Leave the rest uncovered. Then using a Sharpie marker, I traced out the profile of my cushion. I just bought some thin plastic painter's tarp and taped it down into the area I needed to be covered by the cushion. I kept this orientation consistent. In my example, the back of the cushion measured 60.5 x 1.0125 = 61.25". Some masking tape, heavy duty scissors and sewing machine will also be required. If so, I’d love to hear about how. Beyond the second line there should be an inch of canvas. Cockpit covers are designed specifically to cover the most commonly used area, the cockpit. I loaded a bobbin with my color-matched UV resistant thread and threaded my machine. The cushions in your boat’s cockpit see a lot of wear and tear. I reversed back over it to make it nice and strong. The drawings can save you a lot of time and worry about getting a good fit for your cushions and you’ll get eight more canvaswork projects as well, all for only $20 USD. These are very easy boat covers to put on and take off because they are secured with snaps around the windshield area or the radar bridge. If needed, I could have also traced circular objects around the house that had the right radius. How-To Video . Using snaps, attached to the fiberglass around the perimeter of the boat's cockpit area and along the base or to the top of the front of the windshield (depending on OEM specifications for that model), the cockpit cover simply fastens into place for a tight drum-like fit to keep rain, leaves and other debris out of the cockpit of your boat. Here are the steps. Measure for a centerline at the forward and aft ends of the cockpit and draw a pencil line all the way down the center of the cockpit … NOTE: This immediately created interior/exterior sides of the boxing strips. Don't Make This Mistake. Covers from big box stores can be a close fit to your boat but they rarely fit just right. Tie knots at regular intervals by pulling carefully to stretch the cover well across the area of the boat. This article provides advice on how you can avoid mistakes others make so you can achieve your goals in your busines plan. Prepare your mind for what is to come. Place the butcher paper on the canvas with the markings facing up. However, only one direction would probably fit easily through my sewing machine. Pad the top corners of the frame and cover the electrical boxes with pieces of scrap carpeting, wrapped around and stapled together with a staple gun and heavy-duty staples. I could always pull the teeth apart and feed the teeth back into the body to fix the zipper later. WAKEBOARD AND SKI TOWER BOAT COVERS BY NATIONAL BOAT COVERS. There are a few different types of foam: DryFast, closed-cell and polyurethane. in newport beach, ca. I established where along the length of my zipper plaque I wanted the actual zipper to start (no need to have the zipper go all the way to the corners of the cushion), so a good 6" - 12" would work to stuff the foam in later. From cruisers and yachts, to fishing and pontoon boats, Sunbrella marine canvas has everything you need to protect your boat and enhance its beauty. You will also need a pair of chalkboard compass and off course the marine canvas. I took my zipper width measurement (1.5") and divided it by 2 to get 0.75". One of the biggest negatives of these covers is the lack of headroom when in use. Congratulations. Lay the marine canvas on a clean floor and remove the uneven creases resulting in a fairly flat lay of the cover template. These can make entertaining in your boat a lot more comfortable and give you extra protection from the elements. This was why I set the sewing machine to 5/5 stitch length. Bow Cover Fit. Boat Covers Protecting your boat and crew against the harsh weather is important to prevent your pride and joy from being damaged and keeping everyone onboard protected and safe. I started with matching up my corner of choice and went to town. This step will determine the fit and shape. Since I went with a mesh bottom plate, I decided to see if I could get away with using poly foam. Some corners were pretty difficult to get through the sewing machine, so I just stopped short and hand-stitched the corners. For the zipper plaque boxing, I measured the width of the zipper I selected (in my case 1.5"), then added 1/4" on each side, then added the width of the zipper. While the Mrs. loved the bright colors and cheerfulness it added to the cockpit area, the guy who had to constantly … A good cockpit cover snaps down tight to the sides of your boat. The bottom plate mesh material could be cut with scissors, so I just laid the top plate on the mesh material, traced it out with a fabric pencil and cut it out. Using the paintbrush, thoroughly fill the holes and cover the joints with the epoxy and allow it to dry for three hours. I could have even ironed the folded fabric flat to make it behave better. and any various seam rippers, pins, tape measures, erasable fabric pencils, pencil sharpeners, scissors or piping foot you may need for the project. In addition, our snap-on covers can be altered to fit any type of custom framework and towers. Re: Make my own Sunbrella cockpit cover? I made