Marine Fabricator March/April 2023 - 36

2023 MFA FABRICATION Excellence Award Winners
SAILBOAT DOGERS & BIMINIS
OUTSTANDING
ACHIEVEMENT
Yachtsman's Canvas
Melding Classic and Modern Design
Installation: Keri Ames
Materials: Sunbrella®
Smoke by Glen
Raven Custom Fabrics LLC, TUFFAK®
Marine
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
Gemini Marine Products
Dodger and Bimini with Large Solar Array
Installation: John LeMole, Sam Smith
Materials: Sunbrella®
Forest Green by Glen
Raven Custom Fabrics LLC, Strataglass by
Strataglass LLC, Gore®
Tenara®
thread by
W.L. Gore & Associates Inc., Gemini Marine
Products side mounts
Project Description: The project was a rigidly
built dodger for offshore sailing with pusher
bars, a welded aft grab rail and bolt-through
side grabs. It included a strapless bimini
and full cockpit enclosure with a solar
panel mount. Besides canvas with offshore
capabilities, the owner wanted a mounting
solution above the bimini for two 350-watt
glass-top solar panels that measured 4 feet
by 6 feet. The panels needed to extend aft
beyond the bimini quite far while still being
secure in a seaway or gale. Given the size
and weight of the panels, the solar panel
installation was defi nitely the unique and
challenging part. The beam width barely
fi t the panels and the aft overhang was
huge. Creating a frame for these that was
well supported and very stable in a seaway
pushed the team's creativity.
Gemini Marine Products
Rockland, Maine
geminiproducts.net
36 Marine Fabricator | March/April 2023
5 polycarbonate by Plaskolite Inc., SolarFix®
thread by Solar Fix, YKK Zippers by YKK®
Project Description: This project consisted
of a full canvas redesign and installation
of a dodger with frame, bimini and
connector for a classic 1988 36-foot
Sabre sailboat. Primary goals were
to balance updated and traditional
components and to give the 6-foot-tall
client the ability to see through the front
windshield, not above the dodger, while
standing at the helm. The boat's narrow
companionway cabin top and beam
created a design challenge for an
underframe sight line without creating
a disproportional " boxy " or " tugboat "
look. Rather than utilizing present-day
modern frame techniques (compound
bends, curves and cantilever design), the
basic frame shape was kept traditional
with tweaks to modernize and blend
seamlessly with the classic lines of the
boat. The frame design and updated
window confi guration, in conjunction
with modern materials including
PVC, silicon and acrylic fabric in a
contemporary color, resulted in a project
with an updated look that honors the
original boat design.
Yachtsman's Canvas
North Wales, Pa.
yachtsmanscanvas.com
OUTSTANDING
ACHIEVEMENT
BayView Canvas
Contrast Is the Spice of Life!
Installation: Tonya Marozzi,
Jamie Marozzi
Materials: Sunbrella®
, TUFFAK®
by Glen Raven
Custom Fabrics LLC., Seabrook
by Morbern®
Marine 5
polycarbonate by Plaskolite Inc.,
SolarFix®
thread by Solar Fix
Project Description: The customer
requested an East Coast-style dodger,
connector and two attached biminis
that would really stand out in his
marina. A unique part of this job is
the contrasting gray vinyl rub strip
that runs throughout the entire setup,
which gives the job a seamless,
fl owing look. Both biminis connect
at the arch via track; the rear bimini
has a polycarbonate sailing window
with a " sliding " window cover on the
outside. Using polycarbonate for the
three panels allows for excellent clarity
and a beautiful radius, as the panels
wrap all the way around from the front
to the sides with no wrinkling in the
clears. Using three panels instead of
fi ve eliminated an additional vertical
zipper and seam to enhance visibility.
BayView Canvas
West Creek, N.J.
bayviewcanvasnj.com
http://www.bayviewcanvasnj.com http://www.yachtsmanscanvas.com http://www.geminiproducts.net
Marine Fabricator March/April 2023

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