Marine Canvas

Marine Canvas Logo

Develop professional skills in marine canvas fabrication through the Professional Marine Canvas course series at Skagit Valley College. These hands-on courses covers the materials, equipment, patterning, sewing, and fabrication techniques used in the marine canvas trade.

Designed for those preparing for employment in marine canvas fabrication, as well as boat owners, DIYers, and experienced sewers looking to expand their skills, the series covers boat covers, upholstery, bimini tops, and enclosures.

Program Details

Course Series: 5 individual courses, each meeting for 2 days

Schedule: Saturday - Sunday | 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Location: SVC Marine Tech Learning Extension Classroom, Anacortes, WA

Class Size: 8 students per course

Instructior: Mike Reese

Course Fees: Cost: $299 for Marine Canvas Bootcamp | $599 for each additional course

Information Sessions:

Interested in learning more about the program? To be notified of the next information session date, please contact Mike at Mike.Reese@skagit.edu

We are happy to answer questions and provide additional information about the program.

Course Series Overview

The Professional Marine Canvas series provides a progression of hands-on courses covering the major types of work found in marine canvas fabrication. Students can take individual courses based on their interests and experience, or complete the series to develop a broader foundation in the trade.

The series begins with Marine Canvas Bootcamp, which introduces marine canvas materials, sewing equipment, seams, hems, zippers, and fasteners. Students then build on those skills through courses focused on boat and equipment covers, upholstery and cushions, bimini tops, and enclosures.

All courses are limited to eight students and include hands-on instruction using marine-grade fabrics, sewing equipment, tools, and hardware.

Courses

  1. Introduction: Boat Canvas Bootcamp
  2. Boat and Equipment Covers
  3. Boat Upholstery and Cushions
  4. Bimini Tops
  5. Enclosures, Windows, and Connectors

Topics Covered:

Across the five-course series, students will develop skills in:

  • Marine canvas fabrics and their applications
  • Industrial and portable sewing machines
  • Machine setup, threading, tension, and stitch length
  • Marine seam construction
  • Hems, binding, darts, and zipper installation
  • Snaps, grommets, Lift-the-DOT, and other marine fasteners
  • Patterning and measuring techniques
  • Boat and equipment covers
  • Marine upholstery and box cushions
  • Bimini top design and fabrication
  • Enclosure panels and marine windows
  • Fabric and material selection
  • Installation, fitting, and troubleshooting

Curriculum Overview

Introduction: Boat Canvas Bootcamp

Two days, Saturday – Sunday · No prerequisite

This two-day course introduces the materials, equipment, and fundamental sewing techniques used in marine canvas fabrication. It serves as the entry point for those completing the Professional Marine Canvas Course and for DIY boaters interested in learning more about marine canvas fabrication.

The first day serves as an overview of marine canvas. Instruction covers the function and product categories of marine canvas, the fabrics and window materials commonly used, and the cleaning, storage, and waterproofing practices that lengthen service life. Students examine examples of existing canvas installations and learn to identify the design and construction decisions that help canvas perform well or fail prematurely.

The second day is conducted hands-on on the machines. Students learn to use a walking-foot sewing machine to construct the seams, hems, bindings, darts, zipper installations, and fastener applications that underlie all subsequent work in the program.

No prior sewing experience is required. Sewing machines, tools, and materials are provided.

TOPICS COVERED

  • Marine canvas product categories: covers, bimini tops, dodgers, enclosures, and upholstery
  • Discussion of the tools and equipment required
  • Evaluation of existing canvas work and common areas of failure
  • Acrylic, coated polyester, and solution-dyed polyester fabrics and their applications
  • Window materials, gauges, and handling requirements
  • Cleaning, storage, and annual waterproofing practice
  • Industrial and portable sewing machines: types, features, and evaluation for purchase
  • Machine threading, tension adjustment, stitch length, and setup
  • Seam types and strength characteristics
  • Fabrication techniques including hems, binding, darts, and zipper installation
  • Fastener installation of snaps, grommets, Lift-the-DOT, and Common Sense fasteners
  • Measurement convention and introduction to patterning methods

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

  • Identify the principal categories of marine canvas and the materials appropriate to each
  • Set up, thread, and adjust a walking-foot sewing machine
  • Select and construct the appropriate seam type for a given application
  • Sew hems, binding, darts, and zipper installations to trade standards
  • Install snaps, grommets, and marine fasteners correctly

Boat and Equipment Covers

Two days, Saturday – Sunday · Prerequisite: Marine Canvas Bootcamp

This two-day course covers the design, patterning, fabrication, and installation of protective covers for boats and marine equipment. Covers represent a primary project category in most canvas shops and the most common first project for people new to the trade.

Instruction begins with design. Students study the requirements a cover must satisfy in service, including winter storage, trailering, ultraviolet exposure, and standing water, and learn why covers under tension chafe and fail. Retention systems, reinforcement placement, water-shedding design, and fabric selection appropriate to the application, climate, and budget are discussed.

