Canvas Extends Your Boating Season with Style

Jenine Berger and Tim Nairne are partners both in life and in business. For the past fourteen years, the hard-working team has operated a marine canvas and upholstery business. On their daily 45-minute commute to and from their Squamish home to their Canvas Yachtworks shop in Mosquito Creek, the scenic Sea to Sky highway provides a tranquil way to prepare for and decompress after a busy working day.

In 2012 Tim and Jenine began working exclusively with Northshore Yachtworks. This opportunity enabled them to concentrate on providing the best possible canvas and upholstery service while letting Yachtworks do all of the paperwork. The move proved to be a wise decision. Tim and Jenine love working in North Vancouver at the Mosquito Creek Marina.

Tim shows us around the cozy shop located at the most western part of the Marina property. Jenine takes some time from operating the industrial sewing machine as the duo explain what they do.

“We can sew and repair all of a boat’s canvas and upholstery needs, from exterior sun proofing and marine covers to indoor seating and carpeting. Most boats are manufactured bare and need covering. We’ve enclosed bridges on 30’ – 100’ yachts as well as specializing in canvas products on the under 30’ boats. This dry space on a sail or power boat can help a boater extend the sailing season. With exterior enclosures we also can replace weather-beaten stainless steel tubing.  The exterior is one of the most important parts of any boat and our main intent is to have everything fit properly.”

Their expertise and talents with shaping canvas also extend beyond yachts, as they tackle more industrial projects including custom outdoor awnings & tenting and special covers for commercial use.  For boat shed owners, Northshore Yachtworks also provides canvas repairs. While boat houses keep vessels protected from the environment, high winds and weather over time can cause damage to the canvas roll-up door.  Shop Manager, Mark Barnsley notes “The special rigging and process pioneered by our Canvas Team, enable us to replace the canvas doors quickly, right where the shed is moored.  It’s no easy feat since most canvas damage occurs over water in high and hard to reach spaces.”

Tim walks around his shop and displays a variety of indoor and outdoor fabrics.

“Most outdoor seating is covered in weather-resistant vinyl, usually in white to be sun proof. The inside upholstery can be made from any variety of fabrics, such as micro-suede or ultra-leather. We rely on Sunbrella fabric manufactured by Glen Raven Mills in North Carolina. The fabric is costly but it’s a premium product, and they sell the only exterior fabric with a 10-year limited warranty.”

Sunbrella is known for their exterior fabric but they also have a large selection of interior upholstery fabric. Sunbrella fabrics can last well beyond ten years.

Like the adage, a stitch in time saves nine, Jenine explains “it’s vital to remove any algae growth once a year. Salt water is hard on everything and eventually things deteriorate. Regular cleaning is vital if a boat owner wants his or her investment to last. You don’t have to use anything special, regular upholstery or window cleaner will do.  Regular good cleaning helps your boat’s upholstery and window covering last long and look great.”

Spring is always the busiest time of our year, Jenine adds.  “People leave things to the last minute,” she laughs.  The couple take a well-deserved rest in early August when all of their clients are out enjoying the boating season, but come September they are back doing what they love.

When you visit Mosquito Creek Marina, you will find them upholstering boat interiors and protecting the furnishings with top-of-the-line canvas, work that engenders their sense of pride in the job and their clients’ satisfaction with the finished product. More importantly, their custom canvas & upholstery are designed to compliment how you boat, and will extend your boating season in style.

Contact Tim and Jenine to talk about your marine Canvas & Upholstery projects by clicking HERE.