Category: Newsroom

The South Florida Refit season is upon us, and here in Fort Lauderdale we always enjoy seeing the superyachts cruising into yards for maintenance, refits and a refresh of their soft furnishing upholstery. 

At Eclipse Yacht Furnishings, we’re within easy reach of most South Floridian yards and ready to supply you with your interior and exterior yacht cushions, luxury furnishings and canvas awnings. We come directly to your yacht, whichever refit yard or marina you are in – and faster than you might think.

Our Fort Lauderdale Head Quarters is located close to the highway, so we don’t get any traffic hold-ups at lights or trains to delay us. It’s just one hour on the road to Rybovich at West Palm Beach, with the same journey time to Palm Harbour, Palm Beach. We can even be with you in two hours if you’re docked at Derecktor, Jupitor – no problem!

How we Digitize your Refit in Rybovitch

Our team will meet you in whichever South Floridian Refit Yard you are based in and we need just one appointment on board your yacht. This allows us to digitally record all your furnishings needing a refit. Using our super accurate Prodim Proliner 3-D tool we create one digital record detailing all areas that you would like us to refit. Then our team of professional artisans create millimeter-perfect, bespoke upholstery for all your onboard yacht furnishings.

Being based in Fort Lauderdale, if it’s sun lounger pads you need in Bahia Mar, or our no mold MX AirMaze cushions in Hilton Pier 66 – we are just ten minutes away!  

We can design, create and replace your deck cushions for you and keep them in storage until you need them. When you are ready for delivery to Taylor Lane Yard and Derecktor, Dania we can be there in just ten quick minutes! If it’s replacement protective weather covers you need in Sea Haven, Dania Beach, easy! Another 10 minutes journey to deliver your items. 

Our once-only digitizing appointments mean we’re not in the way at busy refit time and we won’t hold up all other work being carried out on board. Once we’ve measured up, your digital file is created and stored back at Eclipse’s HQ until you are ready to refit.

Safe Storage in Fort Lauderdale HQ

When you ask us to go ahead, we can create your upholstery furnishings, and then safely store them at our facility which means you don’t have the headache of storing cushions whilst the boat’s been turned upside down! Or, trying to find clean space to store them so they don’t get dirty or damaged. If you’re refitting at Lauderdale Marine Centre or One Island, Miami, we’ll be there in 45 minutes tops!

Eclipse Yacht Furnishings is perfectly located to come to you when you need us. For the last 25 years, we’ve been in and out of the South Floridian refit yards and marinas, fulfilling our clients’ requests with care, dedication and exquisite craftsmanship. We look forward to meeting and greeting you again soon.

Please get in touch with all your upholstery requirements even if you are not yet booked in for refit. We are happy to keep your digital file on record for as long as required and love to make life easier for our busy crew. The team at Eclipse are standing by for all your superyacht upholstery needs! 

A lot goes into making what some might consider a simple deck seating area. Here at Eclipse, we create style, comfort and functionality in all our soft furnishings.

When it comes to seating areas it’s easy to remember bad or uncomfortable ones, so our goal is to make every sun pad, deck cushion, interior sofa or Captain’s chair a satisfying, luxurious and relaxing experience whilst on board.

In this recent refit, the sun pad is awkwardly close to the edge of the superyacht. The glass barrier offers some protection but not the peace of mind and certainly doesn’t promote a feeling of relaxation. No owner or charter guest wants to be worried about falling overboard whilst sipping on a cocktail or sunbathing in the middle of the Caribbean Sea.

Our solution was to add an integrated, padded backrest serving as a safety barrier from the glass edge and giving guests some additional privacy. This also allowed the sun pad to be used in a number of different ways so guests could relax and lounge in style, safety and comfort.

Resolving pillow problems

Our job is to make yacht designers’ concepts a reality by visualizing them with the aid of 3D computer software and them manufacturing them with 100% accuracy. It’s these 3D visuals which often help in the final decision-making of many yacht refit design upgrades. The example below is a sketch we had from the designer for pillows with dimensions that didn’t work for the space.

We prepared a comparison of what was requested versus what was feasibly possible.

After some tweaks and amendments, a final layout was resolved that pleased everyone.

Our team of artisans adore jobs like this. We are very happy to work with a designer or crew specification, but also love to make suggestions when appropriate that we think will enhance the yacht space we are working on.

The visuals we provide using our 3D digitizing software lets everyone involved see the end result, and this often encourages further creativity in the design when we help to show what is possible.

We are happy to digitize your yacht at any time and many of our clients get this done when they are in or near Fort Lauderdale during a quieter week. Your digital file is then kept secure until you are ready to plan or action your next refit, and we can work directly from the 3D file without needing additional visits to the yacht.

This means you can be in any refit yard, anywhere in the world and we can design, create and deliver perfect furnishings to you at the most convenient time for your team.

