Replacing Upholstery

Archie just called and said the skins did ship yesterday afternoon. I should have them around wed next week.

Sure, I have the wooden bases for the cushions only, the part that sits on the floor is all plastic on my 89. If thats what you need I'll get some pics this weekend.

Got home last night and there was a "delivery notice" in my mailbox for a large parcel from Copycat. I left instructions to redeliver today so hopefully I'll have them in hand this afternoon.

Got them unboxed yesterday. Initial impression is good. The material seems to be good quality, stitching looks good. Hopefully ill start testing it for fit this weekend.

You had a busy day, looks like they sized them pretty well. All in all I would say nice job, especially for not having done them before. the back corner back rests are a real bear. The learning curve part is frustrating, you know so much more when you have finished the last piece than you did at the start of the first one. I can understand the temptation to go back and re-do some, but I would caution against it unless one is really bugging you. It is difficult to reapply skins after the waste has been trimmed and staples have been removed. they just get more and more fragile. If you think a little more stretch to a small area would help go for it, but be carefull with removing the whole thing. I figure a wrinkle or two in trade for the money saved is not a bad deal. Congrats on the nice work.

Thanks guys. You can really see the wrinkle in that last picture. That was the first of the curved pieces I did and is the worst one. I figure no one will notice once its installed and in use.

I got a tip from a guy on my local boating board, he suggested putting the skins in the dryer on low heat before install to help soften them up and make them easier to stretch. I must say, that worked amazingly well. Between that and the plastic on top of the foam, most of them slid right into place.

Captains chair

The side bolsters on that seat were kind of ornery, I removed staples, tested and re-did more on those two pieces than I did on the rest of it combined I think.

But I did want this one to be as good as possible, after all it is where I spend most of my time when I'm in the boat.

When my skins arrive I should just send it all down to you.
Anything else fresh in your mind in the tips department? The clothes dryer was great.

BTW, can someone psot a picture of their motor box with the black plastic hinges? I'd like to see how the hinges are mounted in relation to the outer layer of vinyl. Do they go through the outside of the vinyl but are covered by carpet? How about on the inside? I'm pretty sure the hinges are on top of the inner layer of vinyl but dont have any photos to confirm (the only piece i didnt photograph as I took it apart)

Hey Chris,
Its been pouring rain here for two days so I haven't been able to get the boat uncovered and take a pic of the engine cover hinge. If you still need it I'll get it tomorrow after work.

I read your synopsis of CopyCat on the other thread. Very informative and I thought very fair. I have to admit I was ready to pull the trigger with them since they were significantly less expensive than Nautique skins, but as you hit on in your review, if they miss my schedule as badly this time of year, I will miss ski time.

Chris,
Here's a pic of my hinge. On the outside of the engine cover the carpet at the base covers the screw heads.Let me know if you could use something else.

Got the rear seats, motor box and drivers seat installed. You can also see the new carpet, and the results of the wetsanding although these pics arent great to show that really. I'll have to dig out some "before" photos later.

Also installed the Bimini at the wifes request for the 2yr old.

Hey Chris,
Also in Bama, just wondering where you are. Couldn't find a way to send you a message on the forum, you got it all sewn up there. Send me a private message or something.

Britt

Finally getting a chance to see your outcome. Everything looks very nice. CopyCat's quality looks just fine.
From my perspective it seems like you got it all back together pretty quickly too. I'm still waiting on my skins but I'll probably be asking a question or 2 when I get started.
All in all, despite your long wait you're probably done in perfect time for the start of the season in Alabama.