2019 Archive : A “Skater” with Style

Project Details

Fabric 1

Ship to Shore
Producer: Enduratex
Supplier: Miami Corp

Fabric 2

SolarFix PTFE Thread
Producer: Quality Thread and Notions
Supplier: Keyston Bros.

Please describe the project specifications

The customer requested to recover all of his exterior upholstery in his 28' Skater twin outboard-powered performance catamaran. The project required changing the design features, the majority of the foam shapes within each seat along with all of the vinyl.

What was the purpose of this project? What did the client request?

The client had ideas of what they wanted with specific colors and textures in mind. We worked with the client on the design through various sketches and mock ups to zero in on the design theme which would be utilized throughout the project.
- Variations to the base foam shapes were requested throughout. This required a total redesign of the foam shapes that make up the of the triple aft seats. The customer also requested the addition of "hip huggers" on the captain and co-captain bucket seats for increased stability of the occupants of the high performance powerboat while seated at speeds in excess over 80 mph.
- Each seat also had the addition of safety straps to hold on to at high speeds.
- It was requested to embroider the boat manufacturer name/logo onto headrests and the back of the captain and co-captain bucket seats. The design of the embroidery and stitching was done "in house" and not outsourced.
- The backbone of this project was heavy SolarFix PTFE 2400 thread used on construction seams and then SolarFix PTFE 2000 denier Blue thread for decorative topstitching.

What is unique or complex about the project?

There were multiple unique and complex areas of this project from design to reconstruction of the multiple piece molded plastic seats. The design was very detailed with unique shapes requiring advanced patterning. For the majority of the vinyl, we stitched in 1/4" foam to "fill out" the various colors in the upholstery giving it a soft feel. The construction was complicated combining different vinyls with various alignments and decorative Double Needle Topstitching. Both the captain and co-captain seats each consisted of 8 pieces which required precision in not only the design and sewing stage but also in matching pieces together at re-installation. These pieces also had a large aft facing piece of the seat where the 20" embroidery logo is located which required "Christmas Tree" fasteners to connect on 3 sides all at once. Fitting these were very difficult requiring TLC not to damage the vinyl.

What were the results of the project?

The project turned out excellent and blew the customer's mind away! He was very happy with the attention to detail throughout the project and it gave the entire powerboat a new look. It is a head turner on the dock and it landed us another complete interior and exterior re-upholstery project from a fellow boater on their dock. Also, at the time of entry, this owners Skater is the featured photo showing the upholstery on the manufacturer's Google Business Listing, www.skaterpowerboats.com !

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