Dinghy Seat Cover and Storage Solution

Oddjob does not have a forward storage compartment.  Nick Nack did.  Many dinghies don't.

Inside OddJob - bow

Instead, they have seat covers with built-in storage.  A good, alternative idea.

Big pocket in front

I have been keeping my eye out at all the dinghy docks for design ideas so I could make one for OddJob.
I took pics of designs I liked and then hit the web.  There is a Facebook Group called Sewing On Boats - SOB.  Seriously, that is the nickname.  Ha!  I searched there for good ideas.  Sure enough, my fellow SOB's had designed and sewn some of their own.  I found one I really liked.  Jan had done a terrific job on hers.  I commented and asked a few questions.

Smaller pocket, long, skinny pocket and two drink holders

Soon we were chatting on FB Messenger - me in Martinique and she in The Bahamas.  She answered all my questions, sent more detailed pics and guidance and gave me encouragement.  "Keep me posted on how it goes."

Design, layout and cutting phase

I wanted to use up some of the leftover fabric pieces I have.  However, I wanted it to look nice as well - not too hodgepodge.  I THOUGHT I had enough fabric.  It turned out I really didn't for my type of sewing...."D-oh!  Damn it!  I cut it too small.  Argh Sabrina!" 

Not much leftover

However, I pieced and patched, using the same two fabric colors - grey and black as well as good amount of webbing and was just able to pull it off.

Expansion when needed

Velcro'd when extra space is not needed

I had some old, used zippers from our old dodger/bimini but I decided not to use them.  I didn't think they would hold up in the harsh environment that the dinghy has to take.  Additionally, I simply didn't have ANY spare fabric to make zipper covers and such.  Plus.....honest truth is....zipper are not my forte.  They intimidate me.  Instead, I decided to go with Velcro.  I love Velcro.  I am the princess of Velcro.  

What is in here?  

As with ALL canvas boat projects, the size is weird, odd shaped and not symmetrical.  But that is standard by now....that all canvas projects will not be standard.  Does that make sense?  Anyway, I used a plastic drop cloth to design the pattern and check it before I started cutting on canvas.  This doesn't mean I still didn't do some swearing when I cut the fabric wrong/too short.  But, I was developing it as I went, working with the spare fabric I had.  Really quite tough doing it that way.

Drink holder

Additionally, I was doing all this on the water.  Oddjob is in the water working as our dinghy.  I could have hauled him to the beach but it wasn't really necessary for just the seat.  However, it still wasn't easy.  I sometimes feel bad when I see all the beautiful, perfect canvas projects that fellow SOB's create.  Why can't mine have more of a finished looked?  Then I noticed in the pics from fellow SOB that whatever they are sewing it is sitting in someone's garage/basement/dinning room aka they created it on land....where stuff doesn't move....where there is room to spread out yards of fabric absolutely FLAT.....where the wind doesn't blow your pattern/material around as you try to fit it!  Mind you not all, but many, many are created on solid land.

Long, skinny pocket for say.....a bamboo outboard handle.  Note the drain hole

Anyway, I used our bed, the cabin sole and our main table in the salon to design, pattern, cut and sew my dinghy seat cover.  It turned out pretty good.  Anyway, good enough for us as I always say.

One last look - webbing with quick release clips under the seat keep it all place

  

New Dinghy - OddJob

Woo Hoo - looking good

The new dinghy is here.  The new dinghy is here.  The new dinghy is here.

A-OK

For you land people, that is our car.....so.....The new car is here.  The new car is here.

Nice!

Tom has never had a new car.  In the past, I always got the new car since I was roaming around various states with my sales job.  Additionally, we usually drive our cars until the wheels come off so to speak.  Tom's jeep had approx 475,000 miles on it when he sold it.

weeeeee

Sidenote - As long as we were getting new, we got the flying dinghy model.  Just kidding.  This is OddJob flying out of the sailloft.

Still weird - boats should not fly

It seems we are no different when it comes to dinghies.  Nick Nack (our old dinghy) was 18 years old.  That is really old and quite frankly, amazing down here in the Caribbean with the harsh conditions.  But he was/is well built.  He has served us well.  But he was getting tired, so tired.  I have shared with you some of our efforts to get "just one more year" service out of Nick Nack.  The dinghy cover.  The dinghy paint.  Patches and 5200.  Besides being old and tired, Nick Nack is also very, very heavy.  He is a double hulled fiberglass dinghy.  He weighs 150 lbs alone by himself.  Now add an outboard motor, fuel tank, and passengers.  Plus some water that leaks in through the bottom hull.  Heavy dude.

The dinghy fleet.  We are currently trying to sell Nick Nack to a good home

So we knew we needed to get a new dinghy.  Better to get one now in a place with selection and pricing options vs someplace in the middle of nowhere.

New chaps - notice the yellow reflective ribbon?  

That is the main reason we came to Martinique.

Woman who made OddJob's new dinghy chaps.  FYI - French don't call them chaps.

We shopped.  We made our choice.  They (Clipper Ship) were out of our choice.  "Shipment is coming in."  Turns out even though this is France, it is also the Caribbean and so "island time, mon" .

But it arrived - finally.  And it is wonderful.

Christing - OddJob

Meet OddJob.  An AB 9.5 ft aluminum (al-you-min-ee-um for your Brits).  He weighs a mere 95 lbs.  Why OddJob?  James Bond of course!  Oddjob was the lethal hat throwing henchman that worked for Auric Goldfinger in the 1959 book / 1964 movie "Goldfinger."

OddJob, James Bond and Auric Goldfinger

Al-you-min-ee-um - powerd coated

We have witnessed first hand the power of dinghy chaps.  Attempting to make dinghy chaps for a new, bigger, different dinghy while it was in the water seemed like a complicated project that I just wasn't up for.  I made Nick Nack's cover while he was on the hard in Trinidad and I had plenty of room at Coral Cove Marina to lay out the fabric at the covered pool area.  Not so much here.  So we decided to have Incidence Voile sail loft here in Martinique make dinghy chaps.  They did a terrific job.

A SEAT!  I have never had a seat.  I must practise my princess wave

The price for chaps was reasonable at $725E (duty free).  I spent $250US on material alone on Nick Nack's chaps + beer.  I have had for some time reflective ribbon, two sections - one orange and one neon yellow.  I put the orange on Nick Nack's chaps.  Even today, despite the fact that the orange ribbon is very worn, it still reflects when hit with a flashlight at night.  I dug out the unused neon yellow reflective ribbon and the sail loft put it on.  They had never seen anything like that.

Do you see the bow design?  Oddjob's bow is curved up much higher.  When we dinghied back to sv Honey Ryder in Sainte Anne from the sail loft in le Marin (no small distance!) I didn't get splashed once.  Not once, I tell you!  Not once!!  For comparison, if we had been in Nick Nack, I would have been soaking wet on one side from waves.  Dry I tell you!!!

New stainless steel bling to protect Oddjob

We are busy adding all the personal things that make a dinghy yours like you would a car....only it is dinghy things - chain, chafe gear, new painter, lifting mechanism, lights, anchor, storage, floor matting etc...

Tom heading out - look at those chaps!

Thank you Nick Nack for all your service and for taking care of us.  Hello OddJob, we look forward to many adventures and exploration with you.

Jeremie - new owner of Nick Nack

Update - Nick Nack still had some life left in him.  We put the word out - "old but good dinghy for sale - cheap."   A young French couple that live on their boat with two small school age kids bought Nick Nack.  They work ashore and the kids go to school ashore as well.  They were trying to juggle all that with just one dinghy.  This was the perfect new home for Nick Nack.