Kemah Canvas Shop ?

[Eddie]

I need to have a new bimini built-frame and canvas. Can anyone recommend someone that is responsible and does very good work in the kemah area? Thanks

[djmarchand]

It has been quite a while since I have used them, but Banks Sails located on FM 2094 near Watergate did a great job on a bimini and a new foresail.

David

[AnchorageGuy]

Eddie, We have used Banks also with very good results. We did try some others in the area and could never get them to show up for the estimates.

[Jetexas]

I haven't used her yet, but there's a lady that posts on Craiglist under the name Bayview Upholstery. She quoted $250 to redo my v-berth. She must be hungry for work because she called twice this past week trying to close the deal and get me to bring my stuff in. I haven't decided if it's worth it yet, but she seems like a nice woman. You can always just use it as a comparison quote. 281-339-1309.

[RainDog]

Another vote for Banks. I have used them for sail work (twice) and canvas work (once). All three times they did exactly what they said they would at the price they quoted and finished in under a week. I was very happy with the quality and speed all three times.

[Ocean Girl]

Rodney with Boat Fashions, very good work, reasonable prices. Banks is fantastic too. Mike Sorenson is very good but he can be slow (very).
Erika

[Sailmonkey]

I'll Vote another for Banks (actually it's north canvas and upolstery, they share the building with banks). They just built our dodger, and I'm very pleased!!!! Contact suzan scruggs there for a quote.

[Irwin325]

I vote Banks also, Trent has allway been fair and quick.

Anyone know whats with the rigger they work with though? I had him come by and he told me some funny things about my rig that turned out to be completly untrue. Stix took weeks to return calls then I was turned on to Hayes rigging. They were fast to responed and fast to do the work. Haven't wanted to say anything to Banks about, Charlie I believe was there riggers name. Maybe I will next time I need sails tended to.

sorry for the rant, Banks has made my 2 yo 110 and my 1.5 yo main. Then added 2ft to my mainsail cover. Been very happy with'em.

[Eddie]

Thanks for the recommendations. Banks seems to get the most pos. responses. I was going to use Brian at Dockside Canvas,but he seems to have closed his shop and doesn't return phone calls. I will try Banks and also Rodney. Thanks again

[Tony B]

Originally Posted by Ocean Girl

....... Mike Sorenson is very good but he can be slow (very).
Erika

If this is the Mike Sorensen in Kemah/League City area, we have very different experiences. his work absolutely sucks. everything from poor fit to poor quality. He had a woman working for him that was pretty good but she left him. When confronted with some items needing to be re-done his statement was "Do you think it's fair that I do this for free?". My answer was "So, I paid you to do it, and now I have to pay you again to do it right?"
Don't take my word for it. Come by and see his work. My cell number is 281-687-9525. The boat is in Blue Dolphin Marina in Seabrook. I will be only too glad to give you a tour of a really bad job. He took 2 months to sew in some webbing for me on the 3 small doorways. Then after 2 more months, he had 3 big panels in which he partially re-did one panel and not the 2 others yet. I took them all back from him this past Friday and am having someone else make them right. He has't fixed the Flybridge enclosure yet either. Why should he? He was paid in full in January.
It would be in your best interest to see his work first before you give him any money.

[Ocean Girl]

Thanks for the heads up tony, sorry for your troubles. He was a neighbor of mine and I saw quite a bit of his work on his boat and his friends boat. I thought it was good. Maybe there is a consistency problem, especially when he is usually a one man show. The girl that worked for him was Brenda, she had never done canvas before, Mike taught her. She had great work ethics.
Anyways, I hope you get some justice.

[Driftwoods]

We just had come canvas work done by TNT Marine Canvas and Upholstery

Quality and responsiveness are easily the best I've encountered so far from any marine service provider. Deb is going to get a lot more of my business and is someone you should consider.

[Tony B]

Originally Posted by Ocean Girl

... I saw quite a bit of his work on his boat and his friends boat. I thought it was good. Maybe there is a consistency problem, especially when he is usually a one man show. ......

There probably is inconsistany. Here is a sample of his work on my boat.

Mike Sorensen Canvas and Upholstery Kemah, Tx

[Tony B]

Originally Posted by Ocean Girl

............ The girl that worked for him was Brenda, she had never done canvas before, Mike taught her. She had great work ethics.........

I dont remember her name (not a very good photo) but Mike depended on her for almost everything. She seemed very nice. She quit on about the 2nd or 3rd day out here. I think she was invited to go with someone on a very long cruise.
BTW, did you live up in this area or was Mike down there?
I lived in Rockport for about 9 months - we were Hurricane Katrina refugees from Slidell, La. That is the opposite side of the lake from New Orleans.

[Ocean Girl]

I lived in watergate aboard my Cape Dory 30, he was across from me. One night he fell in the water and nearly drown. I just happened to hear him, though I was cozy in my bunk drifting off to sleep. He didn't yell or even really splash, he was deep in his cups if ya know what I mean. By the time i got to him he was underwater. thankfully he didn't drag me down.

He is a really nice guy, sorry to hear his work was lame, again what I saw seemed really good. Brenda was a sweetie! Hopefully she is onto greener pastures.

BTW, I pulled another drunk guy out of the water a couple weeks later, that is when I decided to move over to Waterford, as an OR nurse I had enough excitement in my life, pulling big guys out of the water in my jammies crossed the line .

We love Rockport. Our boat is over in Port A at Island Moorings but we are moving over to Corpus for a slightly shorter drive from Austin.

Cheers,
Erika