Specialty Fabrics Review November 2023 - 45

on the sides of the cover to allow the
material to stretch and pull tight, eliminating
the sag in the center of the covers. "
Evolving boat styles
push trends
Most of Hyduck's customers use
the cockpit covers but have been
switching to sunfly 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 sunflys are also a popular
choice for his customers.
" 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 fisherman.
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 sunfly
comes in handy. "
For his temporary shades, he prefers
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 airflow. For removable shades,
storage space must also be considered.
Tov and Kelsey Renna factor in headroom
and the total area of coverage as
well as the client's primary objectives.
Their most popular shade covering is
a tension or sunshade, fueled in part
by changing boat designs that feature
ample amounts of exterior seating.
" Our current version is the
amalgamation of traditional awnings,
architectural shades, the best attributes
of structural tops and a decade of finetuning, "
says Tov. " The design facilitates
an elevated removable canopy with
varying forms and sizes tailored to
shade the multitudes of exposed seating,
lounging and deck areas, creating
protective shade for occupants that
doesn't impede the view. "
The Rennas secure the shade by
tensioning it to removable poles and
the receivers, mounted into the deck.
The poles can be used as stand-alones
or in conjunction with mounting
points on the boat.
" A simple line system attaches the
shade to the poles with rollers and cam
cleats hand-tensioned for ease of installation
and removal, " Tov says. " When
not in use, all the major components
can be removed and stored, leaving the
vessel clean and uncluttered.
" Tension shade concepts aren't new
to the marine industry, with multiple
iterations manufactured, " Tov continues.
" [Originating] from the sport-fishing
community in South Florida, they've
found a niche in almost every boat
market. Some textile manufacturers are
now producing new fabrics specifically
targeting this market. "
Pamela Mills-Senn is a freelance writer
based in Seal Beach, Calif.
SpecialtyFabricsReview.com 45
Creativity unleashed
" One of my recent projects was
a sunfly on a 25 [-foot] Parker
that incorporated the outrigger
poles to support the shade. This
project was fun because I had
to make the sunfly 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 sunfly 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 fit their needs. It
was made out of material that
matched their enclosure and
came out looking great. "
John Hyduck
Hyducks Marine Canvas
and Upholstery
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Specialty Fabrics Review November 2023

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