows to leak any water!
After the seamstick is applied to the canvas, we take the new windows and line them up correctly, and then sew them all down.
After we are all done, here’s how they look. Nice and flat, and brand new! The old cracked discolored glass is gone and your windows look brand new! When summer comes around your windows will look updated without replacing your whole canvas!