THE BEST NAUTICAL FABRICS FOR THE BOAT AWNING
The market offers a variety of fabrics for making awnings and nautical covers. LThe boat awning is a precious companion on long voyages, cruises and weekend outings. In fact, this nautical cover, present on dinghies, cabin cruisers and yachts, protects the crew from the sun, but also from atmospheric agents, such as wind, rain and spray. It also repairs on-board fittings, such as seats and sundecks, as well as the delicate navigation tools needed to safely steer the boat.et's see which are the most popular, what characteristics they have and how to choose the most suitable fabric for your needs.
If you need a new awning for your boat or the time has come to replace the old one, it is good to choose the right product, starting from the fabric with which it is made. No less than other components, such as the frame, hinges and fixing accessories, the fabric of the awning is essential and the degree of comfort, effectiveness and durability of our outing companion derives from its material.
The essential requirements of a good nautical fabrica
In general, the fabric of the awning must filter the sun's rays and resist salt and water. It is also important that it is robust and resistant over time, as well as not deteriorating in terms of texture and color, even if it remains outdoors and exposed to the elements.
Nowadays nautical fabrics undergo a special resin treatment on the surfaces which prevents the development of mold and makes them much more resistant to tearing.
There are currently 4 best waterproof fabrics for awnings: resin-coated polyester, resin-coated acrylic, PVC and Crystal. Let's see in this guide what their specific characteristics are in order to better orient your choice.
RESIN-COATED POLYESTER: HIGH YIELD AND LITTLE MAINTENANCE
Among the best nautical fabrics for making boat awnings is resin-coated polyester. It is a very light synthetic fabric weighing just 200 grams per square metre. On the market it is generally also sold cut, with rolls of 170 cm in height.
It is ideal for making small awnings that can be installed on boats, dinghies and small cabin cruisers using aluminum or light steel structures. But it also lends itself very well to making small covers for on-board components, such as console covers, seat covers and backrest covers.
On one of the two sides, the resin-coated polyester is coated with particular acrylic resins which ensure excellent durability over time, but above all excellent impermeability and resistance to atmospheric agents. Among its advantages is also the fact that it requires minimal maintenance.
On our website we offer AIRTEX® Classic 100% polyester resin-coated fabric. Click HERE to discover all the color variations!
RESIN-COATED ACRYLIC: GREAT RESISTANCE AND WATERPROOF
Another option for the nautical fabric for boat awnings is resin-coated acrylic. It is a higher quality fabric than resin polyester, more robust and durable, more resistant to UV rays and bad weather and highly waterproof. All qualities that are also revealed by its more consistent specific weight: about 320 grams per square metre.
Thanks to its technical characteristics, resin-coated acrylic can be used for the construction of medium or large awnings, with a steel structure, so that they can support its greater weight. Furthermore, it is also recommended for making hoods, closures, winch covers, rudder covers or mainsail covers. This fabric is also sold by the meter and the roll is 152cm wide.
Discover our SUNBRELLA® Plus and SAULEDA® Sea Star Special proposals.
PVC: IDEAL FOR AWNINGS AND WINTER COVERS
Pvc is widely used in making awnings and boat covers.
It is a synthetic fabric which is in fact characterized by its high tensile strength, tearing, sunlight and bad weather. It is especially ideal for making winter covers for boats, for example during storage when yachts and cabin cruisers remain exposed to dust, rain, wind, humidity and low temperatures for long months. It is also used to make medium-large console and seat covers.
We at Nettuno Marine Equipment mainly use two single-coated PVC fabrics: VALMEX® NAUTICA LEICHTR to make lighter summer covers and POLYMAR® NAUTICA BOAT LINE for heavier winter covers.
You can find them both HERE in four color variations!
CRYSTAL: WATERPROOF AND BREATHABLE
Finally, one of the most recent materials for nautical awnings is Cristal.
It is a completely water-repellent PVC resin-based transparent film with low thermal conductivity. It is ideal for hoods and windows, because it is transparent and resistant to UV rays. Another very important property is that it is breathable, so it avoids retaining water and giving rise to the formation of mould. On the nautical market it is present in different types.
On our site you can find it in two thicknesses, which are the ones most used by yachtsmen: 5 and 8 tenths of a millimetre. Click HERE to discover its features.
In particular, the 5 tenths of a millimeter one is more suitable for creating small windows in the sheets. While the 8 tenths of a millimeter one is perfect for medium-large sized windows, such as those of complete hoods or sprayhoods.
We hope that through this overview of the main nautical fabrics and their essential characteristics you will have the clearest ideas on which to choose. With the right fabric, your boat will certainly not only be more protected and safe, but also more beautiful!
