Seven Spades
Well-known member
I am interested if most livabords consider a sewing machine a must.
Do you have a sewing machine on board?
- Thread starter Seven Spades
- Start date
sailaboutvic
Well-known member
Not sure I would say it's a must , but we have one on board , sailrite , it's been used a lot 2 totally enclosed on our boats , two Bimini again on our boat , two different boats by the way no end of sails repair , this doesn't exclude work done for others . It cost us quite a bit but it's paid for it self time and time again
Madeo
Member
Yes, I also have a Sailrite aboard. Wouldn't say it's essential, but it's very useful!
duncan99210
Well-known member
When we lived on board full time, we had an ancient Pfaff machine, made biminis, shade pieces, dinghy chaps etc etc. Coped well with canvas and good for reupholstering the saloon as well. Now at home as we only live aboard through the summer and do canvas work projects in the winter. As others above have said, not essential but useful.
nortada
Well-known member
Yes on both boats and saves an awful lot of money.
Essential no but very desirable.
Essential no but very desirable.
Graham376
Well-known member
TQA
New member
- Joined
- 20 Feb 2005
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- 6,815
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- Carribbean currently Grenada
Very useful if you are on a slim budget. My 25 quid hand cranked cast iron Singer repaired sails made windscoops awnings biminis turned cheap cotton sheets in to custom fitted ones etc.
Second time around the budget is a little healthier so I pay to have that sort of stuff done.
TOP TIP A second hand Pfaff with a cast iron armature and a walking foot is as good as a Sailrite.
Second time around the budget is a little healthier so I pay to have that sort of stuff done.
TOP TIP A second hand Pfaff with a cast iron armature and a walking foot is as good as a Sailrite.
Last edited:
OldBawley
Active member
We have simply no room for a machine, so I do all sewing by hand. If I had a bigger boat a sewing machine would be nr one on my buying list.
We use 5 sails, make all covers and so ourselves, so repairing canvas is the most time consuming job on board. Our cockpit winter tent (essential on a small boat ) is 25 years old, has 20 Med winters . Needs to be replaced, the problem is that here in Greece I find nobody who could bring the same craftsmanship as the old Dutch made one. So I keep repairing the old tent by hand. Once you master the art well possible but very time consuming.
My mam was ( is ) a seamstress, made most of the wedding dresses in our village. Always full house, fitting was social thing. In the evening I had to collect all the fitting pins from the floor with a magnet. Arround comunion I came home very late each evening, sometimes waited until dark before heading home from playing because often I had to pull on communion dresses to fit. Only when my sis was big enough she became the pinning cushion.
Now I like the relatively simple task of sewing. Sitting in the cockpit in a nice anchoring spot, doing something useful.
Buy a machine, learn how to use it. ( The sailmakers apprentice is a very good book )
We use 5 sails, make all covers and so ourselves, so repairing canvas is the most time consuming job on board. Our cockpit winter tent (essential on a small boat ) is 25 years old, has 20 Med winters . Needs to be replaced, the problem is that here in Greece I find nobody who could bring the same craftsmanship as the old Dutch made one. So I keep repairing the old tent by hand. Once you master the art well possible but very time consuming.
My mam was ( is ) a seamstress, made most of the wedding dresses in our village. Always full house, fitting was social thing. In the evening I had to collect all the fitting pins from the floor with a magnet. Arround comunion I came home very late each evening, sometimes waited until dark before heading home from playing because often I had to pull on communion dresses to fit. Only when my sis was big enough she became the pinning cushion.
Now I like the relatively simple task of sewing. Sitting in the cockpit in a nice anchoring spot, doing something useful.
Buy a machine, learn how to use it. ( The sailmakers apprentice is a very good book )
sailaboutvic
Well-known member
did you get PM I sent a while back re sail loft ?
OldBawley
Active member
Yes, received your Pm, thanks for the address.
Will keep it in mind when addressing the sail.
Right now I have other tasks.
Old boat, starts to loose some feathers.
First, the 23 year old wooden rudder has warped. Is now about 10 mm bend so the boat pulls to port when on the engine and my fear is the epoxy glue could break leaving me with no rudder.
I did a emergency repair under water, braced the rudder blade with 4 sturdy wooden beams connected with bolts. Sailed back to Poros where I know my way around and during that sail one of the six side chain plates broke. Four sails up, doing 5,5 knots and the hughe waves of a passing 80 meter speedcatamaran. Passed us at 30 yards. Boing. Not even a loud boing.
The mast stayed up so we continued under sail to Poros.
