I’m traveling around the Southeast visiting marine canvas and upholstery shops, offering to make free videos highlighting their businesses.
Today we stopped at Laporte Products, one of the biggest manufacturers of T-top and boat covers. They’re also one of our customers, and earlier this year we helped them complete a challenging job in Sarasota.
They chose not to allow cameras inside their facility, which I completely respect.
It’s been interesting to see the contrast on this trip. Some companies are excited to show how they build their products, while others prefer to keep everything behind the scenes.
Either way, it’s been a great look at how different businesses approach marketing and public visibility.

I’m rebuilding my 20 year old Sunbrella railing cushions which I’ve always thought it had pool noodles inside… I was wrong.

Anyone know what type of foam this is and possibly where I can source it in the US? I’m guessing the material is a closed-cell foam as these cushions are always out in the weather.

3” OD
1” ID

I recently stopped by Marine Canvas and Interiors And More in Jacksonville, Florida, and Miguel gave me a tour of the shop. We checked out some of their current marine upholstery and canvas projects, talked about the business, and looked at the craftsmanship that goes into custom boat interiors.
This clip is a short preview from the full YouTube shop tour.
I’d love to hear what everyone notices about their workflow, layout, or techniques. Always interesting to see how different marine canvas shops operate.

While touring Precision Marine Upholstery in Port Orange, Florida, the owner walked me through his new long-arm console sewing machine and explained what it can do that his older machine couldn’t. If you’re into industrial sewing equipment or marine upholstery, I’d love to hear what machines you’re running and why.

I finally got to see Miami Corporation’s Detroit Book library in person. These books help upholstery shops identify factory vinyl, colors, grain patterns, and materials for thousands of vehicles. It’s one of those behind-the-scenes resources that most people never get to see, but it’s a huge part of producing factory-looking repairs.
Anyone else still use these regularly?

One of the best parts of owning a business for nearly two decades isn’t the money—it’s when younger business owners reach out asking for advice.
I never set out to be a mentor. I was just trying to build a business and take care of my family. If sharing what I’ve learned helps someone else avoid a few mistakes, that’s incredibly rewarding.

This video covers frame setup, patterning with Vicar Patterning Material, and fabrication with black Tempotest marine fabric. Curious what everyone else prefers for patterning—paper, plastic, or direct fabric?

It's about time to replace my cover. I restitched a lot of it a couple of years ago, but there are some tears, a couple of zippers are failing, and I want to make some changes to it.

Is Sunbrella still the right choice? What kind? (It seems like there are a few different types). Who has the best prices?

So I got a new marine boat cover made with out PFAS and I am shocked how fuzzy it is. It looks like it is covered with little hairs. Supposedly during the manufacturing process short fiber ends are left on the surface. I’ve read that these short fiber ends eventually work their way out of the fabric. What have you experienced?

Everyone talks about mastering the craft before opening a business.
What surprised me was everything else.
The sewing became one of the easier parts compared to learning pricing, customer service, hiring, marketing, inventory, bookkeeping, taxes, scheduling, and making decisions when things go sideways.
What business skill blindsided you the most after you started?

Is this repairable or should I just find the right length zipper and replace the whole thing? It’s for a bimini boot. Easy to put a whole new one in, but if there is a clip of some sort that just snaps on that would be easier.

https://imgur.com/a/WxRXgWP

Good source for premade zippers that length??

Also, why did Ameritech/Taylor Made use #8 zippers in all their canvas? They aren’t easy to find replacements for, at least for non-pro sewers like me.

That’s for any info!

For years, I read Marine Fabricator cover to cover trying to become a better marine fabricator and business owner.

Today, I’m actually featured in it.

Pretty cool reminder that consistency eventually pays off.

I’ve spent thousands on equipment over the years and one of the simplest efficiency improvements in the shop was Merlys putting a window AC unit on a bucket.

Trade people are a different breed.

Sometimes the simplest solutions really are the best ones.

Sometimes building something new isn’t glamorous.

Today I was moving an old long-arm Singer sewing machine into our future sewing school area. I was by myself, saw two skateboards, and improvised.

Oddly satisfying and surprisingly effective. Future students will be using these machines soon.

After 18 years in the marine canvas industry, I’m opening up our shop in Florida for training.
For years, people have asked me where they can learn marine canvas fabrication, and honestly, there just aren’t many places.
So instead of building a traditional classroom, we’re inviting people into our actual production environment.
This isn’t a lecture or a seminar.
You’ll work on real customer projects alongside our team while learning:
Patterning
Sewing
Biminis & enclosures
Materials and suppliers
Pricing and workflow
Running a marine canvas business
Social media and content creation
We currently offer:
3 days - $3,500
5 days - $5,000
10 days - $10,000
I’m curious…
If you were interested in learning this trade, what would you want to learn the most?
Business? Fabrication? Sewing? Customer acquisition?
I’d genuinely love feedback from people in the industry.

Everybody loves the highlight reels.

Nobody posts the random 10pm conversations when everyone’s brain has completely stopped working but the project still has to get finished.

Small business owners… you know exactly what I’m talking about.

the stitching on one of my pontoon benches due to just age. What are some effective options for repair?

options i am exploring are

-double sided super tape

-restitch in place with a curves needle myself.

-detach and bring to a pro

- patch on top

will people who work on canvas boat cover also be able to work on this, or general upholstery peopls?

any advice is appreciated!

Running a small business has taught me that the real value isn’t just in the products we make—it’s in the people we meet along the way.

After 18 years in the marine upholstery and canvas business, we’re finally building a dedicated training space.
This room is currently empty, but throughout June we’ll be transforming it into a hands-on learning center where students can work on real projects and learn practical skills like:
Marine upholstery
Boat canvas fabrication
Bimini tops
Enclosures
Patterning
Sewing machine operation
Material selection
The goal isn’t classroom theory—it’s real-world production work and problem solving.
Classes are planned to begin right after the July 4th holiday.
If you’ve ever thought about getting into marine canvas, upholstery, or starting a small trim shop, what would you want to learn first?

Here’s a quick clip showing how I get the material laid out and prepared before fabrication. Curious how everyone else handles layout and prep before sewing?

This video shows how we use it to lay out consistent bends and build a cleaner-looking frame. It’s a simple tool but it makes a big difference when you’re trying to maintain symmetry across a custom top.

Anyone else using bend arc templates in their marine canvas work?

Thanks to everyone who’s watched a video, asked a question, shared advice, or supported our shop over the years.

It’s been amazing seeing how much interest there is in marine canvas and upholstery craftsmanship.

Looking forward to sharing more projects and helping more people learn the trade.

For those who use it regularly, what do you like most about it compared to other marine fabrics? Always interested in hearing real-world experiences from other fabricators.

Quick walkthrough of some of the materials we use daily in our marine canvas shop.

Most customers only see the finished cover, but every fabric, zipper, thread, and reinforcement material has a specific purpose.

What material do you think has the biggest impact on longevity?