Sailrite

Hurricane said:
Yes - I was looking at that fabric on the internet this morning.
I want to start looking at different fabrics and I like ProFabrics/Point North - I ended up buying most of my materials from them and fully intend using them in the future.
I didn't see that reduction in price though.
So, thanks for posting that comment.
Click to expand...

Great job.
Was reading the start of this thread the other day as I'm looking at making a flybridge cover, nothing up to the standard you've done, so I may delete the images you posted from my memory before I start.

Is that all done with the same material you posted at the start?
https://aemarket.co.uk/collections/...ts/d600-fabric-material?variant=6497688715292
 
At this rate you will wear the Sailrite machine out!

Seriously what a cracking job saved you £1,000s
Next step is to set up a pop up shop in the cockpit of Jenny Wren

Can’t wait ????
 
MapisM said:
You bet. I'd call it shocking, rather than just interesting... :rolleyes:
I would have gone nuts before finishing the simplest of the covers you made - congrats for your commitment and patience!

One question about external cushions covers: are you leaving cushions outside all year round, just covering them whenever the boat is not used?
I am asking because in my boats I always had a light cover for summer usage, quick and easy to fit and remove.
But in the winter, we always brought all the cushions inside, filling one of the guest cabins with them.
In fact, swmbo always assumed that by leaving them outside, even if covered, humidity and salty air would have prematurely stained/ruined them.
Should you confirm that you didn't experience any problems leaving them outside, we might reconsider that...
Click to expand...

It depends - if I were out in (say) June and going home for 2 or 3 weeks, I would probably leave the cushions covered.
But, actually that hasn't happened for the last 4 or 5 years.
I tend to go out for the summer and stay until October so the cushions stay out anyway.
I do, however, cover cushions when we aren't using them - the flybridge ones for example.

Cockpit ones are different but since making this cover this cover, the cockpit ones stay out.

serve.php


That said, I do remove the cockpit cushions when washing the boat - the flybridge overhang tends to drip when lots of water is sprayed over it.
 
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James L said:
Great job.
Was reading the start of this thread the other day as I'm looking at making a flybridge cover, nothing up to the standard you've done, so I may delete the images you posted from my memory before I start.

Is that all done with the same material you posted at the start?
https://aemarket.co.uk/collections/...ts/d600-fabric-material?variant=6497688715292
Click to expand...

Yes but there is a problem that I need to investigate.
The initial supply was for 10m.
I then ordered 50m.
There is a significant difference in the weight and colour from the first delivery to the second.
It may be that I ordered different fabric - I need to check.
I'm not really disappointed - the second delivery fabric is much nicer to sit on.
And the first delivery was better as a heavy canvas.
I can't believe that I didn't notice whilst I was working on it.
I will check but I think it is time to move on now to better fabrics having learned from this cheap stuff.
The cheap fabric seems to discolour (fade) a little in the strong summer sunlight.
I will report back after I've checked.
If it is billed as the same stuff, the quality between the two is too extreme.

Anyway, as I say - time for me to move on to better fabrics.
 
Hurricane said:
Yes but there is a problem that I need to investigate.
The initial supply was for 10m.
I then ordered 50m.
There is a significant difference in the weight and colour from the first delivery to the second.
It may be that I ordered different fabric - I need to check.
I'm not really disappointed - the second delivery fabric is much nicer to sit on.
And the first delivery was better as a heavy canvas.
I can't believe that I didn't notice whilst I was working on it.
I will check but I think it is time to move on now to better fabrics having learned from this cheap stuff.
The cheap fabric seems to discolour (fade) a little in the strong summer sunlight.
I will report back after I've checked.
If it is billed as the same stuff, the quality between the two is too extreme.

Anyway, as I say - time for me to move on to better fabrics.
Click to expand...

Good to know, thanks.
Unfortunately I don't need to worry about strong sunlight ?
 
timbad said:
At this rate you will wear the Sailrite machine out!

Seriously what a cracking job saved you £1,000s
Next step is to set up a pop up shop in the cockpit of Jenny Wren

Can’t wait
Click to expand...

Maybe when we are out next together, we could measure your passerelle for a cover and knock something up using that cheap grey material - I still have some left!!!
I think your dinghy cover would be a step too far and I need to do one for my Novurania first.
Like yours, my Novurania is covered at the moment with a cheap Ebay cover adapted to fit.
We bought/adapted two when we bought the RIB - the first one fell apart earlier this year so the second one id on at the moment.
So my Novurania cover is OK for the next year or so - after that I WILL be making a proper one for it.
The Novurania cover is a good example of DIY covers - we don't use the cover when we are there so it doen't really matter what it looks like as long as it actually covers the RIB.
 
Good going Mike
Your Sailrite now has 10x the mileage of mine :D
I like the little red/green markers. I always spec that on my covers.
 
jfm said:
Good going Mike
Your Sailrite now has 10x the mileage of mine :D
I like the little red/green markers. I always spec that on my covers.
Click to expand...

Ha ha
Those red/green markers were on the first cover I made.
When the Sailrite arrived, I just HAD to do something with it.
So, I made the cover for the flybridge helm seat.
I did a terrible job
At one stage, I needed to unpick my work.
In haste, I put the seem ripper ripper clean through the material.
So when I finished the cover, I had a small slit in one corner.
I had some red tape in my box of off cuts so I stitched a red patch over the slit.
Then I thought about it and I also had some green tape in my box of off cuts.
The rest is history!!!