Then, attendees will pattern, cut, sew, and install a complete cover. Fabrication includes Patterning, layout and sewing of large panels, drawstring pockets, reinforcements, and bound edges.

TOPICS COVERED

  • Cover types: full boat, cockpit, console, seat, equipment, mainsail, and hatch covers
  • Service requirements: storage, trailering, ultraviolet exposure, and water loading
  • Common failures and the design practice that prevents them
  • Fabric selection for application, climate, and budget
  • Retention systems: snaps, drawstring and pocket, and bungee configurations
  • Reinforcement placement at chafe points and material selection for reinforcement
  • Patterning by drape-and-dart method as well as full paneled construction
  • Darts, hidden zippers, drawstring pockets, and reinforced skirts
  • Fitting and locating fasteners on the vessel

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

  • Specify a cover design appropriate to the equipment and intended use
  • Select fabric, thread, and hardware for a given cover
  • Produce an accurate pattern using the method appropriate to the equipment
  • Fabricate a cover incorporating darts, zippers, pockets, and a reinforced skirt as needed

Boat Upholstery and Cushions

Two days, Saturday–Sunday  ·  Prerequisite: Marine Canvas Bootcamp

This two-day course covers marine upholstery, with emphasis on box cushion construction. Interior work employs materials, tools, and machine settings that differ substantially from exterior canvas fabrication and requires separate instruction. Students configure the sewing machine for upholstery work, changing stitch length, needle gauge, and thread weight, and are introduced to the specialized tools the work requires, including foam cutting equipment, staplers, regulators, and adhesives. Students learn to select foam by type, firmness, and density for a given application, and to cut, shape, and laminate it correctly.

The instruction then addresses upholstery fabrics and vinyls, railroading and pattern matching, yardage estimation, welting and its alternatives, and the seam types and zippers appropriate for interior work. Students construct a complete box cushion, patterned from existing foam, and discuss project techniques for making cushions from an existing cover and from scratch to a finished piece.

TOPICS COVERED

  • Sewing Machine configuration for upholstery work
  • Upholstery tools: cutters, staplers, foam saws, regulators, and adhesives
  • Foam types, firmness rating, and density, and selection for the application
  • Cutting, shaping, crowning, and laminating foam
  • Batting, polyester fill, and corner construction
  • Upholstery fabrics and vinyls in indoor and outdoor grades
  • Railroading, pattern matching, and yardage estimation
  • Welting and piping, and decorative alternatives to welt
  • Zipper placket construction and installation
  • Patterning from foam and an existing cover as well as from scratch
  • Assembly, turning, filling, and fitting

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

  • Configure a walking-foot machine for upholstery work
  • Select foam by type, thickness, firmness, and density for a stated application
  • Cut, shape, and laminate foam to dimension
  • Produce a pattern from foam or from an existing cover
  • Fabricate a box cushion incorporating welting and a functioning zipper placket
  • Fit a completed cushion and correct dimensional errors

Bimini Tops

Two days, Saturday – Sunday  ·  Prerequisite: Marine Canvas Bootcamp

Course covers the design, patterning, fabrication, and installation of bimini tops. The bimini top is the foundational product for dodgers, enclosures, and connector panels, and the course establishes the methods those later courses build upon.

Instruction begins with design and frame preparation. Students learn panel orientation and seam direction, the specification and installation of sail windows, backstay cutouts, and solar panel mounting, and the placement of straps and hardware. The course emphasizes designing a top that can later be converted to a full enclosure.

Students will pattern and construct a bimini top, including scribing bow lines and establishing side stop lines, and proceed with cutting and fabricating zipper pockets, valances, and zipper tail panels. Final steps include perimeter binding, adjustable strap fabrication, and installation and tensioning of the completed top.

TOPICS COVERED

  • Design considerations: panel orientation, seam direction, and hardware placement
  • Sail windows, backstay cutouts, and rigid and flexible solar panel mounting considerations
  • Designing a top for later conversion to an enclosure
  • Dodger types and selection criteria for a given vessel and use
  • Assessment of existing frames and criteria for re-covering
  • Patterning directly on project material at the vessel
  • Shop layout, cutting sequence, and management of large panels
  • Zipper pocket and valance construction
  • Perimeter binding and adjustable strap fabrication
  • Installation, tensioning, and final adjustment

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

  • Specify a bimini top design appropriate to the vessel, the frame, and the owner's use
  • Prepare, erect, and level an existing frame for patterning
  • Pattern a bimini top
  • Fabricate zipper pockets, valances, and zipper tail panels
  • Preserve the dimensional allowance required for later enclosure conversion
  • Install and tension a completed top and diagnose fitting problems
     

Enclosures, Windows, and Connectors

Two days, Saturday – Sunday  ·  Prerequisite: Marine Canvas Bootcamp

This course covers the design and fabrication of enclosure curtains and windows for boats. Instruction covers window materials in detail, including roll and sheet vinyl and semi-rigid polycarbonate, comparing clarity, service life, handling characteristics, and cost. The course discusses picture-frame and mirrored-component construction, as well as how to determine when damaged windows can be replaced economically or when they require reconstruction of the entire panel.

