I'm considering ordering the Boatleather wheel cover kit for my 376. I know the product is good. But how easy is the intallation? I'm not sure my leather sewing skills are good enough.
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No problem, you can do it!
Purchased the kit two years ago, and was a great winter project. Easy to follow instructions and was very pleased with the final product.
Purchased the kit two years ago, and was a great winter project. Easy to follow instructions and was very pleased with the final product.
Not sewing, just lacing!
Bob: You are really not sewing. It is a matter of lacing. They have the holes, you just need to lace it up and keep everything straight and tight. Just remember that it is going to take HOURS. I think they charge about $120 (and they have done it before).
Bob: You are really not sewing. It is a matter of lacing. They have the holes, you just need to lace it up and keep everything straight and tight. Just remember that it is going to take HOURS. I think they charge about $120 (and they have done it before).
Everything's ready...
...to lace it up. Full instructions and material. The leather is pre-punched. As stated earlier, it is definitely a good winter project. I installed it on my 41" wheel 8 years ago. The touch & feel is very classy. Heres a hint: I installed a bike hanger hook in the joists of the cellar ceiling and hung it in front of my workbench. I pulled up a bar stool and had a liesurely time doing it. Get yourself comfortable because it doesn't go fast. And, oh yeah, mine had about 600 stitches to complete the circumference.
...to lace it up. Full instructions and material. The leather is pre-punched. As stated earlier, it is definitely a good winter project. I installed it on my 41" wheel 8 years ago. The touch & feel is very classy. Heres a hint: I installed a bike hanger hook in the joists of the cellar ceiling and hung it in front of my workbench. I pulled up a bar stool and had a liesurely time doing it. Get yourself comfortable because it doesn't go fast. And, oh yeah, mine had about 600 stitches to complete the circumference.
boat leather
We did it 2 years ago. Ordered on the internet, everything received in perfect order. On the 36" diameter wheel on our 35.5 legend, it took us 6 hours of work. One hour a day for one week.. Be sure to wear gloves when pulling the supplied thread. It will hurt your hands if you dont. If I would do it again, I would cut the tread just long enough to stich the interval between 2 spokes and start with a new piece of thead for the next section. This would prevent connecting 2 treads (with a knott) between two spokes. The result is very nice looking and very confortable. Good luck with this project.
We did it 2 years ago. Ordered on the internet, everything received in perfect order. On the 36" diameter wheel on our 35.5 legend, it took us 6 hours of work. One hour a day for one week.. Be sure to wear gloves when pulling the supplied thread. It will hurt your hands if you dont. If I would do it again, I would cut the tread just long enough to stich the interval between 2 spokes and start with a new piece of thead for the next section. This would prevent connecting 2 treads (with a knott) between two spokes. The result is very nice looking and very confortable. Good luck with this project.
Do it yourself
I put it on last winter after I bought it at the Chicago Boat Show. MAke sure to get the foam under the leather. VERY comfortable, and alot warmer and doesn't get hot in the sun. Do it while you watch Sunday footall during the winter months. Make sure to wear gloves. Not hard to do, just takes time and patience.
I put it on last winter after I bought it at the Chicago Boat Show. MAke sure to get the foam under the leather. VERY comfortable, and alot warmer and doesn't get hot in the sun. Do it while you watch Sunday footall during the winter months. Make sure to wear gloves. Not hard to do, just takes time and patience.
It took us 4 hours
to put the leather cover on our 290. My husband and I did it together as an afternoon project. It's a lot easier if there are an extra pair of hands to help with the stitching. I wore gloves, and he didn't. His index fingers and thumbs ended up quite raw as we needed to put a fair amount of tension on the leather and thread to closely approximate the edges of the leather. Our wheel cover continues to look great. And I've found the wheel much more comfortable to hold when I'm at the helm, which is usually the case when it comes to the putting up and taking down of the sails.
to put the leather cover on our 290. My husband and I did it together as an afternoon project. It's a lot easier if there are an extra pair of hands to help with the stitching. I wore gloves, and he didn't. His index fingers and thumbs ended up quite raw as we needed to put a fair amount of tension on the leather and thread to closely approximate the edges of the leather. Our wheel cover continues to look great. And I've found the wheel much more comfortable to hold when I'm at the helm, which is usually the case when it comes to the putting up and taking down of the sails.
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