Linebags? Rail mounted storage for propane canisters for the grill? Awning for the foredeck for shade and rain protection?

Lots of potential projects for sure.

Jack,
I also have the Sailrite machine and have used it for lots of things. So far my favorite is the port covers that I made out of phifertex. They are attached with snaps and cover each of the side ports. They allow plenty of light in while protecting the lenses from crazing.

I will take some opictures when I get to the boat this week. Also, I just received a riding sail kit from Sailrite, which I will sew in the next couple of days. I have made covers for the hand rails on the cabin top out of sunbrella, as well as some other small covers.

I wish to make some sheet bags for the cockpit out of the phifertex as it will keep them out of the way while letting them dry.

Maybe we should start a section for modifications that involves sewing projects?

Cheers, Bill

Look in the Technical - Upgrades library for a great article titled 'Glenn Druhot's Upgrades to Carpe Diem'. There are a lot of nice ideas for your SailRite in there. Must be a paid up Member (capital M) to access the Technical - Upgrades and Maintenance Libraries.

I bought an old industrial singer a couple of years ago and have done many projects for a couple of different boats. I redid the cushions on my old Venture, made cockpit cushions, a couple of sail covers, a pedestal cover, winch covers, a barbecue cover, cockpit sheet bags, etc. Even did a complete cockpit enclosure for a 23 foot fishing boat.
Sailrite has some good video tutorials. I started with some simple stuff and found with careful planning the skills seem to come easily.
Sailrite also has a good selection of materials, but it always pays to do some searching as well. Good prices can often be found for Sunbrella on Ebay, and there are many online vendors of stainless hardware. Another good source is RochfordSupply.com
I agree that a sewing forum would be useful.

Thank you Larry. My wife has gone crazy with our Sailrite machine. We have had it about 3 years; here is a listing of what all she has made (so far):

Sheet bags
Wench covers
Wench handle Bags
Connecting piece between dodger and bimini
Backrest that go on the lifelines
Magma grill cover
Connecting S/S piece bewteen dodger and bimini
Dinghy davits line bags
Flag cover
Pedestal cover that covers the wheel as well
Mast boot
Bag for the extraneous line in dinghy
Exterior rug for the cockpit
Interior rug we use in the galley

We have found that our Sailrite machine can easily be knocked out of tension. Whenever that happens I have to remove the bobbin below the deck, take some emory cloth and gently sand off the burrs. I'm interested to hear where you stow it onboard, i.e. if you do in fact keep it onboard.

We found a genteman, who really needed the work BTW, to do all of our interior cushions. We had the material drop shipped from Sailrite. We paid something like $1400 for the material and $800 for the labor. They look fabulous!

We have known the Grant and the family for over 30 years. They are just wonderful people. If ever you have any problems or questions whatsoever they will spend the time with you on the phone. We always stop by their booth at the Annapolis Show and pick up some bargains.

On a somewhat semi-related issue, I am looking for a snap gun (device) to use to mount snaps on canvas. Does anyone have any ideas, other than spending over $100 on the Sailrite device?

Glenn, we keep our Sailrite under the small table in the salon. It fits in there nice. Little tricky getting it in and out. My handy wife re-made the whole top last year, it turned out very nice indeed. She also re-stitched the UV cover on the genoa and did a lot of repairs to seams on that sail as well. And other little projects already mentioned.

I almost forgot, she also made a triangular-shaped sacrificial cover for our mainsail (we have in-mast furling) and she also restitched the sacrificial cloth on our genoa. In addition, she also made custom cut carpet pads for each of the companionway steps. They turned out great, she put navy blue binding around each of them.We store our machine in the area beneath the v berth; that way it is out of the way, even though I really don't like that extra weight there.

Hi all,

I finally remembered to get a picture of my port covers. You can also see the handrail cover in the upper part of the picture.

Also, I used the small, manual snap installer that you hit with a hammer for quite a while. It works fine, but is a pain. When I got $100 for a present from my very generous mother-in-law, I sprung for the good one from Sailrite. You know what they say about the right tool for the job... If you are going to do a lot of snaps, get one of the good ones. I've seen them on Ebay and elsewhere.

Cheers, Bill