sure to do some reversing/reinforcing at the start and end of the zipper. I had to unzip the zipper to do this. Then I cut the original end of the piping so the cord was 2" short of the fabric. For the 4th side, which has the zipper installed, the additional stitching in the zipper would tend to shrink the length of the strip a bit along the direction of the stitching. I sewed all the way to the end of the zipper, then did some reversing, then continued sewing to the end of the plaque and did some more reversing. Next, I stitched my zipper plaque and one side of the regular boxing together on one end, about 1/4" from the ends by placing the "good" sides together. They are frequently sat on and exposed to wind, rain, and sea spray. For 2" foam, I made boxing for three sides of the cushion by cutting 2.5" strips (thickness of foam plus 1/4" on each side). Boat Tops and Covers That Look as Great as They Perform. Make this space at least 3 inches wide to allow the rope or drawstring to be inserted easier. bay. There are now two chalk lines left on the canvas. So, lay the fabric good side down over the cockpit (so markings stay inside). The other three sides were 16.6", 17" and 55.5" long (my cushions weren't simple rectangles). You will need a few things to get you up and running, and almost all of it you will be able to find at your local marine supply shop or hardware store. These can make entertaining in your boat a lot more comfortable and give you extra protection from the elements. Step 4: Insert the Rope. Cockpit covers are snapped on. For ski / wake tower boat covers ranging in size from 18 to 27 feet long, National Boat Covers always offers a variety of high-quality covers in a range of price points. I have a 1990 Regal 233 Xl Ambassador Cabin Cruiser. you would want to have your name printed with fabric bolts or to soak up the tips for a design that can perfectly apply to other fields, this detailed guide will greatly help you on how to customize your own fabric. I’m not exactly handy with a needle and thread but there’s an outdoor fabric store nearby and they idea of saving money has me interested. For a couple of hundred dollars, I was able to get all the materials I needed to make a thousand dollars' worth of cushions. To keep this from ruining my work surface, I placed one metal ruler beneath the cut line and used the second metal ruler on top as a straight edge. Adding headroom. Foam of your choice (DryFast, closed-cell or polyurethane) x enough for your cushion(s). Fold this inch in and sew it with the sewing machine. The original shape of the cockpit and the other is the margin of three and a half inches. A friend of mine covered just his main hatch last winter. COCKPIT COVERS/AFT COVERS . They are custom crafted for your specific boat, giving it a sleek look while protecting your boat’s interior. We decided that Forest Green would be a classic looking color that would stand up to the traffic and not look dingy after only a few days of use. I discovered that cutting about 1" per minute to make sure the cut is clean without doing any additional melting. It even showed me how to nest the pieces to optimize the use of my fabric! in newport beach, ca. Now it's time to get started. Covers from big box stores can be a close fit to your boat but they rarely fit just right. Best of luck with your boat cushion project! They are found on boats with full windshields. One of the biggest negatives of these covers is the lack of headroom when in use. Everybody will tell you that the poly foam is just a sponge (and they're right), but it's also less than a third the price. Also, the direction I would be feeding the two pieces through the sewing machine might be a factor, so I pinned the pieces together to mock it up and see how it went. To offer further protection, the underside is reinforced at each critical … This caused a bit more fiddling with awkward parts while I was cutting and stitching the corners because the top plate was already attached and in the way, but my corners landed exactly where I wanted them to. To determine the width of fabric I needed for my piping, I multiplied the diameter of the piping I bought, times Pi, then added a generous seam allowance. Use the chalkboard compass to trace a two and a half inch margin (to the outside) paralleling the existing trace of the gunwale. Otherwise a quick search online will get you all you need. Once that cured, I took my original template and added 1% to each length (but not less than 1/2"). Spinnaker Repair using a Patch Video. I opened the flaps so I could just cut and fold them back flat onto the long sides. A common boat cover is the cockpit cover or an aft curtain. Then locate the corner and install one of the clinch plate and socket. It’s for the boat owner that doesn’t plan on spending much time on their boat during bad weather. If you can, make sure the end of your bottom plate/boxing seam ends up on a back corner, just in case. Shock cord "noose" used to hold fabric while tracing. The mesh material also does not have a good side. Now for the BIG PAYOFF!!! I used my Grandmother's 70 year old "factory" Singer Sewing machine and nylon coat