So, you can see that all the good ideas come from mistakes!!!
 
thanks for posting Mike !! gives me lots of idea's,
for many years, we have been making measurements and even patterns, and had the covers made in Belgium,
(all with silvergrey Sunbrella iirc)
but I'm sure that swmbo can do a good job herself, as we still have many more covers to make or to renew....
we have been using a domestic machine for some repairs and patterns, but have to invest now in a sailrite :encouragement:
 
Just for info' if this hasn't already been mentioned. I bought an unbranded Chinese Sailrite copy off Ebay for a fraction of a genuine one and it is brilliant. Walking foot etc. etc. Plus, a brand new motor and foot pedal are also available for around £15.
 
PCUK said:
Just for info' if this hasn't already been mentioned. I bought an unbranded Chinese Sailrite copy off Ebay for a fraction of a genuine one and it is brilliant. Walking foot etc. etc. Plus, a brand new motor and foot pedal are also available for around £15.
Click to expand...

Yep, it was tempting to get one of the 3 or 4 Chinese rip offs but when I checked some reviews, it seems that the quality of the components (particularly the internal cams etc) aren't as good as the original.
The Chinese equivalents though do seem to offer good value for money.
My rational there is so much of a saving making your own covers that I could have been risking the end result for that sake of a few hundred pounds.
The support from Sailrite, especially all those Youtube videos, sold the Sailrite machine to me.
Also, in the past, SWMBO and I have always bought top of the range sewing machines.
 
Does anyone have a link to any of these cheaper machines? I am a bit too long in the tooth to consider a new machine but it is interesting to have a look.
Studying Hurricane's stitching not only is it regular but the stitch length is something you don't get with even quality heavyweight, domestic machines.
 
doug748 said:
Does anyone have a link to any of these cheaper machines? I am a bit too long in the tooth to consider a new machine but it is interesting to have a look.
Studying Hurricane's stitching not only is it regular but the stitch length is something you don't get with even quality heavyweight, domestic machines.
Click to expand...

I deleted all the links from when I did my research but here are two alternatives to the Sailrite.
Essentially, they use the same design and the mouldings/castings are virtually identical - properly "ripped off".

The Rex
https://www.amazon.com/607Z-Portable-Walking-foot-Zigzag-LIGHT/dp/B06XP7MG23

But, I think that this one (the Baracuda) is the better of the two:-
https://reliablecorporation.com/pro...-portable-walking-foot-zig-zag-sewing-machine

Here is a comparison between the Sailrite and the Baracuda
https://www.yachtmollymawk.com/2018/06/barracuda-200zw-v-sailrite-lsz1/

And I think you will find this page interesting.
It is the history of the Sailrite and their response to the various "rip offs".
In fact, it explains how the design was copied.
A really interesting read:-

https://www.sailrite.com/ultrafeed-history

Hope that helps
As I said, I chose to pay the extra and buy an original.
And I don't regret my decision.
 
Some extra comments from me.
All sewing is a skill.
Even the best machine can't do the job for you.
I'm not 100% happy with my results but I have very much enjoyed doing these little projects.
The Cockpit covers/curtains were a big step and they work but I will make another set in a year or two (or sooner if that cheap fabric fails).
I learnt a lot making the cockpit covers.

Also, one of the retired berth holders in Sant Carles used to make leather upholstery for Aston Martin.
As a result, he is good at covers and was very helpful with his advice over the summer.
One such important point for me is when making seams.
Essentially there are 3 ways to join fabric (French seams etc).
Two are shown in this Sailrite "Learning to Sew" page.
https://www.sailrite.com/Learning-to-Sew-Part-3-How-to-Sew-Basic-Seams
I use the second method for virtually everything.
The advice that the berth holder in SC gave me was to really pull the fabric hard when sewing the top stitch and sew close to the joint.

In the video in the above link, you will see double sided sticky being used.
This double sided tape is fantastic stuff.
I've been using it for years - Kayospruce call it "Venture Tape".
I used to make DIY spinnakers for my sailing dinghies - I designed them on the computer and I output the panels to a company in Fareham who used laser cutter.
I then stuck the spinnaker together using this tape.
I did stitch some of the seams but most were strong enough using just the tape.
That same tape helps with canvas as well.
It, not only holds the fabric without pins, but it also forms a waterproof seam where the needle passes through the fabric.
Rather than using Kayospruce for the tape, I have been buying the same stuff from Ebay - here:-
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sailmake...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
I use 6mm, 12mm and 25mm widths.
 
I must admit that having learned almost all my sewing skills from Sailrite videos (they are so well made and watchable) I was (I am) a bit uncomfortable buying a clone. If I start doing more than the odd canopy and cushions then I may well invest in the genuine article.
 
I bought the same Sailrite sewing machine July 2018, and have done very little with it so far, but having left it at the marina this year I brought it back and wondering if smaller domestic projects are possible on it. The Sailrite video's suggest as such, but I'm not so sure. For instance the various rolled hem attachments you can buy on Amazon can only be fitted to "low shank sewing machines" which this obviously isn't, but I should be able to change the foot but am struggling to find how (& what to change it to). My wife would like to use it for domestic projects but wondering whether to get her a modern household one instead.
 
Sailrite do a less aggressive foot but it would probably be expensive and maybe limited help anyway.
Apart from that, flat bed machines also make handling small work more difficult, particularly things like trousers and sleeves.

A strong free arm machine might be a better all rounder. Or an inexpensive small machine may do all you wife needs, including decorative stitches, whilst you keep the Sailrite.

The machine on EBay is now over £800 so you would probably get a good price if you decided to swap
 
PCUK said:
I must admit that having learned almost all my sewing skills from Sailrite videos (they are so well made and watchable) I was (I am) a bit uncomfortable buying a clone. If I start doing more than the odd canopy and cushions then I may well invest in the genuine article.
Click to expand...

And you can expect to get a good price for it when you have finished with it. :encouragement:
 
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