I'd done my research.
I knew Shane Beashel completed an apprenticeship and then worked for 15 years in marine upholstery.
I also knew about Shane running his successful marine trimming business for 10 years.
So it was a bit of a shock to find that Shane has a baby face and doesn't look a day over 30! No frown lines? No wrinkles?...
Mmmmm I thought... probably a man who's happy in his work.
I asked Shane more about marine trimming.
'We custom make everything' he replied 'biminis, spray dodgers, link cloths, hatch covers, boom tents... the lot'
'The bimini frames are made from top quality mirror grade stainless steel.
They're hand bent in a workshop right here in Mona Vale.
Then we cut a plastic pattern and use that as a template to sew the covers.
Then we go back and fit.
If a boat needs a link cloth we fit the spray dodger and bimini first and then measure up for the link cloth to be sure it all fits perfectly.
It's a time consuming process... but we're after quality.
After all Hanse produce stunning looking, quality yachts and everything we add to the boat has to be of the same high quality.
The whole look of the boat once the cover has gone on is very important.'
And of course for our SmartBoating boat share owners this is very important since quality fittings increase the re-sale value of their yachts.
I asked Shane about the biggest canvas he ever worked on....
'Well we did all the covers for Wild Oats X1' Shane answered with a smile.
'The boom tent needed 100 metres of canvas - we took it to the local park to cut it out as there wasn't room in the workshop.
It was a complex shape due to the curve of the yacht and the changing angle from the boom to the deck as you work your way from bow to stern.
There's not much room for error - just a 1/4 inch tolerance between a perfectly smooth finish and a wrinkle in the cloth.
Mmmmmm.... there seems to be a pattern developing here...
... no wrinkles anywhere in this workshop.'
You can read more about Shane and see more examples of his work on his website.
Return from Marine Trimming to our Contractors at Bayview Anchorage Marina
Return from Marine Trimming to Boat Share home
