How to Enclose a Boat Canopy

Adding walls to enclose the canopied area on your boat gives you the option to avoid both weather and prying eyes. Adding canvas walls maintains both the nautical tradition of canvas deck houses and your ability to navigate in relative comfort. It even lets you use your boat -- and its enclosed canopy -- as a floating duck blind, if the canopy can be removed or rolled back.

Things You'll Need

  • Measuring tape
  • Marine canvas
  • Shears
  • Punch
  • Grommet kit
  • Small ball-peen hammer
  • Plastic wire ties
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Instructions

    • 1

      Measure the length, height and width of the area covered by the canopy, using a measuring tape. Cut three sheets of marine canvas, two as long and as high as the area enclosed by the canopy, using heavy shears. Cut two sheets of marine canvas as high and as wide as the area covered by the canopy.

    • 2

      Punch a small hole in each corner of each canvas panel, 1 inch from the the top of the panel, using a punch. Remember, all the panels have the same height. Punch evenly spaced holes, -- no more than 4 inches apart and all 1 inch from the same side -- between the holes in the corners, along the length of each panel.

    • 3

      Place the male part of a metal grommet from a grommet kit, through one hole in the canvas. Place the female part of the grommet over the male part of the grommet. Set both parts of the grommet, and the canvas trapped between the parts, on the anvil that comes with the grommet kit.

    • 4

      Strike the grommet sharply with a small ball-peen hammer to set the grommet. Repeat, until a grommet is located at each corner and every 6 inches along the top of each canvas panel.

    • 5

      Insert plastic wire ties through the grommets on the canvas and around the frame supporting the canopy.