Sailrite on a 26' Cruiser?

[Lazy Jack 32]

A $150 heavy duty Singer sewed sail covers, cockpit cushions, and berth cushions with Sunbrella cloth. No problems with the machine (compared to lack of skill and clumsy fingers). But the machine was set up on a banquet-sized dining room table with all the leaves in, while the wife was away on a long trip. Hard to imagine sewing anything bigger than a handkerchief on a sailboat of any length.

[KellyMarcena]

You might check out the forum on facebook called SOB (Sailing on Boats) FMI on substitute machines.

I had a friend on a 30' and she set had set up the sailrite on the salon table and repaired my dodger for me in about 30 minutes. Yes, we were at the dock using shore power. It was amazing how much she could get done in such a small space.

[raahell]

I have a Sailrite LZ1 and it has paid for itself many times over in just 3 years. I don't think you'll be able to store or use a sewing machine on a 26' sailboat. It's not just the machine but the rolls of fabric, thread and other tools required to make even simple things. You also need an open, flat space for patterning, cutting, assembling and sewing. Myself, I have a farmers market tent, some folding tables, sewing machine , fabric and other sundry items in an enclosed trailer, which I bring to the boat yard. I set up the 10' x 10' market tent and work under that. Or I work from home, but actually the tent and working outside is nicer, at least in summer, IMHO.

If you're looking for inspiration and advice, join the "Sewing on Boats" Facebook site. Lots of great sewers and ideas and friendly, non-judgemental people willing to give advice.

[mghorton]

I have owned my Sailrite since 2003 and this beast has done five biminis, four winter covers, a set of Cape Dory sails, two sets of cabin cushions and countless mainsail, winch and fender covers and cockpit cushions etc, but it thrives on heavier materials.
Also the big money saved is for the boat projects, that do take time but really spruce up the look of a boat.
For that sort of work, you will need space for maneuvering the cloth etc, not for the machine, although quick repairs can be handled in the cabin.
If you want to make clothes, a portable household machine is best for anything lighter with the finer threads and will not need the big area for the boat projects.

[Amapola]

My Sailrite has paid for itself and saved $$$ by doing the work myself. However, I don't carry it on board.

[Sailor647]

Originally Posted by raahell

It's not just the machine but the rolls of fabric, thread and other tools required to make even simple things. You also need an open, flat space for patterning, cutting, assembling and sewing.

You'll be amazed at what you can accomplish in a small space, on deck, and on the docks if you have to! Bring the machine. It will be worth it!

[StoneCrab]

I agree that finding a spot to store the machine is difficult. I have a small step next to the companionway steps which holds the machine nicely. Only downside is that it can get some spray there. I was never sure why they built in that step on the boat since it doesn't go anywhere but I'm glad to see it get some use. To address the spray, I sewed a nylon cover for the case.

The hard case is a nice size for use as a foot rest with a cushion on top. It is heavy enough that it doesn't move around which is a plus.

I have a few comments on the LSZ-1. I agree with other posters that the machine should come with a hand crank by default.

I disagree that you need to buy the monster wheel.

The monster wheel is heavy, and while it smooths out the motion of the machine a bit, it really isn't worth the extra weight. I bought their plastic handle/hand crank to mount on the OEM plastic flywheel and use that hand crank all the time when going thick or slow. Being able to move slowly, under control, is great, especially when making curved things like winch covers.

I actually wish the LSZ-1 had a secondary gearbox between the motor and the drive wheel so that you could downshift for maximum torque and slower speed. Only rarely do I push the pedal all the way down for max rpm's. Their professional/industrial stand mounted version can be equipped with a servo motor that does the slow speed control, but I would think a simple mechanical 2:1 gear would get the job done for less weight and cost.


The biggest advantage of the LSZ-1 is the walking foot. It really does help when sewing thick or slippery material like sails. The walking foot also does an awesome job of feeding the fabric into the machine in a straight line.... less wandering.

