Custom Boat Name Gear: Hats, Shirts, and More for Your Crew

There's something about seeing your boat's name stitched across a hat or printed on the back of a performance shirt that just hits different. Whether you're heading to a tournament, meeting up at the raft-up, or just running to the ramp on a Saturday morning, custom boat name gear turns your crew into a crew. As someone who's spent over 20 years on the Lowcountry waters and now runs a shop that handles both marine upholstery] and custom embroidery, I see this firsthand — the boats that look dialed in from the cushions to the captain's hat are the ones that turn heads. Here's how to put together custom gear for your boat and crew without overcomplicating it. ## Start with the Essentials You don't need to outfit your crew head to toe on the first order. Start with the pieces that get the most use and visibility: ### Hats and Caps Hats are the single most popular piece of custom boat gear, and for good reason — they're affordable, everyone wears them, and they're walking billboards for your boat at the marina, the gas dock, and the weigh-in. Embroidered hats are the way to go for durability and a premium look. The stitching holds up to sun, salt spray, and sweat far better than printed logos. We offer a range of hat styles — structured, unstructured, trucker, performance, and rope caps — so you can match the vibe of your boat. **Pro tip:** Keep your hat design clean and simple. Your boat name, maybe a small graphic or outline, and one or two colors. Overly complex hat designs lose detail at embroidery size. ### Performance Shirts For Lowcountry boating, lightweight, moisture-wicking performance shirts are king. They dry fast, breathe well, and offer UPF sun protection for long days on the water. For performance shirts, DTF printing is usually the best choice — it handles the full-color graphics, sponsor logos, and detailed artwork that tournament and fishing crews typically want. The print stays flexible on the stretchy fabric and washes well. A common setup: boat name and a small logo on the front left chest, big graphic or sponsor layout on the back. ### Polos If your boating is more yacht club than creek fishing, embroidered polos are a sharp option. A clean boat name and burgee on the left chest looks great at the dock, at dinner, and everywhere in between. Polos also work well for charter boat crews who want a professional appearance for clients. ## Level It Up: Matching Your Gear to Your Boat This is where working with a shop that does both upholstery and embroidery pays off. When we're recovering your boat's cushions, bolsters, or helm seats, we already know your color scheme — the vinyl, the Sunbrella fabric, the accent stitching. We can match your embroidery thread colors to your upholstery using our digital colorimeter, so your crew gear coordinates with your boat's interior. Imagine pulling up to the dock with fresh cushions in a custom color scheme and your whole crew in hats and shirts that match. That's the kind of detail that gets noticed. ## Gear Ideas by Crew Type ### Tournament Fishing Crews - Embroidered performance hats (boat name + team name) - DTF-printed performance long-sleeve shirts (full sponsor layout on back) - Embroidered lightweight hoodie for early morning runs - Neck gaiters with boat logo ### Weekend and Family Crews - Embroidered trucker hats or rope caps - Printed t-shirts with boat name and a fun graphic - Embroidered polos for nicer outings - Koozies or bags with your boat logo (great for gifts) ### Charter and Commercial Crews - Embroidered polos with boat name and captain/mate titles - Embroidered jackets or quarter-zips for cooler weather - Printed performance shirts for on-the-water days - Embroidered hats for crew and customers ## How to Get Started Getting custom boat gear made is simpler than most people expect. You can do it all through our online shop: **1. Browse the shop and pick your items.** Start with hats and one shirt style if you're not sure. You can filter by category to find structured caps, performance apparel, and more. **2. Add your decoration.** On each product page, click "Customize with Decoration," choose your location and method (embroidery for hats, DTF for full-color shirts), and upload your boat name or logo. We accept JPG, PNG, SVG, AI, EPS, and more. **3. Add any special instructions.** Want puff embroidery? Specific thread colors? A certain logo size? Use the Special Instructions field to let us know. **4. Add to cart and check out.** We'll review your artwork, digitize your logo for embroidery if needed (one-time fee, saved for all future orders), and send you a proof for approval before we start. New to ordering online with us? Our How to Order guide walks through the whole process with screenshots and tips. We have no minimum order requirements, so whether you need 4 hats for your family crew or 40 shirts for a tournament team, we can handle it. You can also browse our stock apparel designs for ready-made options. ## One Shop for Your Boat and Your Crew Most boat owners go to one place for upholstery and another for custom apparel. That means two vendors, two timelines, and no coordination between the two. We built First In Upholstery to handle both under one roof — marine upholstery and custom embroidered and printed apparel — because we know Lowcountry boaters want the whole package. If you're already planning upholstery work, it's the perfect time to add crew gear to the order. And if you just want hats — that's fine too. Drop us a line and let's get your crew looking right. --- *First In Upholstery provides marine upholstery, custom embroidery, and apparel decoration services in Summerville, SC, serving Charleston and the Lowcountry. Browse our shop or request a free quote.*