Attendees will pattern and fabricate enclosure panels for an existing bimini top. Note: the in-class project will use vinyl window material and other marine-grade fabrics. We will discuss polycarbonate and acrylic window materials and construction techniques but not use them during class. 

TOPICS COVERED

  • Enclosure configurations: full, partial, side curtains, and convertible tops
  • External and internal frame configurations and access considerations
  • Window materials by type, gauge, clarity, service life, and cost
  • Picture frame versus mirrored component construction
  • Handling and storage of window material
  • Zippers, Lift-the-DOT, and Common Sense/Twist Lock fastener applications
  • Zipper replacement and window panel replacement techniques
  • Storage and care instructions

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

  • Specify an enclosure configuration appropriate to the vessel and the owner's use
  • Select window material and construction method for a given panel and justify the selection
  • Pattern enclosure panels from an existing top
  • Fabricate a panel incorporating windows, zippers, and perimeter fasteners

Price and Fees

$299 for Marine Canvas Bootcamp | $599 for each additional course

Instructor Bio

Marine Canvas Instructor: Mike Reese

Headshot of Mike Reese

Mike got into canvas the way many boaters do, by making it for his own boat. That hobby started around 2010 and grew into SeaBound Canvas, a custom marine canvas business he founded in 2016. He has taught the craft since 2019, beginning with the Seattle Boat Show and through Cruisers College. In 2023, he launched Skagit's Professional Marine Canvas course, a dedicated two-week program for students who want to enter the trade.

Mike has loved boats and the marine industry for over 40 years, and the decades of hands-on work aboard boats and in the industry have shaped how he teaches canvas. In his courses, students learn more than sewing. They learn how a top must work with its frame, its fittings, and the boat beneath it, and how to build canvas that fits well and holds up to hard use. His canvas has protected boats cruising the Pacific Northwest as well as those adventuring offshore. He has also managed service shops and led a multi-location marine supply company, so the business side of the course (estimating, pricing, and running a canvas shop) is grounded in real experience.

Mike is a faculty member for Skagit's Marine Tech Department, and he loves sharing what he knows beyond canvas, too. He teaches our Marine Surveying course and is a certification instructor for the American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC), where he teaches Marine Electrical and Marine Systems certification courses. Whether you're outfitting your own boat or starting a career, you'll learn from someone who truly enjoys the work and is passionate about creating safe, reliable, and comfortable boats on the water.

FAQs

Both. Think of the modules as parts of a master class. If you want to work in the marine canvas trade, they give you the foundation to get started. If you're a boat owner who likes doing your own projects, each module works as an in-depth seminar on one type of canvas project you'll find on a boat. The skills are the same for both groups. The only difference is how far you want to take them and what type of sewing machine you'll likely use. Any other small differences will be discussed in class. 

No. The Bootcamp is open to everyone, whether you've never touched a sewing machine or you've been sewing for years. The later modules build on what you learn there, so it helps to come in with some sewing practice for those sessions, either from the Bootcamp or your own work. The more comfortable you are sewing straight, accurate seams, the more you'll get out of each project.

No. If you're thinking about marine canvas as a career, we recommend completing all of the modules, because together they cover the core projects you'll see in the trade. If your goals are more personal, take the modules that fit your boat and your interests. We recommend starting with the Bootcamp. If you already have canvas or sewing experience and would like to skip it, contact the instructor before you register to talk through whether a module is a good fit for you.

You'll learn on the two types of machines used in marine canvas work. We have several portable Sailrite machines (LS-1 and LSZ-1 models), which are popular with boat owners who sew at home. We also have eight industrial machines, the kind found in professional shops, including Models from Juki, Consew, and others. In the Bootcamp, you'll see a demonstration of each style, so you'll know which one fits your needs.

Individual modules run on weekends throughout the school year, so you can work through them at your own pace. We try to do the modules at least twice per year. If you'd like to focus on the material and get started sooner, we also offer a two-week Fast-Track course a couple of times a year, usually including a session in mid-July.

Nothing. We provide the sewing machines, tools, and project materials. Experienced sewers often like to bring their own notions, and you're welcome to do so. If you've just bought a Sailrite and want to learn on your own machine, that's OK too. Just let the instructor know ahead of time, so we have enough space for you. 

We think so. Canvas work on a boat isn't cheap. A full enclosure, bimini, or set of covers and cushions can easily cost thousands of dollars, and outfitting a whole boat can run into the tens of thousands. If you're a boat owner, what you save by doing even one or two projects yourself can be more than the cost of the course, and you get the satisfaction of saying "I made that." If you're thinking about a career, those same price tags are what customers pay a professional fabricator. The course gives you the skills to start earning that income, and your full ROI can be realized in as little as one project.