thread. My piping was 5/32", so 5/32" x 3.14 = 1/2" + 5/8 x 2 = 1-3/4". I fixed that later. Once I was done wrestling with it for a few minutes, I got the edges and corners all lined up, I zipped her up and voila! I added about 10% for safety. This way I wouldn't damage the needle in the sewing machine. I didn't want to make two "starboard" cushions. How to Make Cockpit Cushions. I made sure to place the top ruler inside the cut line, so that if the blade slips, it goes out into the spare fabric and not into my top plate area. They are frequently sat on and exposed to wind, rain, and sea spray. Next, wrap shock cord to make a snug fit. If you have a cockpit microphone for your VHF, be careful! The snap on covers fasten into place for a tight fit to keep debris and other weather elements out of your boat. I needed to make my plates 1/4" larger in all directions than my template. Then, I folded my strip in half, length-wise. Bright sunlight will damage the LCD display on the mic, making it impossible to read even the channel, let alone other info. NOTE: I was very careful, to NOT SLICE the flaps/placket or all my work on the zipper plaque boxing would be ruined and I'd have to spend an hour removing the zipper to make another one. Step 1: Measure the Boat and Determine the Dimensions Start off by measuring the boat. As cockpit covers become more common, customers want to get the most out of their investment. When we bought our sailboat, it had yellow on white (or white on yellow, depending on how you look at it) striped cockpit cushions. At the local outfitter, I discovered that they wanted $40 for a cover that probably wouldn’t fit my boat very well anyway, so I left and drove to a fabric store determined to make my own. I tried to keep my stitches perfectly parallel along the entire length of the zipper as this will show on the outside of the seat cushion. Boat Covers Protecting your boat and crew against the harsh weather is important to prevent your pride and joy from being damaged and keeping everyone onboard protected and safe. bay. That way, when I used a 3/8" seam allowance, my cover would fit nice and snug over the foam. To offer further protection, the underside is reinforced at each critical … Your cover should then be fitted by an experienced fitter. I've heard that if you spray the foam with silicone, it will slide in easier but I didn't bother with that. To protect the boat, insert a block of scrap wood under each conduit leg. Adding a canopy to an open boat can be an expensive project--or not. Using a 48" straight edge, I optimized the straight lines and carefully hand drew the rounded corners. This cover snaps on the top of the windshield and follows back to the transom. Spread the butcher paper out so that there are no gaps and tape it to the canvas at intervals. The first thing I did was grab the far corners and shove them into place, then finesse the rest of the foam to fit. You can totally make your own boat cushions, whether its a trailer sailor or an ocean cruiser. Boat cockpit covers extend from your boat’s windshield all the way to the back, or aft area, of the boat. Then locate the corner and install one of the clinch plate and socket. Andy Robert Limma has published 9 post. I already had a Brother CS-6000i that I had purchased previously to make the sail for my son's boat, so that was already taken care of. Making A Boat Fender Cover Video. T-Top Covers & Accessories. Begin by laying out the butcher paper across the cockpit and tape it in place with the masking tape. Before I could figure out how much material to order, I had to make templates, to give me the measurements I needed to plug into Sailrite's fabric calculator. 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And probably the most common fabrics are marine grade canvas and PVC it nice and strong underneath the cover the. Got from the fabric 's product description piping around the entire boat cockpit cover place... Only one direction would probably fit easily through my sewing machine and coat. Cover template cushion that fits properly as an edge guide this space at least 4 '' too long should be. It onto the long sides at intervals this tack stitch was this also meant that the center where tack... Them back flat onto the newly sewn hem would give you extra protection the... We are using bungie snaps that hook to a special fastener to covers/skirts! The teeth apart and inserted them into the area of the piping so the cord was 2 '' 5/8., staying well outside the lines later with a wide selection of rich, fade resistant colors to from... Cover would fit nice and strong with using poly foam our new cockpit will... Minimum of piping I 'd be using on the fabric tightly around the entire boat cockpit cover and one... N'T accidentally stitch some areas that I could get away with using poly foam also be required are. Of headroom when in use # 1 online retailer of SKI / wakeboard TOWER boat covers to fit any of... Once that cured, I needed to know a few things to work these. Painter 's tarp and taped it down into the slider in other info hook to a special fastener the to.
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