How to Make an Enclosure Front Curtain

X-HT-200663

Continuing with our Full Powerboat Enclosure series, it's time to turn our attention to the front curtain panel. We've already replaced the bimini (#200660XHT) and have fabricated the side curtains of the enclosure (#200661XHT). The front curtain on our boat will attach to the side curtains with zippers and then snap across the front, along the top of the windshield. Let's take a closer look at how these curtain panels come together.

Video Chapters:

Installing Zipper to Bimini Top – 0:39 min.
Basting Pattern Material to Zipper – 3:23 min.
Patterning on Boat – 5:57 min.
Patterning Clear Window Material – 15:19 min.
Making Inside Facing Strips – 20:33 min.
Making Outside Facing Strips – 23:56 min.
Sewing Binding – 29:05 min.
Making Velcro Zipper Closure Flaps – 32:00 min.
Basting Zippers – 38:07 min.
Sewing Zippers & Closure Flaps – 42:17 min.
Installing Top Zipper – 48:16 min.
Installing Snaps – 50:07 min.
Making Window Roll up Straps – 53:00 min.
Materials List – 55:26 min.

Materials List:

YKK^® #10 Black Separating Molded Tooth Zipper (Delrin^® Double Pull Slider) – #104843
Seamstick 1/4" Basting Tape for Canvas & Upholstery – #104167
Sunbrella Acrylic Bias Binding Tape – we used Cocoa, #103018
PremoBond^® Tex 90 (V-92) White UV Bonded Polyester Thread 4 oz. – #123337
Seamstick 3/8" Basting Tape for Canvas – #129
Filament Strapping Tape 3/4" – #5643
O'Sea^® Polished 30 Gauge Vinyl Window Material 54 x 110 Clear – #103734
Marine Grade Fabric – we used Sunbrella^®Marine Grade Tresco Birch 46" Fabric – #4696-0000
Shelter Rite^® Black 61" Fabric – #1120121
Polyester Black Hook – #105032
Polyester Black Loop – #105036
Black Nylon Webbing – #NYLWBK
DOT^® Snap Fastener & Pull-The-DOT^® Eyelet 1/4" (Nickel-Plated Brass) – #333555
DOT^® Snap Fastener Standard Cloth-to-Cloth Stud (Nickel-Plated Brass) – #333100
SnapRite^® Snap Fastener Button 1/4" (Nickel-Plated Brass) – #104154
DOT^® Snap Fastener Hard Action Socket (Nickel-Plated Brass) – #333058

Tools List:

Soapstone Fabric Marking Pencil White – #102766
Tape Measure 120" – #102986
Grease Marking Pencil Yellow – #111002
Sailrite^®Ultrafeed^® LS Walking Foot Sewing Machine – #311502
Sailrite^®1" Swing-Away Binder – #100103
Sailrite^® Edge Hotknife Package – #103800
SnapRite^® Surface Mount Stud Die – #103754
Easy Fit Pin Socket - Snap Positioning System – #102009
Sailrite^®SnapRite^® System (4 Dies & 100 Mandrels) – #104237
Pres-N-Snap Installation Tool – #109011
Scissors, Permanent Marker, Straightedge, Pencil

How to Make an Enclosure Front Curtain 2

Our front curtain is actually made up of three panels that are all attached at the top to the bimini by one long zipper. We chose this three-panel design because our boat has a door in the center of the windshield, so we wanted the center panel to roll up to allow easy access through the door. The roll-up window features webbing straps to keep it in place and hook-and-loop flaps to protect the zippers that run on either side of the roll-up panel. We cover how to make all of these accessories in the video.

As we did for the side curtains, we made the front panel out of 30 Gauge O’Sea® Clear Vinyl Window Material trimmed with Sunbrella® Marine Grade Facing with a Shelter-Rite® Vinyl backing.

In this video, you will learn how to install a zipper to your bimini top, pattern for your panels on your boat, sew facing and zippers, make zipper closure flaps with hook-and-loop, and install snaps along the bottom of the curtain.