Does your boat smell? Have boat halitosis? Do you come off the boat and people take a whiff and look at you funny? Dreaded boat smell. At one point I was told to live with it. Boats Smell. I didn't want to be condemned to boat smell if this is my home. The hunt was on to get at the moldy stuffiness. Here's what I'm doing to minimize boat smell starting with the least expensive options. I've got it on the run...
1. Get fresh air flowing through the boat as often as possible.
Whenever I can.
2. Take out, wash or dry clean any old, mildew-y fabric (e.g., curtains, cushion covers, bedspreads, blankets, pillows, etc). Marine canvas seems to really hold on to smells.
Yup. If you follow this blog you'll read Read more [...] 
Smelly Stuff – Getting Smells Out of Fabrics
Does your boat smell? Have boat halitosis? Do you come off the boat and people take a whiff and look at you funny? Dreaded boat smell. At one point I was told to live with it. Boats Smell. I didn't want to be condemned to boat smell if this is my home. The hunt was on to get at the moldy stuffiness. Here's what I'm doing to minimize boat smell starting with the least expensive options. I've got it on the run...
1. Get fresh air flowing through the boat as often as possible.
Whenever I can.
2. Take out, wash or dry clean any old, mildew-y fabric (e.g., curtains, cushion covers, bedspreads, blankets, pillows, etc). Marine canvas seems to really hold on to smells.
Yup. If you follow this blog you'll read Read more [...] 
Pi - The number π is a mathematical constant that is the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter, and is approximately equal to 3.14159. Wikipedia
In high school I wondered why in the world I would need to understand pi, you know 3.14. Math and I got along just enough to get through. Now I know! I have actually used pi in a practical application. Very exciting for a non-math type. I used pi to figure out how to pattern a winch cover. Winch covers are valuable for protecting those important winches that help give us ability to manage lines under load. And they have a habit of getting lost or blowing away in a storm. It's likely you'll need to make extras at some point.
Materials you'll need:
- Sunbrella
- 
Here's some tips for making a duvet cover for your boat.
1. Look at the shape of your mattress and find the closest standard size to start. We are fortunate that our mattress on board is pretty close to a full size. The foot cuts in a bit but not too much. The chart will help determine the amount of fabric needed. You may want to take the boat mattress and make a pattern out of brown paper or an inexpensive shower curtain that way you can account for any odd angles. Allow about 12"of overhang depending on how deep your mattress is, how much space you have on the side of the berth or if you are going to tuck the coverunder the mattress. (You see that a lot on those big fancy yachts!)
NOTE: The above chart is for one side. 
Recently both Good Old Boat and Sailrite provided ideas for covering pushpit rails and catbird seats. Simple and straightforward, you too could be sitting pretty.
Good Old Boat (March/April 2013 issue) had an article on covering catbird seats by Clarence Jones that is easy enough for a non sewer. He used iron on fabric mending tape to create the seams and snaps to hold the cover on.
Sailrite just did a video too. They sewed the hems and used Velcro to fasten the cover.
They both used home foam insulation underneath.
Either way would make a nice comfortable perch for any catbird.
March 2013
Blog Dedication:
This post is dedicated to my cat, Stella, who will not be cruising with us as she has gone to the rainbow bridge