Retreat gets an upgrade

After getting new upholstery a few years ago, the fabric turned out to be very susceptible to fading in the sun, so it was very disappointing.
Always on the lookout for an alternative, we recently bought an industrial sewing machine, like the Sailrite machine. Our son recently bought a sailboat and with that needing new sail covers and our own boat needing both outside cushions and now inside cushions, it seemed the thing to do.
The outside cushions were first. No, I don't have a picture, but they are great, though not spectacular. The inside cushions are now aboard, in the picture below. Janet made the piping, following the directions on the Sailrite site, and I helped with the matching and all of the cutting using a hot knife. There was a lot of matching with the fabric she chose, but the results are well worth the extra effort.

Looks great KOliver. Nice job!

Looks great. We have a Sailrite machine also. It has paid for itself many times over.

They look great!


How much are those sewing machines?

Keith, that looks fantastic! Nice colors. (BTW, Retreat is a great boat name!)

I was looking at a used Sailrite LS-1 machine this weekend at a swap meet. This guy wanted $400 and he'd provide sewing lessons. Seemed like a real nice guy. I told him I only have a small job and I'm a slow learner so I'd bring all my stuff over to his place.

Looks to me like they sell for about $700 new so I'm thinking about it. I never knew how to sew, always regretted it and now I have a need to know in retirement. Seems like a natural learning and cost-saving opportunity.

I have his number just in case.

Very sharp! Nice choice of pattern and color, very nautical and contrasts nice with the wood. A warm appearance.

Steve91T said:

They look great!


How much are those sewing machines?

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We found ours on Cragslist and paid $1500 CDN. That means Flywright shouldn't pay more than $400 US for one.
We think it is well worth what we paid. Have used it lots so far and no plans to give it up.

IRENE said:

Very sharp! Nice choice of pattern and color, very nautical and contrasts nice with the wood. A warm appearance.

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Thanks for the compliments. Not fishing, just thought this was such an improvement that I had to share. I am not responsible for the choice, though she always asks my opinion before making her final decision. She allows me to choose between the one she has chosen and her second choice. If I choose wrongly she selects the right one and convinces me I was wrong. Of course she is always right about that.

FlyWright said:

Keith, that looks fantastic! Nice colors. (BTW, Retreat is a great boat name!)

I was looking at a used Sailrite LS-1 machine this weekend at a swap meet. This guy wanted $400 and he'd provide sewing lessons. Seemed like a real nice guy. I told him I only have a small job and I'm a slow learner so I'd bring all my stuff over to his place.

Looks to me like they sell for about $700 new so I'm thinking about it. I never knew how to sew, always regretted it and now I have a need to know in retirement. Seems like a natural learning and cost-saving opportunity.

I have his number just in case.

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The one we have is this one:
https://reliablecorporation.ca/collections/single-needle/products/4200sw-walking-foot-sewing-machine

If you can get one for $400, that is a very good deal!

If you have only one small job, get someone else to do it and save your money.

When we bought this boat, it had a name that one needed to be Scandinavian to appreciate, so not being of that origin, it had to change. It is our "Retreat".

Nice

Sailrite machines are pretty good, but you will meed to fuss with settings. The Admiral sews and I am the mechanic. Those units need to be bathed in sewing machine oil or else they will give varied results.

Zowie!! That really is a striking choice of material. Very nautical...appropriate with a zing.

Nice work koliver . I sold my sailrite here in TF a couple years back. I could never get the hang of it. Maybe from being a woodworker too long. They are nice machines and have a good support staff.

koliver said:

The one we have is this one:
https://reliablecorporation.ca/collections/single-needle/products/4200sw-walking-foot-sewing-machine

When we bought this boat, it had a name that one needed to be Scandinavian to appreciate, so not being of that origin, it had to change. It is our "Retreat".

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What's the dinghy name, Sabbatical?

Great job and choice of fabric. Looks amazing!

I bought a Sailrite 111 model, I believe, with the upgraded motor. It will walk one stitch at a time through 8 layers of Sunbrella. It was not cheap, but I have made covers and enclosures for 4 boats and done countless small projects and repairs for others. I have saved about 8 to 10 times what the machine cost to say nothing about waiting on someone else to get around to my job. In our area it takes forever to get canvas work done.

Love the color and pattern.

Looks great!

Really nice work and great match with the wood!
But where did you get the fabric and how did you make sure its uv resistant this time??

FlyWright said:

Keith, that looks fantastic! Nice colors. (BTW, Retreat is a great boat name!)

I was looking at a used Sailrite LS-1 machine this weekend at a swap meet. This guy wanted $400 and he'd provide sewing lessons. Seemed like a real nice guy. I told him I only have a small job and I'm a slow learner so I'd bring all my stuff over to his place.

Looks to me like they sell for about $700 new so I'm thinking about it. I never knew how to sew, always regretted it and now I have a need to know in retirement. Seems like a natural learning and cost-saving opportunity.

I have his number just in case.

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Al & others interested in sewing...
I just noticed this "thread" [emoji12]
I did a short seminar on getting started w DIY boat canvas that included a short section on machines & sources. It's linked on the home pg of my Bacchus website.
eBay has several of the Sailrite clone machines available often. I found mine locally on Craigslist when I retired.

Also note there is a thread on TF re DIY canvas w some tips on getting started as well as pics & Q&A.

http://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22037

Koliver
Nice work by you and Janet!
I'll bet you get a sense of satisfaction and pride every time you look at the result.

Great machines and sailrite have wonderful support. Been sewing my own stuff for years. One of the nice things is the "how to's"' on youtube. Sailrite definetly lead you by the hand etc when you start.

Ron342 said:

Really nice work and great match with the wood!
But where did you get the fabric and how did you make sure its uv resistant this time??

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Sailrite.com has many fabric choices, all with general specifications for wear and UV resistance, and reasonable prices.
Our choice is here: https://www.sailrite.com/Geobella-Momentum-Indigo-54-Fabric
The Warranty includes "excessive fading".

One trick with the Olefin fabrics is to use a hot knife rather than scissors. Short learning curve, then quick and accurate cuts with no ravelling, every time.

Don:
Right you are. Now we don't hesitate to bring new acquaintances to have a look. I am in the midst now of refinishing the woodwork in the aft cabin, forecabin is done, main saloon will get some touch up next. Without doing the upholstery this year I wouldn't have seen these items rise to the top of the to-do list this year. Janet is also an avid quilter, so the beds in the aft cabin and the V berth each have great-looking quilts to show off.

Martin:
We have watched several of the Sailrite vids, and have called the Sailrite guy. Seems like you talk with the owner of the site when you call. Very personal service and very responsive to questions with sound advice.