OK, why so much about sewing machines?

[roland stockham]

It is not just the high cost of repairs it is also about where you sail. Small amounts of damage to canvas work are quick and easy to do with a machine but if left can become major repairs. If you sail to remote areas then you may have to take a sail out of commission for a long period before it gets to a sailmaker. Nearest sailmaker to my home base is about 1000km! and in most places along the coast shipping two and from them would take more than a week each way so you would probably be stuck for a month waiting for it to come back.

[senormechanico]

Originally Posted by thinwater

• Not for outboard covers. They're pointless. And didn't you get them made at home, if you wanted them? Same with grill covers etc.

I agree. What's up with trying to protect a stainless steel BBQ from UV?
Same with an outboard motor?


Makes no sense to me either.

[Don1500]

Originally Posted by Cthoops

We're still 3 years and 27 days from leaving, !

How many hours?

[Don1500]

Originally Posted by thinwater

Not for outboard covers. They're pointless. And didn't you get them made at home, if you wanted them? Same with grill covers etc.

But they're purdy, until the motor cover becomes covered in oil, and the grill cover blows off in a storm.

I just bought a new grill and a cover came with it, so I guess I'll use it.

[Sea Dreaming]

Originally Posted by senormechanico

[/LIST]I agree. What's up with trying to protect a stainless steel BBQ from UV?
Same with an outboard motor?


Makes no sense to me either.

My boat looks nice. That's enough for me.

We actually have a sewing palm for the sails. That makes sense to me.
But as a full time liveaboard, our needs are different than someone how keeps a land base.

Someone asked why not do things before you leave, well, we live on the boat. There is really no where we have left from.

[waterman46]

One great use for the machine is in re-stitching anything that has been in the sun too long. The seams always give up, usually unexpectedly, long before the material does. Once after I left home on a cruise, I had to re-stitch the 45' sun cover on my genoa, which would have taken extreme time with palm and needle work.

My last cockpit enclosure lasted 17 years and that's only because I was able to replace nearly every stitch on it, sometimes twice, during that time. There must be well over 100' of stitching in it. The zippers go bad and need replacing first. This would take weeks with a palm and needle, but doesn't take any real skill or much time with a sewing machine since you are just going back over the old seams. Don't forget to have spare zippers if yours are more than a few years old.

That said, I would not take a sewing machine on a boat the size of the OP's. Use the machine before you leave home to repair, fabricate and re-stitch everything you can think of then you should be good for a several years.

[toddster8]

My grill cover blew away two years ago, and now all the plastic bits are oxidized or missing.
Just saying.

Actually, I have a pile of old sails and a long wish list of things to make from them. Lee cloths, wind scoop, dinghy sail, sheet bags, etc... Just lacking something to take this plan from A to B...

BTW, Something I learned the hard way: If extensive interior mods/cabinetry is planned, make the cushions last. Or just put out raw foam, maybe covered with blankets, for a year. Until you learn exactly how you want to divide them up and fine tune the shapes.

[Livia]

We used a sewing machine in our six years out to:

Resew the sacrificial sunbrella on our jib and genoa multiple times (this may seem like something you can just remove until you can fix it but it turns out many foresails use the sunbrella stitching to keep the leech line inside the sail!)
Redo all of the dodger seams
Patch our main sail cover
Make all new cockpit cushions

In almost every instance we could have delayed and paid someone to do the work. We had two headsails so we could have limped by with one until we were no longer remote. And the other projects could have delayed.

So, for us, the machine paid for itself but we did not *need* it.

[wingless]

Originally Posted by waterman46

One great use for the machine is in re-stitching anything that has been in the sun too long. The seams always give up, usually unexpectedly, long before the material does. Once after I left home on a cruise, I had to re-stitch the 45' sun cover on my genoa, which would have taken extreme time with palm and needle work.

The thread on my OEM enclosure started disintegrating after a couple of years. It was a losing battle to stay ahead of that deterioration. After a while the thread was gone, but the canvas was fine.

When I designed and built my custom enclosure I used PTFE thread because it is impervious to sunlight.

[rwidman]

My (trawler) had some old canvas. Seams were failing. I took the pieces to a canvas shop and was a bit surprised to pay $100 per hour for someone to just sew over existing seams. I sewed some when I was much younger and I knew I had the skills to do that.

I bought an old black Singer sewing machine for less than one hour's shop time and have been doing repairs and simple projects like bags and covers. I've also replaced several failed zippers.

Now I do believe $100 per hour is fair for someone who can pattern an Bimini to fit or do other complicated work. Not for just following an existing seam though.

I liked the antique Singer machine so much, I bought a cabinet for it on eBay and it sits in our bedroom (at home).

[Blue Crab]

My little thrift store Singer st stitch is all I'll ever need. I just completed mods on my mainsail and cockpit awning. I'm sure I saved a few bucks, but I enjoyed it too.

I had to handstitch the thick areas on the sail but the machine handled the awning just fine. It's worth the space in my small boat.

[JPA Cate]

When we first left the States, I had my Mom's old Pfaff 130, on our 36 footer. Mostly I just sewed things for us,cushion covers, mattress covers and fitted sheets, tool bags, bag for roll up dinghy, weather cloths, awnings, a mainsail cover, just *stuff*. Occasionally, we took it ashore and mended someone's sacrificial strip on their genoa. A more recent effort was dinghy chaps. I never asked for money, because friends help friends when they can--and we weren't desperate financially, I had the luxury to do it for free. I also made a number of wrap-around skirts, so convenient to whip on to cover your shorts, when you are places that women's modesty is appreciated.