Please do get in touch if you would like further information.

Clients who hire Eclipse to digitize their superyachts will receive a gift basket of 4ocean products

Fort Lauderdale, Fla., August 26, 2020— Joy Hutchinson, the design entrepreneur specializing in superyachts, continues to innovate with the rebrand of her company: Yacht Furnishings by Eclipse is now Eclipse Yacht Furnishings. 

The Eclipse Yacht Furnishings website, launching today, can be found at www.eclipse-yachtfurnishings.com. 

The rebrand represents the successful entrepreneur’s tenacity and optimism despite the global COVID-19 pandemic. In June, Hutchinson hired a transatlantic team to create a new website, logo and ad campaign to promote the company’s digitalization services; the result is the #YachtieEssential promotion with 4ocean, a purpose-driven company whose mission is to end the ocean plastic crisis. 

“Such times either make you, or break you, and it’s up to us to decide,” says Hutchinson, who launched her first Florida yacht furnishings company, Made in the Shade, in 1978. “My team and I have made the conscious decision to tell our story of innovation, craftsmanship and client service. We look forward to exceeding the expectations of our clients as the global economy reopens in the coming weeks and months.” 

Eclipse Yacht Furnishings:  Disrupting the Superyacht Furnishings Industry 

Eclipse Yacht Furnishings uses Prodim’s Proliner tool to measure –  and “digitize” – every area of a vessel and all its moveable and built-in furniture.  

Eclipse is the only U.S. company to use the Proliner, 3D design, and old-world craftsmanship to measure, make, and install furnishings exclusively for superyachts. Eclipse is one of the first companies to fully master Prodim’s digital technology to ensure precise measurements of exterior and interior furnishings on superyachts. As such, Eclipse is disrupting the manufacturing of luxury products ranging from custom couches and sundeck cushions to awnings and pool covers. 

With technical mastery and a team of artisans, Eclipse has earned its position at the upper echelon of the design world, on par with the Baccarat Bar at Harrod’s in London: The team who made the glass wall at the French crystal brand’s ultraglamorous drinking establishment likewise used the Proliner to create a stellar effect. 

“To be able to provide the best quality and service to their customers, Eclipse was among the first pioneers to use the Proliner digital templating technology in the canvas and upholstery industry,”  says Zach Harris, head of North American sales for Prodim Systems, which is based in The Netherlands. “Eclipse has mastered Proliner technology, and combined it with craftsmanship, to create things of beauty that meet the highest standards.” 

The #YachtieEssential Promotion with 4ocean

Via the #YachtieEssential promotion with 4ocean, superyacht owners and crew who hire Eclipse to digitize a vessel will receive a gift basket that includes 4ocean products. Each gift basket represents the removal of five pounds of trash from the ocean since 4ocean pulls a pound of trash for every product they sell or contribute.

Eclipse clients requesting at least $1,000 in digitalization services (that’s two areas of a yacht) can choose up to $100 worth of merchandise including iconic 4ocean bracelets, reusable drinkware, a reusable straw, a sticker pack, and an organic cotton t-shirt. 

The #YachtieEssential gift basket will also include five washable Eclipse Yacht Furnishings masks featuring the company’s proprietary eucalyptus sheeting with a breathable, moisture-resistant covering.

“4ocean is thrilled to partner with such an innovative brand that is taking a unique approach to the yachting industry,” says David Phillips, 4ocean’s Director of Corporate Partnerships. “Our mission is to end the ocean plastic crisis and by working with the yachting community directly, we are able to continue raising awareness and generating support for our global cleanup operations.”

About Eclipse Yacht Furnishings 

Fort Lauderdale-based Eclipse Yacht Furnishings uses a mix of technology and old-world craftsmanship to design, make and install superyacht furnishings. Its products include: awnings and deck cushions; custom upholstery, fabric headboards and wall coverings; and weather covers for furniture, pools, ladders, built-in structures, and yacht tenders. The company in August conducted a major rebrand, the focal point of which are a new website, logo, and the #YachtieEssential client-appreciation promotion. At www.eclipse-yachtfurnishings.com, visitors will find new content under What We Do, Who We Are, and What They Say. Yachtie Chronicles, the new corporate blog, aims to become a go-to destination for the superyacht industry. 

All You Need to Know About the #YachtieEssential Promotion

We are thrilled to announce our #YachtieEssential promotion running from September through the end of 2020. 

If you hire us to digitize your superyacht, we will send you a gift basket filled with items from 4ocean, headquartered at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. The company manufactures bracelets and other products from plastic that it removes from the ocean and shorelines around the world. 

Clients requesting at least $1,000 in digitalization services (that’s two areas of a yacht) can choose up to $100 worth of merchandise including 4ocean bracelets, tumblers, re-usable straws, stickers, and T-Shirts. When the 4ocean cell phone case comes to market, that will be an Eclipse Yacht Furnishings gift basket item, too. 

The #YachtieEssential gift basket will also include five washable Eclipse Yacht Furnishings masks featuring our proprietary eucalyptus sheeting with a breathable, moisture-resistant covering.

Every gift basket will represent the pulling of five pounds of trash from the ocean. 

“4ocean removes one pound of trash from the ocean for each product we sell,” says David Phillips, 4ocean’s director of corporate partnerships. “Our captains and crews have officially removed over 10 million pounds of trash from the ocean, rivers and coastlines in addition to several other initiatives around education, advocacy, and ocean cleaning technology development.”

The Joy of Being FRESH

The promotion reflects our desire to be FRESH: Fun, Relevant, Engaging, Social, and Helpful. 

A global study has shown that people are most likely to love a brand that exceeds expectations on all five criteria. Netflix is the most loved FRESH brand, according to Accenture, the $6 billion consulting company. 

Netflix is beloved because it uses technology to simplify people’s lives; the company also helps people connect over their shared passions for content. We’ve certainly seen that during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Eclipse Yacht Furnishings wants to be the Netflix of the superyacht industry.  

Take our use of technology to simplify your life.

We use Prodim System’s Proliner software to measure –  or “digitize” – every area of a vessel and all its moveable and built-in furniture.  

Proliner software is used in many industries, including the marine industry to measure vessels, but we are the only U.S. company to use it to ensure precise measurements of all the exterior and interior furnishings we make. To our knowledge, Eclipse Yacht Furnishings is one of only two companies in the world to use Proliner software and 3D design to guarantee perfectly fitting products.

We chose to partner with 4ocean because we know that the yachting community cares about the planet; indeed, yachties live on the water and see the pollution as they cross the oceans and seas. In this way, our promotion is relevant to the yachtie lifestyle and mindset.

We want our customers to feel extra-good about doing business with us…we help you, and the planet, in myriad ways. We provide a high-quality service at a good price; our signature AireMaze cushion filler is washable and recyclable; and by being an Eclipse client, you are helping to remove trash from the planet via our #YachtieEssential promotion with 4ocean. We are all helping one another in a virtuous circle of business and global citizenship.

We’d like to think of the 4ocean gift basket as a bundle of Joy – the play on our CEO’s name is intended. Imagine the gift basket on the table in the mess. Everyone can pick something they’d like. That sounds pretty fun to us.

Each of the items in our gift basket represents one pound of plastic pulled from the ocean (except for 4ocean stickers). That means our customers can take credit for removing up to five pounds of plastic depending on the items they choose. Yes, being a FRESH brand means we will customize your gift basket so that it is relevant to you and your crew. 

With your permission, we will post photos of the gift basket and give you credit for removing trash from the planet, simply by being an Eclipse client. We believe that social media buzz using the #YachtieEssential hashtag will be engaging and social!  

You’re off the coast of Antibes when a custom-made cushion flies off the L-shaped settee on the starboard side. What do you do?

It depends which company did the refit.

Only Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Eclipse Yacht Furnishings would have a digitized file of the cushion’s fabric, dimensions, and stitching pattern.

Led by CEO Joy Hutchinson, Eclipse is disrupting the superyacht industry with its use of Proliner software to ensure a perfect fit for soft furnishings – from weather covers and cushions to custom furniture and headboards.

“Eclipse uses advanced technologies long over-due in the marine furnishings business. If a fabric is damaged, Eclipse can send you a perfect replica wherever you are in the world, within days of your request if your fabrics have been stocked in-house. No other company in our industry provides this service.”

Bob Dean, yacht broker and former yard manager, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

The two men captaining Ambition, a 187-foot Feadship built in 2001, are likewise relieved that digital technology has come to the luxurious world of superyacht décor. 

Ambition Relief Captain and First Officer Ferdi Coetzer says he recalls watching Ethan Hutchinson, Joy’s son, take measurements of the vessel a couple of years ago in a Palm Beach marina. It took four hours to digitize the deck. 

“It’s an entirely new level of service that is not necessarily more expensive than the competition. The care, the detail – it’s incredible. Eclipse outshines everyone else.”

Ambition Relief Captain and First Officer Ferdi Coetzer

Captain Wean Van der Westhuisen says he appreciates the company’s unique mix of innovation and craftsmanship. All furnishings – including fast-drying, no-mold cushions – have been hand-sewn in South Florida.  

Timeless values such as integrity and honesty matter, too.  After all, loyalty crosses both ways.

“It’s the communication that I really value,” Westhuisen says. “Modern-day people will tell you what you want to hear and make all kinds of promises. I do not feel that is the case with Joy and Ethan. They give you a straight answer. It’s the answer you need to hear.”