Our Mission

North Coast Marine Specialties is dedicated to executing, teaching, and supporting quality canvas fabrication while staying at the front of the curve in this constantly changing industry. We provide a simplified method of training and ongoing support for our students.

About North Coast Marine

After careers in unrelated occupations, Roger and Russ Griffin decided they wanted to start a business that allowed them to be near the water. An avid boater, Roger was familiar with boat canvas. The brothers attended the Custom Marine Canvas Training Workshops in Ohio, now known as Northcoast Canvas Training, and decided to open a 600-square-foot canvas shop of their own.

Roger and Russ immediately began to notice the many design and canvas fabrication flaws found on most production boats and quickly became known in the community as design specialists, making improvements to every job they undertook.

Two years later, the Griffin brothers bought an original canvas training school and merged it with their fabrication business and staff to create a parent company: Northcoast Marine Specialties LLC. The company has grown into a 12,000-foot facility, operating a full-service canvas and upholstery operation, a training school, yacht storage, and an online canvas tool and supply business.

The school’s mission was a joint collaboration with the Marine Fabricators Association over 30 years ago. Six districts across the U.S. were originally established, and one member was intended to begin training in each district. Today, the Griffins’ school—Northcoast Canvas Training—is the only original school still remaining.