marine canvas Archives | Page 3 of 4 | Chicago Marine Canvas

October 23, 2019December 4, 2023

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!

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

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.

November 14, 2017December 4, 2023

Sundancer 270

This Sundancer 270 was in need of a new cockpit cover. They contacted us because we specialize in custom covers!

We start off each new job by talking with you about what you need when it comes to your new cover. Then we head out to your boat and start our design process. All of our covers are custom, so that your new canvas fits like a glove, especially hand crafted for you! Once we travel out on your boat, we use our 3D measuring device to take precise measurements quickly and efficiently. Here at Chicago Marine Canvas we use a lot of labor-saving, cost-effective tools. After we gather all of our measurements we head back to the shop and let our designer get to work.

Sundancer 270 Cockpit Cover By Chicago Marine Canvas

We design all of our covers on the computer using CAD (Computer-Aided Design) software. This way we can create a 3D version of your cover, making sure everything looks perfect before we sew it up! After we finish up all the design work, we head over to our plotter and have everything drawn out. Our plotter is another one of our cost-effective, labor-saving tools. It speeds up our patterning process which saves us time and you money in the long run. After everything is all drawn out, our seamstress cuts everything out and then sews everything together.

This cover was fabricated using Sunbrella fabric in Teal Tweed.We love using Sunbrella fabric! It is fade resistant and has a 10 year warranty! We backed the front of the cover wit a fabric called Evolution, that way if there was any rubbing from the windshield, it wouldn’t rip through this families new cover. We used Sunstop T135 in black thread to sew this up, along with black binding around all the edges. Then we also created boots for each of the poles for the framing around the boat. We did custom cuffs, and flaps around each pole to ensure its security and waterproofness. To ensure no mold or mildew, along with proper airflow when the cover is up, we installed a Boat Vent II in the back of the boat. It helps prop the boat cover up which helps prevent pooling so that water rolls off of your cover instead of sitting on it when it gets wet. We secured this cover to the boat using DOT snap fasteners in black.

November 1, 2017December 4, 2023

Donzi 3250 LXC Cockpit Cover

This Donzi 3250 LXC was in need of a new cockpit cover so they gave us a call! We start out all of our jobs by first going out to your boat take measurements so we can begin our process. Here at our shop we use a lot of labor-saving, cost-effective tools. When we go out to take measurements we use our 3d measuring device to digitally map out your boat. Since all boats are slightly different because of framing and other attachments, this makes it quick, and easy for us to gather our measurements as well as map out the small differences that makes your boat slightly unique then another one.

After we gather all of our measurements from your boat, we head back to the shop to start our design process. When we get to this point we upload our measurements we just gathered into our CAD software program and start making the perfect custom cover for you! After our designer finishes your custom cover, we send it over to our plotter which draws it out for our seamstress, saving us time and you money! Then we cut out your new cover and our seamstress starts sewing it up.
For this cockpit cover we used Sunbrella fabric in black. Sunbrella is fade resistant and has a 10 year warranty. We used GORE Tenara thread in black to sew this cover up. GORE Tenara has a lifetime guarantee, which means that this thread will outlast your canvas! No more sun-eaten threads on your new cover, which means no more restitching or repairs!!! Then we used a Boat Vent II to help hold the cover up to prevent pooling, as well as bring some air flow into the boat when the cover is up, to prevent mold and mildew if the interior ever gets wet!

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.

November 23, 2016December 4, 2023

42′ Silverton Express Cruiser – Cockpit Cover

This 42′ Silverton Express Cruiser was in desperate need of an updated cockpit cover.

Silverton Express Cruiser Cockpit Cover by Chicago Marine Canvas

Here at Chicago Marine Canvas, we only do custom work, that means, no two covers area alike! The first step to our process is to physically go out to your boat and take measurements using our 3D measuring device. This is one of our many cost-effective, labors-saving tools. After we quickly gather our measurements we head back to our shop to begin our design process. We do all of our design work on the computer using CAD (Computer-Aided Design) software. With this tool, we can see a 3D version of your new cover before we even draw it out! This way we can make sure that everything is perfect and all of your needs are met.

For this cockpit cover we used Erin Green Sunbrella Plus fabric, which has a polyurethane backing on the inside of the cover, it helps really ensure water resistance for this boat cover! We also used GORE Tenara thread in clear, which has a lifetime guarantee to outlast your canvas! This thread is great for boat covers because it is UV resistant and wont wear out over time! This cover also had two Boat Vent II pole holders helping to prevent water from pooling on the cover, and to help create airflow through the boat while the cover is up. This can help prevent mold and mildew from building up inside the boat cover when its up! We used DOT Snaps to attach the cover to the boat to finish it off!

November 18, 2016December 4, 2023

Dinghy Cover

This Dinghy needed a cover to help prevent water from getting into it when it wasn’t being used.

For this cover we had to keep in mind while designing it, that the only part of the boat that we could put snaps on would be the Aft part of the boat on the fiber glass, the other parts would need some sort of strap to hold the front and sides down.

Using GORE Tenara thread, which has a life time guarantee, Cadet Grey Sunbrella fabric, and Velcro we got to work.

We made port and star straps to hold the cover down on the side, and Grey DOT snaps. For this cover, Velcro was the way to go!

November 18, 2016December 4, 2023

46′ Sea Ray – Full Enclosure

46′ Sea Ray was in need of a full enclosure.

For this cover we used Black Sunbrella Supreme with Black Flocking on the inside of the fabric. This fabric is water proof and very soft on the inside. We used GORE Tenara thread, and Lenzip zippers. Both of these things come with a lifetime warranty. For the forward windows we used Makrolon. Makrolon is a polycarbonate that is clear like glass, and is softer then real glass, and more firm them Strataglass. For the Aft windows we used Strataglass.

This cover turned out great and makes this boat look super sharp!

November 17, 2016December 4, 2023

46′ Sea Ray – Bimini & Aft Enclosure

For this 46′ Sea Ray we created a boat cover. We designed a bimini, along with panels to cover the aft and both port and star sides of the boat. Using Linen Sunbrella fabric to match the forward windows that were in great shape we created two side windows using Strataglass to complete the enclosure. We used GORE Tenara thread and Lenzip zippers for this cover, which are both guaranteed to last a life time.