We recently caught up with Madison Trotman, canvas division manager for Quantum Sails Annapolis. As a skilled marine canvas fabricator, Trotman crafts custom canvas and upholstery solutions for both the exterior and interior of sailboats and powerboats. Drawing on nearly five years of industry experience, plus her arts education and technical sewing skills, this young marine professional brings a creative eye and natural ingenuity to each design. Her goal is to create a functional, yet attractive, product that meets or exceeds the customer’s expectations.
What types of products do you create?
Madison: I make marine canvas and upholstery for boats. Dodgers, biminis, and connector setups are our most common jobs, but I also make enclosure panels for sailboats, flybridge enclosures and covers for powerboats, outside window coverings, interior upholstery, and more.
How did you land at Quantum, and why is it a good fit for you?
When Quantum Sails Annapolis was looking for a new canvas division manager, I was recommended to them, and they reached out to me. Even though Quantum is a large company, the Annapolis loft feels like a small business; there are 10 staff members—a mix of younger and long-term employees. Right away, I noticed everyone’s enthusiasm. They are open to new ideas and receptive to feedback about how we can grow and improve my department; I feel very supported in my career.
What would be a recent example?
Quantum has always had a big booth at the Annapolis Sailboat Show. Seeing potential for growth in the canvas department on the power side, I suggested that we have a booth at the Annapolis Powerboat Show. Jason Currie and Andrew Scott gave my idea the green light, and it turned out to be really successful. At the show, I got lots of good leads, and from them I’ve secured five jobs so far (just a couple of weeks post show) and have more potential customers to follow up with; I’ve been very busy the past few weeks!
Who taught you to sew?
I learned basic sewing from my mother when I was growing up. In college, at the Maryland Institute and College of Art, I majored in photography. There I became interested in cyanotypes, which use sunlight to develop a print on fabric. Working with fabric led me to sew more. For my thesis, I made a quilt using cyanotype with patterns from my mother, grandmother, and great grandmother.
In my first job out of college, I grew my technical skills and comfort using an industrial machine. I worked for a company that makes canine hiking gear, and I got great on-the-job training.
What is one way that you connect with peers in the industry?
This year I went to the Chesapeake Marine Canvas Fabricators Conference in Cambridge, MD. It was three days of seminars, with lots of opportunities to learn about different and new fabrication methods and products—and a nice place to network. I even met some of the people in the industry that I follow online for inspiration.
What’s one of the challenges of your job?
All boats are different, so in a way every project is something new. Every project brings the challenge of balancing functionality and looks. I want the finished products to look good on the boats and be personalized for the client, but it’s critical that the pieces function well and prevent the intrusion of weather and water.
What’s the best part of your job?
I love putting a whole project together, everything from start to finish. After putting in so many hours on a project (sometimes as many as 80 hours), there’s a lot of satisfaction in seeing it all come together and being proud of how it looks and functions. I also really enjoy jobs that require creativity, such as a full reupholstery with fun colors that give an older boat interior a fresh look.
Is there a project that you haven’t done yet but hope to take on?
I’d love to take on a full cantilever camper enclosure for a boat with a radar arch or hardtop. Instead of the traditional K-frame that comes up from the gunwale or deck, this setup uses a horizontal bimini frame that extends straight out from the arch or hardtop. It opens up the view, looks super clean, and gives the boat a more modern feel. I love projects that blend design and function like that. One of the seminars at the canvas conference this year was all about designing and fabricating these frames, and it really inspired me to try one.