Marine Fabricator March/April 2023 - 20

Evolving boat styles push trends
Most of Hyduck's customers use the
cockpit covers but have been switching
to sunfl y shades since these allow people
to use more of the boat's back area.
Mike Charlton, owner of Charlton's
Marine Canvas, Yorktown, Va., says that
sunfl ys are also a popular choice for
his customers.
Hyducks Marine Canvas and Upholstery attached this sunfl y shade to the
back of a bimini using the rear fl ap on the bimini and a zipper. The covers are
typically made from Solar-Mesh®
Tyte®
Banyan or Sunbrella®
but can also be constructed from Marine.
Photo: Hyducks Marine Canvas and Upholstery
" One of the biggest changes in my
area is that people are buying more center-console
boats, " he explains, saying
people are stepping away from cabins
because of the space they consume,
heightening the demand for temporary
shade solutions.
" This style of boat provides a lot of
function for the average fi sherman. But
when they take their families out, the
T-tops don't provide much shade at all, "
Charlton says. " Customers also tend not
to want something that will permanently
compromise the look of the boat. This is
where the sunfl y comes in handy. "
For his temporary shades, he preCREATIVITY
UNLEASHED
" One of my recent projects was a sunfl y on a 25 Parker
that incorporated the outrigger poles to support the
shade. This project was fun because I had to make
the sunfl y work not only off the back of the boat but
also off the bow with the same outrigger poles. I had
to put a lot of outside-the-box thinking on this one
to make it work properly. Also, by using the outrigger
poles it eliminates the vertical poles and leaves the
boat with no obstructions for moving around. "
-Mike Charlton, Charlton's Marine Canvas
" Customers had a smaller boat and wanted us
to make an enclosure for it, incorporating a sunfl y
shade that could be removed via zipper and
attached to the back of the bimini. They had existing
poles and wanted us to make something to fi t their
needs. It was made out of material that matched
their enclosure and came out looking great. "
-John Hyduck, Hyducks Marine Canvas and Upholstery
fers to use lighter-weight materials like
Stamoid tops and WeatherMAX®
3D
because, he says, these tension better
when stretching them out with poles.
For permanent structures,
Charlton
also does banded tops. He likes Stamoid
Open because it is thicker and strong
and " also has a sexy look to it. "
When customers come in looking for
shades for their boats, Charlton starts the
process by asking how much shade they
want and if they're looking for a permanent
or temporary solution. The boat type
and style also factor into that decision.
In addition to those questions, Ames
asks whether the client is looking for
shade while at the dock or anchored, if
underway or both. If the shade will have
to withstand traveling, speed must be
taken into account as does airfl ow. For
removable shades, storage space must
also be considered.
Tov and Kelsey Renna factor in headroom
and the total area of coverage, as
20 Marine Fabricator | March/April 2023
Marine Fabricator March/April 2023

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