DIY: THE UPHOLSTERY ON OUR BOAT HAS BEEN COMPLETELY REPLACED

With the help of my daughter Wendy, I have totally replaced all of the upholstery in the Thunderbird.  She was working in an upholstery shop at the time we bought the boat, plus running a part time upholstery business of her own. 

It has only been 10 years since we started this project back in 2003.  First she brought all her upholstery sample books out to the boat and left them on board with me for a couple of weeks, so that I could choose a colour palette that would work throughout and so that I could see it, in that proper setting and in the appropriate light.  (The boat was in our yard on Henderson Highway, at the time. ) Those books were very helpful and she just needed to help me with final choices for accent colours. 

The next thing was, she requested that I draw her some pictures of what I wanted it all to look like.  From those sketches she made her patterns and  proceeded to take all her measurements.  With fabric choices made and measurements taken, I purchased all my upholstery fabric at that time. 


Then on the Easter long weekend, of 2004 with the boat having been moved into hangar 2, her and I spent the weekend on board and completed almost the entire upholstery job. 








The Pilot House Couch -  My Sketch                 And this is how it turned out



The Salon Couch -  My Sketch                         And this is how it turned out


                      









                                                                                       



The Dinette - My Sketch                                   And this is how it turned out

 









All the boat had when we bought it was foam mattresses on the couches and no backs on any of them.  Not only does this look better, it's much more comfortable.  And the skirts on the couches, cover up extra storage under each couch, plus the extra cushions on the Salon couch serve as bed pillows for overnight guests on the other couches. 

Now with what I have learned from my daughters experience I have continued on.  I had to complete on my own,  the arm rest cushions for the Pilot House and the 5 pillows for the Salon Couch.  The new Captains seat in the Pilot House and the Navigator's stool.  

So, my upholstering and sewing is finally finished.  Unless I or someone else thinks of something I still have to sew.  I am done.  All of the entire boat furniture has been re-upholstered. 

And all of the Canvas items that we felt we needed are also finished.  I have made a tonneau cover for our fly bridge area, all new cushions for our back deck, a cover for our dinghy, a runoff cover for the back deck cushions and a small cover for our Bar-B-Q.  So, I am done. 

IT WAS A LOT OF WORK, BUT WELL WORTH IT