Requirements To Become A Marine Upholsterer

The primary role of a is to repair, replace, or newly fit fishing boat furniture with fabric. Their work scope could also entail creating other fabric finishes for boats, or specialized covers and sunshades. Work would be carried out on deck cushions, interior bunks, shading devices, sunblinds, bimini tops, the interior bunk, dinette cushions, and other fabric coverings. Repairs on upholstery may require replacement of covers, webbing, foam, and even boards.

You would ideally need to be someone who enjoys working in a marine environment. Most of the work requires a majority of manual labor which means you would need to be physically fit and have good hand-eye coordination. Also this type of work requires good color vision to match color schemes and also requires you to be able to complete the work neatly and accurately according to fine measurements.

This industry requires you to be on your feet most of the time and means you would have to work on-site at boat yards or docks. If you wish to start your own business you would start of mostly with repair work which requires such onsite work unlike working in boat manufacturing companies which mostly work on new parts. Also as with any other business you would need could client relationship management skills to promote and grow your business gradually.

Material Required For Boat Upholstery

The following are some of the key equipment you may require to begin your work of doing up fishing boat upholstery. You could begin with this list of items and add on as you gain more experience. With time you would be able to build up a self-sufficient workshop.

• A truck or van for transportation
• Sewing machine (preferably industrial grade which can withstand sewing of heavy vinyl material and can use industrial grade bonded polyester thread needed to hold the material together)
• A cutting table (to measure fabric and cut)
• Metal dowels to hold the fabric in place on the cutting table
• Fabric and carpet sample swatches (have them neatly bound in a book form so that you can show your clients and help them select from the available options – being able to touch and feel the options will help the decision making process as well as minimize any disagreements on choice)
• Saw bucks to work the new fabric onto existing marine seats
• Foam
• Button-maker
• Thread (should closely match the fabric of choice) and tacking strips
• Needles
• Plastic welt
• ippers and snaps
• Scissors for different materials