How to Make Dinghy Chaps

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When you're on your boat, your dinghy is like your car; it's how you get to shore or to neighboring boats for sundowners. As an important piece of your boating equipment, you'll want to keep it in good working order. Inflatable dinghies, which feature rubber inflatable tubes, are a popular style. Protect the tubes from harmful UV rays and chafing with dinghy chaps, which are like a leave-on cover on the topside of the tubes.
Video Chapters:
  • Determining Materials Required – 0:44 min.
  • Forward Bow Pattern – 02:19 min.
  • Side Bow Pattern – 10:30 min.
  • Side Pattern – 17:36 min.
  • Aft Tube End Pattern – 27:40 min.
  • Patterning & Cutting Fabric – 29:22 min.
  • Reinforcing Slits & Cutouts – 40:34 min.
  • Sewing Sections Together – 1:03:10 min.
  • Determining Inside & Outside Edges – 1:12:53 min.
  • Creating Rub Rail Chafe Protection – 1:15:00 min.
  • Creating Tie Down Opening (optional) – 1:18:34 min.
  • Creating Drawstring Casing – 1:22:23 min.
  • Sewing Inside Hem – 1:29:37 min.
  • Cinching Up Cover – 1:31:47 min.
  • Installing YKK Snads & Snaps – 1:34:37 min.
  • Materials & Tools List – 1:38:09 min.
Materials List:
  • Plastipane 12 Gauge 54" Vinyl Window Material – #102941
  • Sunbrella® Marine Grade 60" Fabric – we used Jockey Red, #6003-0000
  • Phifertex® Standard Vinyl Mesh 54" Fabric – we used Grey, #391111
  • Seamstick 3/8" Basting Tape for Canvas – #129
  • Tex 90 Polyester Thread or Sailrite® Lifetime Thread
  • Shelter-Rite® 61" Fabric – we used Grey, #112015
  • #1 Spur Grommet 5/16" (Nickel-Plated Brass) – #26315
  • New England Sta-Set Double Braid Rope 1/4" (6mm) – color of choice
  • Strap Eye Stainless Steel – #28221
  • Screw Flat Head #6 x 1/2" (Stainless Steel) – #777040
  • Ratchet for 1/4" Line – #122018
  • YKK® SNAD® Fastener Adhesive-Backed Flexible Base Stud Clear 25mm – #104451
  • Snap Fastener Buttons (#333777 or #333010) and Sockets (#333050)
  • Alcohol Prep Pad
Tools List:
  • Tape Measure 120" – #102986
  • Gingher® 8" Scissors Right Handed – #19104
  • Sailrite® Canvas Patterning Ruler – #107040
  • Scratch Awl Yellow – #235411
  • Soapstone Fabric Marking Pencil White – #102766
  • Sailrite® Edge Hotknife Package – #103800
  • Grease Marking Pencil Yellow – #111002
  • Sailrite® Clear Acrylic Ruler 6" x 24" – #102400
  • Sailrite® Ultrafeed® LSZ Walking Foot Sewing Machine – #311602
  • Deluxe 5-1/2" Magnetic Sewing Guide – #103597
  • Comfort Grip Rotary Cutter 60mm – #965511
  • Sailrite® Self Healing Double Sided Cutting Mat 18" x 24" – #123112
  • Sailrite® Rubber Poundo Board 12" x 12" – #123962
  • Sailrite® #2 Hole Cutter 3/8" – #125481
  • #1 Spur Grommet Die Set 5/16" – #18202
  • Barry King Mallet Hammer Style 3# – #68563
  • Trimmable Butyl Tape 1" – #103689
  • 3M™ Tape Primer 94 - Adhesive Promoter – #104166
  • Pres-N-Snap Installation Tool – #109011
  • Permanent Markers, Drill and Bit, Pencil

How to Make Dinghy Chaps

Every dinghy is slightly unique, so the best way to get a precise fit is to have the chaps custom-made. We recently sewed up a set of dinghy chaps for Jim Grant’s dinghy for his Islander 37 sailboat. Watch our step-by-step video to learn how to pattern and sew your own custom dinghy chaps.

How to Make Dinghy Chaps Video 2

The key to getting well-fitted dinghy chaps is careful patterning. We used 12 gauge Plastipane clear vinyl as a pattern material for this project. The clear vinyl was a little sticky against the vinyl of the dinghy, so it stayed in place well while patterning. We also let a tiny bit of air out of the dinghy when we patterned, to ensure a snug finished fit when fully inflated.

We used Sunbrella® Marine Grade fabric for the main body of our dinghy chaps, with Shelter-Rite® vinyl for chafe protection patches. At the aft end of each tube we switched the material to Phifertex® Mesh to help promote water drainage at the rear of the boat. This is an especially good idea for dinghies that plane at faster speeds.

The chaps are secured to the dinghy via a leech line drawstring around the outer edge of the cover that is cinched in place. On the inside of the dinghy, we attached the cover with snaps and YKK® SNAD® fastener studs installed directly onto the side of the dinghy.