How to Make a Companionway Cover

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The cabin on your sailboat should be as cozy as home (since for some of you it is home!). A little extra natural light or a cool breeze can go a long way in making the cabin more comfortable. Instead of wrangling with wooden hatch boards all season, you can make your own custom companionway cover to improve your cabin comfort.

Video Chapters:

Taking Measurements – 0:19 min.
Sewing Double Hem – 5:50 min.
Installing Screen – 10:02 min.
Creating Screen Cover – 13:20 min.
Adding Roll-up Strap – 18:12 min.
Installing Snap Fasteners – 22:38 min.
Fastening Cover to Hatch – 24:47 min.
Using Finished Cover – 26:39 min.
Materials List – 27:59 min.

Materials List:

Sunbrella^® Marine Grade Marine Blue 60" Fabric – #4678-0000
Seamstick 3/8" Basting Tape for Canvas – #129
Tex 90 UV Bonded Polyester Thread or Lifetime Thread
Phifertex^® Standard Vinyl Mesh Black 54" Fabric (#388111) or Plastipane 30 Gauge Vinyl Window Material 54" x 170" Sheet (#103439)
Nylon Hook Black – #100255
Nylon Loop Black – #100256
Sunbrella^® Acrylic Bias Binding Tape Marine Blue – #103593
SnapRite^® Fastener Cloth-to-Cloth Set (Nickel-Plated Brass) – #104909
SnapRite® Fastener Cloth-to-Surface Set 3/8" Screw (Nickel-Plated Brass) – #104911
YKK^® SNAD^® Fastener Adhesive-Backed Flexible Base Stud White 25mm – #103652
3M™ Tape Primer 94 - Adhesive Promoter 8 oz. – #104166

Tools List:

Tape Measure 120" – #102986
Soapstone Fabric Marking Pencil White – #102766
Sailrite^® Ultrafeed^® LS Walking Foot Sewing Machine – #311502
Deluxe 5/1-2" Magnetic Sewing Guide – #103597
Sailrite^® Edge Hotknife Package – #103800
Sailrite^® SnapRite^® System (4 Dies & 100 Mandrels) – #104237
Seam Ripper Deluxe – #18104
Ruler, Scissors

Crete your own companionway

How to Make a Companionway Cover Video 2

Our new how-to video showcases how to measure for and create your own companionway cover with a roll-up flap. We recommend using Sunbrella^® Marine Grade Fabric for the cover and either a Phifertex^® Mesh screen to allow for airflow or a clear vinyl window for extra light. The roll-up flap can be secured over the window or screen to provide privacy.

Companionway covers fit over the companionway door and attach with snaps so they are easy to install and remove. An added bonus with these covers is that they can also attach over the wooden hatch boards to protect them from the weather and sun, so you can spend less time varnishing and more time on the water.