The biggest disadvantage of the LSZ-1 is the walking foot. It causes some limitations.

All that hardware hanging below the machine right behind the walking foot gets in the way. The feet on either side of the pressor foot also make it difficult or impossible to sew right up to an edge if you are doing any leather work. Their old SR200 machine wasn't a walking foot machine but could put the needle on the edge of a formed piece of leather. This could be described better, but for an example, look at your leather shoes. The leather is stitched to the soles, right up to the corner where the leather turns from vertical to horizontal. Due to the walking feet being outside the pressor foot, the needle on a LSZ-1 can't get any closer than 1/4" (maybe further) to that corner. In the following picture, you can see the walking feet as well as the hardware for the presser foot on the outside left of the assembly. This keeps anything with shape fairly far away from the needle as indicated by the yellow lines.... obviously not a problem if you are strictly sewing fabric.


You also can't start a seam right up against something unless it can fit underneath the metal holding the walking foot drive. This comes up for me a fair bit. The width of the top of the machine also places the needle fairly forward of the back of the machine aggravating this situation as well.


The machine isn't light. Handles on the sides of that case would help make carrying it around easier and safer for stowing. Sailrite's website shows a gentleman carrying the sewing machine in one hand like it is a briefcase. Those days are long behind me. A pair of recessed Roadie Case handles above the fancy case locks would help a lot. I sewed up a base for my case that includes some 2" nylon webbing. The webbing is folded over and sewn to provide handles for the machine whether the case top is closed or the machine is in use. Since I cut openings for the case's rubber feet to poke through, I still get the stability of the case bottom and the ease of carrying it with my straps. The straps allow me to pick it up with ease since I can use both hands and I don't have to bend all the way to the floor. The custom bottom zips to the rainfly when the case is closed. I then have the option of using my handles or the case's handle for carrying.

My machine gets a lot of use. I'd recommend bringing a machine along with you if your are cruising for many reasons. Being able to do a professional grade sail repair dockside prevents further damage and takes less time than trying the same repair by hand.

[StoneCrab]

This is a bit of an afterthought but the one tool that I never would have thought was worth it is the Sailrite hotknife. At $140, it is a big commitment for something you can do with a $5 pair of scissors.

If you look at their videos, Matt is always saying that you can use a soldering iron or wood burner to seal the edges. I modified an old gun style 150 watt soldering iron to use as a cutter/sealer and it worked "OK" but not great. A friend gave me a Sailrite edge hotknife. .... This is a tool that is a joy to use. It makes me perform at a much higher level with more professional results. It just works the way you need it to!

After using the Sailrite hotknife, I'd never go back to scissors and "sealing" with a soldering iron. No way, no how. For one thing, I don't have to do three operations: marking, cutting, sealing. I just throw down a metal straight edge, take a measurement and start cutting a perfectly straight line through the fabric. Since the tip of the knife gets red hot, you can cut very quickly. Much faster than with a scissors. Since the fabric is held in place by the straight edge, the cut is perfect and already sealed.

Cutting rope is just better with the hot knife. I used to tape off the rope, cut through with a razor and then melt the ends. Now I get a straight, sealed cut, in one go. Ever try cutting Dyneema with a scissors? The fibers just wrap around the cutting edge. ... no problem with the hot knife.

I know it sounds like I am a Sailrite shill, but I am not. Having actually made my own hotknife and used that for a while, I was not inclined to feel that $140 was worth it. I am sufficiently impressed, to say that I was wrong. You can get along without spending this money, but you can't do better. I would have bought one earlier if they could bring the price under $100. I never found anything to compete with it. Once I had one in my hands, though, I never looked back.

Pro-tip, you can weld plastic with this baby. I got the idea from watching Matt Grant make zipper stops by melting some teeth. I happened to break a plastic case shortly after that and "stir-welded" it back together on the back side.