Last year, I sold the Pfaff--and hope it is still giving good service. I bought a used Sailrite LSZ-1. It paid for itself with the boom bag we made. I also have sewn weather cloths with it, and have a couple of minor projects in mind. The thing about having a sewing machine on board is that you don't have to wait, to make or repair something.

I don't know if having one would allow one to create a meaningful income stream. You'd be working all the time, it would be under the table, because proper businesses would resent the unfair competition, and word would get around. You really don't want those kinds of hassles in a foreign country. I would think that in the out of the way places, where barter is more the order of the day, you could do skirts for fruit and veg, or lobster. Children's clothing, gifts for chief's wives.

For clothing sewing, you'll need a way to iron, at first I improvised with a small pot of water just off the boil, on the saloon table, with a towel underneath, but found that a travel iron works a lot better. Still on a flat surface, no ironing board.

Allow me to repeat what wingless posted, learn to use ptfe thread (one brand is Tenara) for your canvas work. And, if you don't sew, then order the shop to use it, it will avoid the charges for re-stitching. It will cost more, and cheapskate that i am, I just hated the wastage during the learning phase, but it just one of those bite the bullet type of deals. And well worth it, for those who plan to use their boats a long time.

Ann

PS., on edit. Jim had a $25.00 used Singer that he made a spinnaker for his Yankee 30 with, and won races. Quite a savings over new, fabricated it from factory seconds. There is a satisfaction in doing these things that exceeds the savings.

[duefocena]

I found the ability to sew things a great barter tool. While I had people often offer cash it was an easy and inexpensive way to "pay it forward" to fellow sailors. Many of whom were in need of a repair that hand stitching would have been too arduous. I use a sail rite clone that fits in a satchel with all the thread and cutting tools needed. Paid $150 for the machine, $25 to learn how to set the timing and saved $1,200 on my sailcovers first thing. Make sure you get a machine that does zigzag if you are doing sails.

[Crazy Talk]

Just wanted to thank everyone for the valuable input! It gave me some great perspective.

[wsmac]

Here's my home machine... the Singer CG 590-C
I originally bought it to reupholster exam beds at my former wife's medical practice... 6 layers of Naugahyde, piping, multiple beds.
Worked like a charm even though I hadn't discovered the walking foot attachment for this machine back then.
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I recently found one used (sewing machine... not walking foot), at a local fabric store for $75!
Wound up sending one to my daughter since her older machine crapped-out on her.
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Although I originally learned to sew by watching my Mom make me stuff... "Mom can you make me a Lone Ranger mask?" "Mom can you make me some shorts like the other boys wear?" - I meant blue jean cutoffs... she made me BERMUDA SHORTS! In WEST TEXAS?
I digress....
I took up sewing my own stuff. Broke my soon-to-be wife's old Singer sewing up a Capote from an old wool Army blanket... we decided I needed my own machine.
Moved to Alaska and made my own mukluks, parka, outdoor gear...
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But I didn't REALLY learn to sew until I worked as a firefighter for the Alaska Fire Service in Fairbanks. Got a Smokejumper to show me how to operate one the large Singer commercial machines (they make their own gear... except for their canopies)... you should see their loft!
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Here are some tips I picked up along the way...
1. For slippery fabric, heavy multi-layered projects, a WALKING FOOT is SO much nicer than not having one!
2. A deep throat (yeah... I said it! ) is great for large projects or stiffer fabrics.
3. NEEDLES! ALWAYS use a sharp needle! You may get by for a while on a dull needle depending on how nicely your machine and fabric work with one, but with heavy fabric or coated fabrics.... FRESH SHARP NEEDLES are a must!
Find a place you can buy larger packs of needles in the size you need for a specific project, instead of those little packs usually sold in fabric stores. CHANGE OFTEN TO PREVENT DIAPER... oops... sorry... went off track for a moment!
CHANGE NEEDLES OFTEN TO MAKE SEWING EASIER AND LIFE MORE FUN!
4. Buy GOOD THREAD! Nuf' said! (hey! that rhymed! )
5. GET THE BIGGEST BADDEST HONKIN' MACHINE YOU CAN CRANE OVER ONTO YOUR BOAT! I think you can swap it out for you inboard if you get the one with gear reduction?

Seriously on that last point.... although I am planning on buying a more commercial grade machine soon... this Singer has done a TON of work...
Would you believe 900lbs of work?
How about 1.2 oz and I had to have someone else sew it for me?
(if you get THAT... you're at least as old as me... unless there are Get Smart reruns?)
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In addition to the exam tables, I've sewn many bags... large and small, repaired jeans (mine and my girlfriend's), sewn many feet of webbing for many projects, etc
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I could see taking a smaller machine like this Singer out for long passages. I believe it's a mite smaller and lighter than ones like the Sailright. Using the walking foot attachment adds so much more to the experience also.
Having said that... what am I talking about again?... losing focus... damn ADHD!

If you have the space and the power capacity to run one... I'd take along something like the Sailright LZ-whatever. Before I hung out my Shadow Shingle as a Stitch Master port-after-port... I'd be sure my stuff held up to regular sailing use.
It'd bother me to make less than professional gear/repairs for money or trade if I wasn't truly confident and experienced in/with the quality of my work!

I suggest you see if you can find folks discarding old canvas work in order to acquire some sailing-worthy material to practice on... for free hopefully? Buy good thread and plenty of the right size, make, and style of needle... then sew it!
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One last word.. okay.. last words...
Needles... I just reminded me that you want to make sure you are getting the correct needles for your machine as well... not just the correct size.
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I'm pretty tired of typing... think I'll move on now...