2026 Archive : Honey, I Shrunk the Boat

Project Details

Fabric 1

Sunbrella
Producer/Manufacturer: Glen Raven Custom Fabrics LLC
Primary Use: Main Fabric

Fabric 2

Tuffak AR2
Producer/Manufacturer: Plaskolite
Primary Use: Window

Fabric 3

StrataGlass
Producer/Manufacturer: Strataglass LLC
Primary Use: Window

Fabric 4

GatorStep EVA Flooring
Producer/Manufacturer: GatorStep LLC
Primary Use: Flooring

Fabric 5

Soft Touch Material
Producer/Manufacturer: Marlen Textiles
Primary Use: Additional Fabric

Design Name
Kyle Van Damme

Design Company
Marine Tops Unlimited

Fabrication Name
Kyle Van Damme

Fabrication Company
Marine Tops Unlimited

Installation Name
Kyle Van Damme

Installation Company
Marine Tops Unlimited

Please describe the project specifications

This little mini boat has been a vision of mind for many years and I finally was able to get the ball rolling and get it finished. It acts as a display boat in our showroom and the various events and boat shows we display at. The boat started at a blank hull that is about 7' long and designed for kids. They are fabricated with electric jet pump propulsion when a steering wheel and throttle system that is fully functional in the boat but also able to be overridden from shore by a parent using a remote control. The idea is to get kids into boating and learning how to drive a boat with the safety net of a parent on shore that can keep them out of danger or assume control of the boat when needed. I purchased the hull from the guy that was building these as a rough aluminum hull and took it to a friend of mine that runs an automotive body shop. He was able to sand all the welds smooth and pain the hull using some left over blue paint for the Mercury Racing motors. Before I took him the hull, I designed and fabricated a windshield and dash setup for the boat which he was also able to sand and paint to resemble an actual glass or fiberglass windshield. There is a picture included of the finished product before we started to add all our our goodies to it.

What is unique or complex about the project?

Once we got the boat back, we started working on building the 3 bow stainless steel frame and then fabricated a Sunbrella bimini top and enclosure panels that zip to the top first. The front window panel is made with Tuffak AR2 polycarbonate and the side windows are StrataGlass. The rear aft curtain has a screen in it to show that option to our customers as well. We also fabricated a bottom windshield cockpit cover for this boat made out of Tempotest material as well as a full boat travel cover made using SoftTouch material with the soft inside lining that also doubles as the way we strap the boat down to the cart for transport. We designed and installed some various GatorStep EVA flooring pieces on the rear swim step and bow areas of the boat with some cool designs. We also built several different woven vinyl floor mats for the inside of the cockpit area of the boat using flooring from Infinity LWV and Corinthian Marine. I did custom fabricate a floor in the boat as well as a little seat and deck over what would be the motor compartment. In the near future, we will be designing and creating some little upholstery pieces to act as seats and a sun pad to further display to our customers our capabilities and services we offer at our shop.

This little display boat gets soo many looks and draws a ton of attention for us at the boat shows. The kids love it and the adults usually ask if we sell them before they even notice we do canvas, upholstery, and marine flooring. Its a great attention getter and works awesome for being able to display the products and services we can offer to our customers!

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