Making boat bumper covers

Today's crafty project was to make some covers for our bumpers.  I know, you can buy them.....but they're "pricey" and I'm a cheapo!  Plus, they're super simple....

This all starts with our poker table.....I ordered some fabric from an Ebay person who had yards and yards of fabric that she had used to drape tables for some seminar.  It was the perfect green for a poker table cover. 

I ended up with many yards of the stuff for the outrageous price of $11.....

And I ran across the bag of extra cloth the other day and noticed that it was a very similar color to Sunbrella Persian Green!  

The fabric is just a jersey knit.  We'll have to see if it holds up - but if it doesn't, I'm just out a couple of hours labor.


Here's one of the bumpers (fenders)

I just started by draping the fabric and marking approximate measurements.

I made pockets  in each end for a small string.  Nothing had to be too exact because it's stretchy! 

Then re-measured around the bumper just to make sure....then sewed up the "sock" leaving the pockets for the string free.

Used one of Duane's fids to push the string thru the pockets.

All done!!

Pretty simple!  We only use these when we're at docks when we're away from Pecan Grove.  Our slip at Pecan Grove is wide and we don't need bumpers, so these will be stowed most of the time.

We also have a really big bumper....comes in handy when the winds are really strong.  As you can see, it's been up against some nasty pilings.....

Same process for it - doesn't that look nice???

Storage for life jackets

We're required by the US Coast Guard to have life preservers readily available.  We've been storing them under the cockpit seats....but that takes up a lot of valuable storage space.

Duane suggested we store them under the fiberglass cockpit cover in the "rafters"......

So, we began designing on-the-fly.

Using the reinforced, plastic coated mesh....we measured and made the basic frame that would hold the life vests.

I had to protect all the edges - so made patches out of the same Sunbrella material left over from other projects.

Turned right-side-out and ready to sew in place.

Several hours later.....the entire thing is reinforced.

Next was putting grommets in for attachment points.

Almost finished!  Bungee cords hold it in place.

All filled up with the life vests!  The blue square is required by the US Coast Guard to be "ready to throw".....

And here's another view.  Nice to have them up, out of the way!

Clams!

The clams that we dug at Ocracoke were spectacular!

I had kept them fresh in saltwater for a couple of days - so they spit out all that "sand and goo".......

Grilled up at Pat and Diane's house at their pool.

And they were truly wonderful!!!