In short, Al Peckenpaugh has been designing and building canvas products for 40 years. He got his initiation behind a machine as a parachute rigger in the military. On returning he took a job at a wooden boat shop and discovered a sewing machine under a tarp in the wood shop. It was there he taught himself to build canvas covers. In 1978 he was out on his own as Peckenpaugh Marine Canvas. As a founding member of the Marine Fabricators Association he met a Bermudian partner interested in starting a canvas shop in Bermuda. In 1988 he went to Bermuda and opened Dockyard Canvas Company Ltd., a very successful shop that he was involved in until around 2010 when he sold off his share of the company. Al traveled the area marinas with a mobile rig for many years, but in 2000 built a shop at his home. He spent several years working winters for a large production shop in Florida, then traveling all over the world sailing and maintaining a couple traditional sailboats for a private owner. At present he works from his shop in Trumansburg NY traveling to make patterns or having boats brought to the shop. Now in his 60's he's not as fast as he once was, but the quality of his work has never been better.