Monthly Archives: September 2012

Hatch Pillows – Putting the Hatches to Bed and Insulating the Boat

Interior Projects, Projects, Saving money, , , , ,
We haven't seen hatch pillows on other boats.  Have you?  No?  Maybe you have shades instead?  Those seemed expensive to me.  A previous version of the pillows was on our boat when we bought her.  We thought they were kinda silly. They had stars on one side. Like looking up to the stars, but we were inside? We have grown to like our hatch pillows so much that we are remaking them to match our new decor.  These pillows are made of foam cut to fit the inside of the hatch area and covered in outdoor fabric (Robert Allen - Gales Point) and Sunbrella. They keep out light at marinas and eliminate a bright full moon at anchor for sleep.  These pillows also provide a bit of insulation with a bit of breath-ability so there isn't too much heat Read more [...]

Repair or Remake?

Projects, , , ,
There are so many "creative opportunities" for canvas on the boat.  The question -- can you repair an item to extend the life or is it time to remake and start over?  That question came up recently over aging hatch covers.  Hatch covers are a relatively easy sewing project (see my post on hatch covers).  I've seen many different styles, some with fancy top-stitching or cut outs for hinges for example.  But really you can make fairly simple hatch covers that will serve the purpose of protecting your hatch lenses.   We seem to lose one or two a season during a big storm.  I've started cutting out an extra one when I'm remaking one so I have a jump on the next one. Right now I'm two hatch covers short.  Those jumped to the top of the Read more [...]
Hatch cover repair materials

Hatch Covers

Exterior Projects, Projects,
If you are a new Seamless Sailor and want to start with a fairly easy project, I'd suggest hatch covers. These are straight forward and several of the books I've listed on the Books page of the blog have instructions.   I've seen many different styles, some with fancy top-stitching or cut outs for hinges for example.  But really you can make  simple hatch covers that will serve the purpose of protecting your very valuable hatch lenses.  We seem to loose one or two a season during a big storm.  I've started cutting out an extra one when I'm remaking one so I have a jump on the next one. On a recent repair of a 20 x 20 hatch cover, I picked out the old rotting stitches.  I used my Engel hot knife (love) to seal the edges which were Read more [...]

Cool in the Shade? Awnings!

Exterior Projects, Projects,
It was our sailing club's 30th anniversary party this weekend in Annapolis. Happy Birthday Pentagon Sailing Club! So we had a land and sea cruise with a big bash. Some folks went on for a week on the Chesapeake Bay. We had iffy weather, but somehow the rain squalls came at times that didn't interrupt the partying or time on the water. While we were at Port Annapolis Marina (very nice), we took our dinghies around Back Creek. Lovely homes, lovely boats. So my husband says let's dinghy over to look at this beautiful red yacht. OK, I love red boats. I've thought so ever since we saw one in BVI with the most handsome crew of men in blue shorts and crisp white polos but I digress further. What does this have to do with sewing for boats? The reason Read more [...]