Onne Van Der Wal, an award-winning nautical photographer, recently worked with Custom Marine Canvas in Southeastern Connecticut to reupholster The Snow Goose, a 1986 Grand Banks 32
Boating: A COVID-Friendly Activity
Katie Bradford, owner of Custom Marine Canvas, has seen an influx in refit projects in the past year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. “People can use boats in the pandemic, so people were buying up old boats in the height of last year and asking us to freshen them up and make them their own,” she said.
“There were a lot more requests for shade because people are sitting on their boats rather than sitting at home. We were also tasked with finding more places for sleeping because all the kids had to go on the boat; everyone had to remain on their bubble,” Katie said.
Sunbrella was the perfect choice for refits in this particular time because of their bleach cleanability. “People frequently call asking for advice on how to clean things,” Katie said. To discover the ease for yourself, check out our cleaning guide for Sunbrella marine upholstery.
A Bright Refresh
Bradford had worked with Onne six years prior on a sailboat project, so she was excited to work with Onne again on a new project. Onne did a lot of work himself on the Snow Goose, like rewiring and sanding the teak.
Tenley, a designer, selected most of the fabric for the refit. For the main salon, Tenley chose to brighten things up with Luxe Indigo and Canvas Buttercup. She used Royal Navy in the sleeping quarters; and for the fly bridge, chose a classic Sunbrella blue and white stripe.
Quality is a Must
Tenley and Custom Marine Canvas chose to use Sunbrella primarily because of its consistent quality.
“Often, customers have looked at Sunbrella.com and selected a fabric they like before coming to me,” Katie said, crediting “the strength, longevity, color fastness, and water repellency of the product.”
“Sunbrella fabric is a product they can stand by because it lasts against spills, pets, and children, and the cleanability is most important,” she said.
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