I can do all repairs myself, just need bronze. And that again is the problem here in Greece.
Need about 6 meters of 35 mm x 8 mm flat silicon bronze, have been searching the net with the help of a knowing Greek but no result.
So, the chain plates ( I want to rebuild all of them ) are task nr one. Rudder repair ( with the same bronze) is job nr two. Guess I know what to do this winter.
Will keep it in mind when addressing the sail.
Right now I have other tasks.
Old boat, starts to loose some feathers.
First, the 23 year old wooden rudder has warped. Is now about 10 mm bend so the boat pulls to port when on the engine and my fear is the epoxy glue could break leaving me with no rudder.
I did a emergency repair under water, braced the rudder blade with 4 sturdy wooden beams connected with bolts. Sailed back to Poros where I know my way around and during that sail one of the six side chain plates broke. Four sails up, doing 5,5 knots and the hughe waves of a passing 80 meter speedcatamaran. Passed us at 30 yards. Boing. Not even a loud boing.
The mast stayed up so we continued under sail to Poros.
I can do all repairs myself, just need bronze. And that again is the problem here in Greece.
Need about 6 meters of 35 mm x 8 mm flat silicon bronze, have been searching the net with the help of a knowing Greek but no result.
So, the chain plates ( I want to rebuild all of them ) are task nr one. Rudder repair ( with the same bronze) is job nr two. Guess I know what to do this winter.
sailaboutvic
Well-known member
You should had add this to , what to liveaboard do all day .
One bit of advise , if you order anything from the chandlers in the sq in Poros , ask price first , I order a bit of thread Rod , once he got it in charge me 15€ Said it only one place in the whole of Greece does 1/2 everyone else do mm , yea there goes another flying pig , only bland myself should had ask price first .
His lost last thing I ever buy from him unless I have to .
Yngmar
Well-known member
Yup, a Singer Heavy Duty. Got it when the cockpit tent tore a window. The repair quote from the canvas shop was really quite inspiring to DIY. After sewing one edge by hand I got fed up and got a sewing machine. Could've bought two of those machines for the quote from the canvas folk. Not essential item and takes up a lot of space, but been handy a couple times since, fixing flags and making new curtains when we destroyed some in the wash. Wanted to make some other stuff, but turns out I rather go swimming when it's hot 
nortada
Well-known member
Yup, a Singer Heavy Duty. Got it when the cockpit tent tore a window. The repair quote from the canvas shop was really quite inspiring to DIY. After sewing one edge by hand I got fed up and got a sewing machine. Could've bought two of those machines for the quote from the canvas folk. Not essential item and takes up a lot of space, but been handy a couple times since, fixing flags and making new curtains when we destroyed some in the wash. Wanted to make some other stuff, but turns out I rather go swimming when it's hot
Out of interst would you like to share that quote and location?
PM if you wish.
KellysEye
Active member
Jane made all our 3 awnings, front deck, over the main boom and back from the mizzen mast to the backstay, curved cockpit cover with acrylic panels, a cover for the GPS and covers to hold the fenders using a Sailrite and Dabond UV resistant thread.
Yngmar
Well-known member
£300 at Brighton. Can't remember if it was Nicky's or Italian Upholstery. Singer 4411 Heavy Duty was £149.95 on Amazon sale back then.
OldBawley
Active member
Hey Vic, I did sent you an answer to your PM.
I have only good experiences with Spiro.
Just that you know, I have been running a big chandlery for 10 years before sailing off, maby that is why I considder Spiro a friend.
I have only good experiences with Spiro.
Just that you know, I have been running a big chandlery for 10 years before sailing off, maby that is why I considder Spiro a friend.
sailaboutvic
Well-known member
I glad one of us find him ok , same rod in his shop 12 mm 4 € , I expected him to add a bit on for getting it in but didn't expect him to add 11€ .
OldBawley
Active member
Back to sewing : Clearly hand sewn, even the eye.
Heckler
Active member
Yes and we do. Used to resew our dodger completely last month, used this month to do alterations for friends. Using shortly to make a new bimini and side shades. It is a Singer 201K with a new Taiwanese motor and controller, runs easily off our 250watt inverter
Gerry
Well-known member
Yes and we do. Started with an ancient hand cranked Singer. Made sprayhood, sail covers etc. Upgraded to unidentified chinese hand cranked which has coped with reupholstering the boat. Still prefer the Singer which we are about to 'liberate' from it's current home with our son. Chinese one was ok but just not so reliable as the Singer-nor so beautiful!. Yes they are heavy lumps but the savings by doing it yourself are formidable.
