The new American-made vinyl marine textile targets fabricators, boat builders and boat owners seeking softer handling, stronger weather resistance and easier maintenance.
Strataglass LLC has introduced Latitude by Strataglass, a new marine fabric designed for boat enclosures and other demanding marine applications. The company says the American-made material combines a softer hand feel with the durability needed in harsh water, sun and weather conditions, positioning it as a performance textile for marine fabricators, boat builders and boating consumers.
A softer vinyl with tougher protection
Latitude is built around a specially designed vinyl film technology intended to deliver a premium appearance and an unusually soft feel while retaining strength in outdoor marine use. For fabricators, ease of handling and fabrication is a key selling point, particularly in enclosure systems where cutting, sewing, shaping and installation quality affect both performance and appearance.
The fabric is engineered to resist cold cracking, tearing, weathering, rot and ultraviolet exposure. These properties are essential in marine environments, where materials are exposed to salt, moisture, sunlight, temperature shifts and repeated mechanical stress.
The maintenance advantage
Strataglass is also emphasizing Latitude’s advanced protective topcoat. The coating is designed to protect against everyday marine contaminants while making the material easier to clean and maintain. In practical terms, this addresses one of the biggest ownership concerns in marine textiles: preserving clarity, appearance and surface integrity over multiple seasons.
The company says the topcoat helps extend the fabric’s service life, giving boat owners longer-term value while reducing maintenance difficulty. For fabricators and boat builders, that combination of cleanability, durability and appearance can support premium positioning in enclosure and marine-cover applications.
Performance textiles move upmarket
“Latitude represents the next evolution in marine textile innovation,” said Craig Zola, Strataglass vice president of sales and marketing. He said the product was designed to give fabricators a material that “performs as beautifully as it looks” while giving boat owners the durability and protection associated with the Strataglass name.
Latitude reflects a broader shift in technical textiles: customers want materials that are not only stronger and more weather-resistant, but also easier to process, maintain and sell as premium upgrades. The next market test will be adoption by marine fabricators and boat builders, especially in applications where softness, surface protection and long service life can justify a higher-value material specification.
