How to Make a Boat Windshield Sunshade

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If you have a boat with a large windshield, you know that the sun can really heat up the cabin. To keep it cooler down below and to protect the seating and dashboard inside from the sun's harsh UV rays, you can use a windshield sunshade on the outside of the windows. A sunshade will not only block light from your cabin but it also provides an extra level of privacy. Scroll down to watch remaining videos.

Video Chapters:

Calculating Fabric & Patterning Material Required – 1:12 min.
Making the Pattern – 3:55 min.
Patterning Marine Vinyl Mesh – 18:54 min.
Creating Facings – 21:37 min.
Basting & Sewing Facing – 25:09 min.
Joining Shade Halves – 28:47 min.
Sewing Binding on Sides – 32:22 min.
Creating Velcro Flaps – 35:37 min.
Making Side Panels – 40:20 min.
Installing SNADs – 48:50 min.
Installing Gypsy Studs – 49:46 min.
Positioning & Installing Snaps – 58:40 min.
Overview – 1:17:13 min.
Materials List – 1:20:31 min.

Materials List:

Filament Strapping Tape 3/4" – #5643
Seamstick 3/8" Basting Tape for Canvas (50 yds.) – #129
Dura-Skrim^® Patterning Material 74" – #103134
Phifertex^® Plus Vinyl Mesh Black 54" Fabric – #124511
Seamstick 3/8" Basting Tape for Sailmaking & Vinyl (50 yds.) – #659
Sailrite^® Tex 92 Black PTFE Lifetime Thread 4 oz. (825 yds.) – #107130
Sunbrella Acrylic Bias Binding Tape Black – #124900
Polyester Black Loop – #105036
Polyester Black Hook – #105035
3M™ Tape Primer 94 Adhesive Promoter – 8 oz. #104166 or Ampule #120671
3M™ Silane Glass Treatment AP115 4 oz. – #120678
YKK^® SNAD^® Fastener Adhesive-Backed Flexible Base Stud Black 25mm – #103649
YKK^® SNAD^® Fastener Adhesive-Backed Domed Stud Black 40mm – #103587
SnapRite^® Fastener Gypsy Stud 3/16" (Nickel-Plated Brass) – #104236
DOT^® Snap Fastener Normal Action Socket (Nickel-Plated Brass) – #333050
SnapRite^® Snap Fastener Button 11/64" (Nickel-Plated Brass) – #104151

Tools List:

Tape Measure 120" – #102986
Multiuse Pins 1-1/2" (250 pack) – #102985
Scribe-All^® Water Soluble White Marking Pencil – #120681
Grease Marking Pencil Yellow – #111002
Gingher^® 8" Scissors Right Handed – #19104
Sailrite^® Canvas Patterning Ruler – #107040
Sailrite^® Ultrafeed^® LS Walking Foot Sewing Machine – #311502
Deluxe 5-1/2" Magnetic Sewing Guide – #103597
Sailrite^® Swing-Away Binder – #100103
Sailrite^® Edge Hotknife Package – #103800
Easy Fit Kit in Waterproof Box - Snap Positioning System – #102565
Sailrite^® SnapRite^® System Complete Kit – #104500
Marker, Office Clamps

Making your own custom windshield sunshade is a straightforward sewing project that will give you a taut, custom-fitted screen. We’ll show you how to sew your own boat windshield sunshade step-by-step in this how-to video.

How to Make a Boat Windshield Sun Shade Video 2 — Sunshade installed on the windshield.

We recommend making your sunshades out of a marine mesh fabric. These fabrics filter the light to keep you cooler and provide privacy while still letting you see out and take advantage of the view from your boat. For our shades, we chose Phifertex^® Plus mesh in black, which offers about a 90% shade factor. To allow more light into your cabin, you could also opt for a traditional Phifertex with a shade factor of about only 70%. We should point out that while Phifertex Mesh doesn’t let people see into your cabin during the day, at night when you have lights on in the cabin then silhouettes can be seen from outside. To give you a better idea of the privacy and visibility with the Phifertex Plus fabric we used, we filmed a short video to show you exactly how these screens perform during the day and at night.

Our windshield cover features three distinct pieces: two side panels and one main panel that stretches across the entire windshield proper. This main panel was made in two pieces that we seamed together and features hook-and-loop flaps along each side to attach it to the side panels. The side panels are optional and are set up in such a way that they look seamless when installed, but can easily be left off as well. In addition to the hook and loop, gypsy studs are also used to create a smooth transition between the side and main panels.

How to Make a Boat Windshield Sun Shade Video 3 — from inside the cabin with the sunshade installed.

The sunshade is secured to the windshield via snap fasteners. On our boat, we didn’t have a clean area in which to drill into the fiberglass to install screw studs for our snaps so we opted to use YKK^® SNAD^® adhesive-backed studs instead. We recommend using a plastic SNAD wherever possible on flat surfaces. Plastic SNADs are not suitable for curved or uneven surfaces; in these instances, silicone SNADs should be used instead. In the video, we explain in detail how to properly prime the surface for these studs and how to install them for the maximum hold. We strongly recommend that you use 3M™ Tape Primer 94 Adhesive Promoter before installing the SNADs. Using the primer will result in the best adhesion over a long period of time. We also show you how to use the Easy Fit Kit to accurately position the snaps in your sunshade to perfectly align with the studs already on the boat.

In this video, you’ll learn how to pattern, sew facing, bind the edges and install snaps to make your own windshield sunshades. The video demonstrates this process on a powerboat, but the same techniques can also be used to create sunshades for an RV.

Since filming this video, we now carry Soltis^® 86 by Serge Ferrari, an open weave mesh that is ideal for sunshades in boats, RVs and homes. The fabric's excellent dimensional stability means you can use fewer snaps in your windshield installation without the mesh stretching or wrinkling — this means fewer holes in your boat.