Cruisers Forum
 


Reply
  This discussion is proudly sponsored by:
Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on Cruisers Forums. Advertise Here
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Rate Thread Display Modes
Old 08-06-2025, 15:03   #1
Registered User

Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: USA
Boat: Island Packet 29
Posts: 350
Buy a Sailrite or pay for canvas work?

My boat needs a bit of canvas and upholstery work. New sail deck bag, boom cover, binnacle cover. Needs new interior upholstery but not emergency right now.


Would you just pay someone to do these or should I just buy a Sailrite and do it myself?
Rockinar is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-06-2025, 15:19   #2
Registered User

Join Date: Nov 2024
Boat: Haiku sharpie 30'
Posts: 48
Images: 2
Re: Buy a Sailrite or pay for canvas work?

I sewed the cushions for the four berths on my boat. Actually, my wife sewed them, I cut out the pieces and the foam. They were a bit tricky since they were beveled to fit against the side of the hull, but using info on Sailrite's web site they came out almost perfect. You wouldn't know they were made by amateurs. Quality materials aren't cheap, but you can save a bunch of money by making your own.
I'd say go for it. Start with easy things to get familiar with the machine and materials.
TomSR is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-06-2025, 16:06   #3
Registered User
 
Franziska's Avatar

Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Panschwitz, Germany
Boat: Woods Mira 35 Catamaran
Posts: 4,883
Re: Buy a Sailrite or pay for canvas work?

We got ourselves a Pfaff 130 from 1950, cost 80€, cast iron, and super strong.
Spare parts such as spools and needles still commonly available for low prices.
Can do just about anything you want to do on a boat.

We have sewn:
Lazybag from scratch
Rope bags
Interior cushions
Sunshades
Sun awning
Spinacker repair
Genoa repair
...

Sews right through a number of layers of sailcloth and or leather.

Was kindly recommended by Ann (CPA). Super recommendation. Thanks Ann!

Sailrite is great and nice to have, but not really needed. It's biggest plus is the wider arm space.
Franziska is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-06-2025, 16:14   #4
Registered User

Join Date: Apr 2021
Location: Deale, MD
Boat: Moody 376
Posts: 662
Re: Buy a Sailrite or pay for canvas work?

Buy a sewing machine….doesn’t need to be sailrite. I bought a clone . Or buy a used sailrite.

As long as you have the time. I did interior cushions, dodger, Bimini, stack pack, cockpit cushions. Also cut down an oversized sail to fit my boat, and uv cover for a furling Genoa, pedestal cover, winch covers.
Probably easily 10k worth of work if not more if I had to pay someone…
marcjsmith is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-06-2025, 16:15   #5
Marine Service Provider

Join Date: Jan 2019
Boat: Beneteau 432, C&C Landfall 42, Roberts Offshore 38
Posts: 7,466
Re: Buy a Sailrite or pay for canvas work?

Interesting topic....years ago, I wanted to sew sailcovers, sunshades, etc, etc for my boat.

I trundled down to Walmart and purchased a relatively simple and inexpensive sewing machine, somewhere around $125 or so, maybe less, I forget.

It took an hour or two to figure everything out and I was in business.

First order of business was to get sewing needles capable of punching thru' several layers of cloth, a simple matter.
Next was to get appropriate thread, another simple matter.

After that I became a sewing machine, and my little Walmart special had no problem with whatever I fed into it's gaping maw.

I don't think it's necessary to spend $100's of $$ on a sewing machine, when a Walmart special can do the job with admiration.
MicHughV is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 08-06-2025, 16:20   #6
Registered User

Join Date: Nov 2024
Boat: Haiku sharpie 30'
Posts: 48
Images: 2
Re: Buy a Sailrite or pay for canvas work?

Long ago I used a domestic machine (Kenmore) to sew canvas on my boat, but on my recent build I borrowed a machine with a walking foot. What a difference!
TomSR is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-06-2025, 16:27   #7
Registered User

Join Date: Jul 2022
Posts: 9
Re: Buy a Sailrite or pay for canvas work?

We use our LSZ-1 all the time. I bought it in order to add windows in our dodger after I got a quote that was higher than the cost of the machine and materials. It paid for itself in the first project. We've done Jerry can covers, sail repair, dinghy cover, hatch covers, sail bags, lee cloths, etc since. We carry a smaller machine for clothing repair and the sailrite for anything Sunbrella. It's a lot of weight and space but we've found it worth it while living on our boat. If you have a house it would make even more sense to get one in my opinion. Also I don't think you need a lot of skill to work your way through projects. I'm a complete hack and still get functional outcomes that don't really look all that bad
Tartan Yachter is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-06-2025, 16:34   #8
Moderator
 
Jammer's Avatar

Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Minnesota
Boat: Tartan 3800
Posts: 5,581
Re: Buy a Sailrite or pay for canvas work?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rockinar View Post
My boat needs a bit of canvas and upholstery work. New sail deck bag, boom cover, binnacle cover. Needs new interior upholstery but not emergency right now.

Would you just pay someone to do these or should I just buy a Sailrite and do it myself?

You can do these on a cheap home machine, up to a point at least. I have.


