Why Sportsman Uses Sileather

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Series

Open

9 Models • 21' → 40'

Built for families who want serious offshore capability, premium comfort and the freedom to fish, cruise or entertain.

Sportsman 402 center console boat with tower, white hull, and outboard engine in side profile view

Open 402

White center console fishing boat with hard-top canopy and outboard engine shown in side profile

Open 352

Blue and white Sportsman center console boat with hard-top, tan seating, and outboard engine shown in profile view

Open 322

Sportsman 302 center console boat with hard-top and outboard engine in gray and white hull

Open 302

Sportsman center console boat with hard-top, tan seating, and Yamaha outboard engine shown from starboard side

Open 282

Light blue Sportsman center console boat with hard-top, tan seating, and Yamaha outboard engine

Open 262

Sportsman 252 center console boat with turquoise hull, hard-top, and outboard engine in profile view

Open 252

Sportsman open center console boat with hard-top, outboard engine, and tan seating in blue and white hull design

Open 232

Blue and white Sportsman center console boat with hard-top, side profile view against white background

Open 212

Series

Heritage

4 Models • 23' → 32'

A refined crossover lineup designed for coastal cruising, ample seating, family days and some fishing when the moment calls for it.

Turquoise and white center console boat with hard-top and outboard motor, shown in side profile

Heritage 321

Turquoise and white center console fishing boat with hard-top, Yamaha engine, and tan seating viewed from the side

Heritage 261

Blue and white Sportsman center console boat with hard-top and outboard engine shown in profile view

Heritage 251

Sportsman Heritage 231 center console boat with hard-top, outboard engine, and tan seating in light blue and white

Heritage 231

Series

Masters

6 Models • 22' → 28'

Shallow-water performance, fishing-focused layouts and everyday comfort built for family life and fishing.

Side profile of a blue and white center console boat with hard-top and outboard engine

Masters 287

Blue and white Sportsman bay boat with Yamaha outboard engine and T-top against white background

Masters 267

Blue and white Sportsman center console fishing boat with Yamaha outboard motor and T-top shade structure

Masters 267OE

SportCraft Masters 247 bay boat with hard-top, Yamaha outboard engine, and tan seating viewed from the side

Masters 247

Sportsman center console bay boat with hard-top, Yamaha outboard engine, and tan seating viewed from the side

Masters 247OE

Sportsman 227 bay boat in turquoise and white with T-top, center console helm, and outboard motor in side profile view

Masters 227

 
Blog > Why Sportsman Uses Sileather

Sportsman chooses top of the line Sileather to cover all of their upholstery. Check out what makes Sileather such an awesome product.

May 20, 2024
Cover image for the post Why Sportsman Uses Sileather
  • Marine upholstery must balance style, touch and cost; Sileather offers a high performance option.
  • UV exposure, water, salt and chemicals influence upholstery choice, so silicone-based topcoats that resist UV and stains are valuable.
  • Sileather costs more than regular marine vinyl but its durability and comfort plus environmental benefits make it worthwhile.
Gordon Peters
Customer Service / Warranty Specialist

Families shopping for a boat are usually confronted with multiple choices of what kind of boat to get to satisfy everyone. Visit any boat show and you will inevitably overhear folks debating the desire for a boat more for fishing, versus a more comfortable boat for cruising and the sand bar, versus yet another for water sports. Next to the style, layout, and power of a boat probably the next most important criteria would be the upholstery. When designing and choosing the vinyl used to cover the upholstery our team at Sportsman falls into similar discussions. It's a constant balance of style, touch and feel and of course cost.

template marking.

Marine upholstery and what covers it has some special considerations that are not worried about in say your house or car. Constant exposure to heavy UV rays, water, salt, chemicals from sunscreen, bug spray and cleaners, fish blood, are the environmental considerations boat upholstery needs to stand up to. It must be tough yet comfortable. This traditionally meant heavy vinyl with thick backers which made for a hot stiff finished product. The demand for more comfortable, better looking marine upholstery has led to some innovative products utilizing urethanes and silicones for topcoats to soften the feel and make for a crisper looking more comfortable finished product while still working in a marine environment.

template marking.

Sileather is the product Sportsman has decided on for their upholstery needs. It is a high-performance fabric that meets the tough demands of the marine environment. In simplest terms it is a silicone topcoat extruded together with a silicone binder in the middle on a stretchy polyester base fiber. Silicone is inherently stable from a temperature standpoint resisting both hot and cold extremes which makes it comfortable to the touch and is odorless. It stands up to UV light, so it does not degrade easily, and with its low surface tension is stain and water resistant. A bonus is it is an environmentally friendly material with a natural elasticity that conforms well to the underlying substrates it is covering. It easily takes texture with the look and feel of leather. This type of performance material costs more than regular marine vinyl and other products, but we at Sportsman feel it makes a difference to our customers.