Project Day #327
The sewing machine that we invested in prior to heading out cruising has happily paid for itself over and over. In addition to the odd sail repair that it has helped us with, Rebecca has used it to construct at least a dozen other useful items for our boat. She does tend to let the projects accumulate though because the process of clearing some work space, retrieving the machine and fabric, and getting everything all set up seems to, at least in some cases, take a lot longer than the actual sewing itself. Yesterday was one of those days when she decided to clear the needs-to-be-sewn list. Here is what she accomplished:
- Made an adjustment to the barbecue cover that she previously sewed, making it easier to tighten.
- Sewed a new “shoe rack” out of Sunbrella (the dollar store version we had been using finally gave up the ghost).
- Sewed a sheath for our machete.
- Repaired both cushions on our helm seat
While she was busy with that, I took a crack (pun intended) at fixing the helm seat itself. As you can see in the pic below, it had developed a couple of cracks and I wanted to reinforce the broken area before it got any worse. The only problem was that I wasn’t exactly sure how to go about that (how many times have I written that over the years — I’ve lost count). Could I use West System epoxy for the job? Good question, and one that the Oracle easily provided me an answer for. I followed the instructions I found here and although the repair isn’t pretty, it doesn’t matter because the affected area is hidden by the cushion.
A little sanding, some deck paint and nobody could tell the difference
You may be right, especially since no one can see the repair as it’s hidden by the cushion.
I looked at that sewing machine online. So does Rebecca like it and think it’s easy to use? We are considering buying a sewing machine before we leave…
Dani
Yup. Quite happy. It has done everything we have wanted it to do and it has given us no grief. It is also a fraction of the price, and weight, of a Sailrite machine. Sailrite machines are better, if you have the bucks, but the Necchi is pretty darn good too.
I would just add a nice cushion to the seat………They also make a “plastic spray paint” that would make it look new again for aestetics…..I doubt paradise sells it though………Tell Rebecca thank you very much for the you tube fathers day gift……….the dance was such a gift!!
Hi John
You must have missed it in the post but there are cushions for the seat. Mending them was one of the projects on Rebecca’s sewing list and I also said that the cushion would hide the repair so I wasn’t that concerned about how it looks. At some point I will likely take some time to dress up the repair a bit though, sanding it down and painting it as you suggest.
“At some point” = before noon one day, right?
Affirmative.
I have been enjoying your website. We are getting ready to cruise, also. We are leaving some time this summer. I really appreciate the information on the products that you all are using.
How did you power the sewing machine? You were anchored last entry?
How did you attach the shoe holder to your boat. I studied the pictures but can’t figure it out.
Thank so much!
Zaneta
Hi Zaneta
The sewing machine runs on 110V so we were powering it via our inverter. As for your other question, the details on how the shoe rack is attached are shown here:
http://www.zerotocruising.com/easy-and-cheap-storage/
Where will you be departing from when you head out cruising?
Mike,
What is under/behind the L bracket cover from Rona? Is it screwed into the fiberglass or is attached with adhesive?
We are planning to tour the American West for a month then where we sail from will depend on where we purchase our boat. We are looking at a couple boats in Annapolis since it is close to where we live now. But in June will widen our search to US and Caribbean since the Caribbean will be our first destination. (let us know if you hear of anyone wanting to sell!)
I tried to find your model of sewing machine since this is something we were thinking of purchasing but no luck finding it. Any websites you recommend we try?
Thanks so much for all your help.
Zaneta
In this case the screws behind the brackets hold a strip of starboard(?) to the fiberglass bulkhead. There are screws like that throughout our boat. If we want to hang something we just add an L-bracket behind the screw in the appropriate spot.
As for where to get the machine, I don’t want to make it too easy. 🙂 Follow the links in today’s post to the older thread(s) and you’ll find the address of the online store where we purchased it.
What kind of boat are you looking for?
Is the seat safe now you have mended it. Those cracks seemed to be in a part that would not normally be stressed, I would have thought, so what caused them do you think?
Mike
The cause? My big butt? Huge waves throwing us about? Inferior quality of the product? 🙂 I honestly have no idea of the cause nor even when it occurred. As for it being safe, we sat on it cracked like that for some time so I doubt we’re going to go anywhere. How well the repair lasts will be determined over time.