The Sailrite is best understood as an intermediate step, a portable machine that does more than a home machine but not as much as an industrial machine. People in the biz sometimes use a Sailrite for on-site work but have better machines back at the shop.


If you have the skills and the time, but are going to sew on your boat rather than someplace where you can have an industrial machine, then the Sailrite is for you.
__________________
The best part of an adventure is the people you meet.
Jammer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-06-2025, 16:50   #9
Registered User

Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 3,085
Re: Buy a Sailrite or pay for canvas work?

Big step is a walking foot machine. Your interior upholstery will benefit from this as it will keep your top and bottom fabric pieces better aligned.

I have two Sailrites and an 25-year old Kenmore home machine (lot of plastic). The Kenmore, despite being cheap, can get a lot done. I love the Sailrites but man are they heavy. Very difficult to store on a boat.
__________________
_______________________________________
Cruising our 36-foot trawler from California to Florida
Join our Instagram page @MVWeebles to follow along
mvweebles is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-06-2025, 17:01   #10
Registered User

Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Bogue Sound NC
Boat: 1987 Cape Dory MKII 30 Hull #3,
Posts: 1,653
Re: Buy a Sailrite or pay for canvas work?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rockinar View Post
My boat needs a bit of canvas and upholstery work. New sail deck bag, boom cover, binnacle cover. Needs new interior upholstery but not emergency right now.


Would you just pay someone to do these or should I just buy a Sailrite and do it myself?
=================================

eye balling your needs will venture professional made costs will pay for the machine.

Will use Clint Eastwood, "Man got to know his limitations"

The catch, need to know your tolerance for frustration involved in learning a new skill, as well as accepting good as good enough.

Did I mention PACIENCE?

I started yeas ago, made a main and a jib for a 20 ft,a ,StackPack for my current boat,boom covers, handrails covers, bags to name a few.

The outcome is not only a new skill but the goal of any cruiser, SELF RELIANCE.
davil is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 08-06-2025, 17:39   #11
Marine Service Provider

Join Date: Jan 2019
Boat: Beneteau 432, C&C Landfall 42, Roberts Offshore 38
Posts: 7,466
Re: Buy a Sailrite or pay for canvas work?

My cheap lil' Walmart special has a walking foot
At the time I didn't know what this was, but learned quickly.
I thought all sewing machines had this ??
MicHughV is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 08-06-2025, 18:28   #12
Registered User

Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Detroit
Boat: O'Day 30 CB
Posts: 502
Re: Buy a Sailrite or pay for canvas work?

Long time canvas pro here.

I have a SailRite LZ-1, which I use about once/year for on site repairs. It's slow and finicky, but it DOES work fine. I consider it light and easy to transport.

For decades, I used Juki 562 & 563's. They are the same machine, just the 563 has a bigger bobbin. They are clones of the Singer 111w. All are industrial walking foot machines. They are not portable, but with an occasional oiling, should run until the end of time. They are widely available on the used market for <$1,000 USD, and are my first recommendation for a "serious" machine. They have MUCH bigger throat than the SailRite type machines and run several time faster.

My current machine is a Juki LU2828-v7. It's a full computer controlled whiz-bang thing, and it costs more than my car.
kayakerChuck is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-06-2025, 20:29   #13
Registered User

Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: San Francisco
Boat: Morgan 382
Posts: 3,939
Re: Buy a Sailrite or pay for canvas work?

I have an inexpensive Singer 4411. The walking foot attachment was another $30. I have done a sail cover, winch covers, hatch covers, outboard cover, and a bimini. The bimini was at the machines limit and difficult, but it did it. Everything else was pretty easy for it. A dodger would be out of the question due to the window material.

If you are only doing some small projects it would be difficult to justify the Sail right. But, if you are going to replace all the canvas on your boat, it would be worth it.
__________________
-Warren
wholybee is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-06-2025, 21:14   #14
Registered User

Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: SoCal
Boat: Formosa 30 ketch
Posts: 1,038
Re: Buy a Sailrite or pay for canvas work?

Zamir Sewing Machines in L A sells a Yamata FS388 for about $550. Same basic machine as a Sailrite minus some bells and whistles, but has a 9" throat. Sailrite's is only 7".
Bill Seal is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-06-2025, 22:35   #15
Registered User

Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 563
Re: Buy a Sailrite or pay for canvas work?

I got quoted 250 just to fix a 3" zipper on my bimini enclosure.
Instead I bought a Sailrite...new dodger new bimini...new enclosure.
Ya I have spent about 5k total but the canvas work would have cost me near 30k.
Eder is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
canvas, sail, sailrite, work

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Buy with all the work done or pay to have it done? JohnParkerSJ Our Community 58 26-04-2021 17:15
[SOLD] Sailrite LSZ1 – Tired of paying Boat Show Prices for canvas work? Steve O General Classifieds (no boats) 7 28-01-2020 07:01
Sailrite vs. Pfaff 130 for canvas and clothing? Noblique Auxiliary Equipment & Dinghy 6 29-11-2012 23:08



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 16:56.


Google+
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Social Knowledge Networks
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.

ShowCase vBulletin Plugins by Drive Thru Online, Inc.