Do you have a sewing machine on board?

[mersey]

yes Singer 201k cast iron, electric.

Not essential, but well worth having.

 

[geem]

yes Singer 201k cast iron, electric.

Not essential, but well worth having.

We have the same model. 70 years old. It's made sun covers, stack packs, bean bags, shopping bags, etc. We would have it on the essential list as once you are away from home canvas work costs a fortune

 

[James Marinero]

Yes, now a Reads - £100 on ebay. Before that one of the first programmable Singers which had been my mother's. The Reads is a heavy bugger. Have saved '000s in sailrepairs and canvas work. Last job was dinghy chaps for the RIB. Off the shelf they were US$600...

 

[Kukri]

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.

Another ancient Pfaff. Would snap up a Read's or a Sailrite if one comes along but the Pfaff still works.

 

[Heckler]

We have the same model. 70 years old. It's made sun covers, stack packs, bean bags, shopping bags, etc. We would have it on the essential list as once you are away from home canvas work costs a fortune

She wouldnt do without hers now! Just resewed the Dodger, new binimi planned this winter

 

[geem]

She wouldnt do without hers now! Just resewed the Dodger, new binimi planned this winter

Just had ours serviced in Santa Marta Colombia. £9. Runs like a dream. Using V92 on top bobbin and Gore Tenara in the bottom bobbin. New sun cover to combat the brutal sun here in the Caribbean in summer.

 

[Heckler]

Just had ours serviced in Santa Marta Colombia. £9. Runs like a dream. Using V92 on top bobbin and Gore Tenara in the bottom bobbin. New sun cover to combat the brutal sun here in the Caribbean in summer.

I did the tensions on both, got my head around them at last. The bottom one has a second screw in the "finger" Using V92 on both now.

 

[TonyMS]

We have a 50 quid John Lewis machine. It only weighs 2 Kg. The lady in the store didn't want us to buy it - said it was only fit for dolls' clothes.

But Ann has made lots of things for the boat - covers for the polycarb Bimini, cover for the dinghy, cushion covers, etc, and clothes such as shorts.

Of course, it won't do sails.

 

[James Marinero]

If anyone's interested I have the Singer 320K2 up on eBay right now at [url]https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Singer-Sewing-Machine-320k2-Pattern-Stitch-Free-Arm-Programmable/192669086608?hash=item2cdbf8f390:g:1EMAAOSw85JbqPrN [/URL]

 

[BobnLesley]

We had an old Singer for a while - would do sails/heavy stuff but no zig-zag stitch option - but in the end we decided that it was just too heavy/bulky on a small boat for the amount of use we made of it and traded it for ... I can't now remember. We do have a good sewing-palm and most importantly a hand-sewing awl which has dealt with all our emergency/immediate repairs, beyond that we just ask around at the next major anchorage and invariably there's another cruiser with a good machine and more skillful at using it than we ever were more than willing to help. We have paid for professional repairs over the years, but only two or three in fifteen years