[Flyrod1]

Bought the Barracuda today. My 17 year old daughter is going to be my seamstress.

First projects are winch and hatch covers, line bags, Lifesling cover quickly gravitating to salon cushions soon.

For this sort of stuff is the hot knife a necessity?

Sorry, read this thread this morning then posted this in the afternoon....just noticed StoneCrab’s informative post.

[StoneCrab]

A hot knife is probably more of a necessity on Sunbrella and Sailcloth than for other fabrics since they benefit the most from sealing the edges with heat. If you have a volunteer seamstress, leave the hotknife decision up to her.

If she does opt to get one, be sure to take some time to plan out her workspace and work methods so that she understands where to put it after a cut. Seems simple but you don't want her getting burned or accidentally melting fabric or furniture...

Have her start with some stuff sacks or ditty bags to get used to the machine and to understand that there is an order to assembly. Most things are sewn inside out which can get confusing. The ditty bags are straightforward to make and useful to have. Good confidence builders.
This site has a nice video on making one: https://backcountrybanter.com/make-s...diy-gear-tips/

If I can give you two more suggestions, I'd recommend buying a copy of "The Sail Repair Manual" Sailrite Item # 36302. It is about $9 and covers all the basic techniques used, how to tune and time a sewing machine and even has a starter project ditty bag project described.

My other suggestion is to buy some canvas quality Seam Stick. https://www.sailrite.com/search?keywords=seam%20stick She can use this to bast the seams together before stitching them. It keeps the fabric aligned and is better than using pins. The sailcloth/vinyl quality seam stick isn't as tacky as the canvas rated adhesive.

[Heathenly Twins]

Originally Posted by Sailor647

You'll be amazed at what you can accomplish in a small space, on deck, and on the docks if you have to! Bring the machine. It will be worth it!

I say...wot kind of boat 'ave ya got there?🤔

Very interesting

[Sailrite]

Originally Posted by Cpt Mark

The Barracuda is built by Reliable who supposedly build the sailrites.

I can assure you that Reliable (a Canadian company) does not make the Sailrite Ultrafeed machines, nor have they ever. Their machine, along with all other look-a-likes, is a rough semblance of our V1 (early 2000s) Ultrafeed. It is an early attempt to copy the patented Sailrite LSZ-1 machine. If you are curious about the full history of the machine, including when Sailrite’s owner designed and patented the zigzag walking foot functionality on a portable sewing machine you can read about it here: https://www.sailrite.com/ultrafeed-history (it even mentions the history of the Thompson Mini Walker and our relationship with them).

One last piece of information that might be of interest can be found here: https://www.sailrite.com/Why-Choose-an-Ultrafeed

[flee27]

I am also considering a Sailrite machine. One of the things that keeps bringing me back to the Sailrite is the service. The little I have dealt with them they seem to have very good customer service. Getting neck deep into sewing projects as a DIY'er/inexperienced sewer I feel like this could be worth way more than any cost difference into the machine.

Just seems like the type of thing that the quality of service could have lots of value. Is this assumption correct from those with more experience with Sailrite?

Foster

[BlueH2Obound]

Originally Posted by StoneCrab

This is a bit of an afterthought but the one tool that I never would have thought was worth it is the Sailrite hotknife. At $140, it is a big commitment for something you can do with a $5 pair of scissors.

Amazon has a hot knife that looks almost exactly like the sailrite, down to the attachments: $89.00. There are others as well, some with the same attachments. . .



https://www.amazon.com/Huanyu-Fabric...rkle_td_asin_0

[Lake-Effect]

Our friends bought a used Sailrite 12v machine (with AC adaptor too). They did their cabin cushions. Currently we're borrowing their machine for our cushions (project not yet started), but I've already used it to restitch our sailcover, and just yesterday I repaired a torn liner of my winter work-coat.

Great machines and helpful company.

But the only sewing machine I would carry on a 26' boat is this one: