I made some sailcovers. The great thing, besides the protection for the sails, is that the mainsail, boom, boom vang, and mainsheet assy is all in one package. I have about $50 in the two covers- a lot of that is the expense for the snaps. Darn sewing machine, I had to figure out what the engineers of the thing meant to do before I could sew well. I finally figured it out.
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John S
Windows
I just received two matching Bomar elliptical portholes from an Ebay auction today. I am planning to install them both in the cockpit footwell to brighten up the aft sleeping area and also increase ventilation. Tomorrow, I think I'll cut the holes for them and Monday I'll get the hardware to mount them. I opened up the aft cabin windows before I installed the new windows (custom from IdaSailor) so I have an additional 3 inches of height and a couple of inches longer. I really wanted to increase the size of the forward port window, but the curvature of the cabin roof interfered. The porthole you see in the picture is in the head area. Under the 21/2 foot forward starboard piece of stock plexiglas on a 26D is a small rectangular opening about 9 inches long by 2 inches tall. The oval porthole opened up that area as well. John S
I just received two matching Bomar elliptical portholes from an Ebay auction today. I am planning to install them both in the cockpit footwell to brighten up the aft sleeping area and also increase ventilation. Tomorrow, I think I'll cut the holes for them and Monday I'll get the hardware to mount them. I opened up the aft cabin windows before I installed the new windows (custom from IdaSailor) so I have an additional 3 inches of height and a couple of inches longer. I really wanted to increase the size of the forward port window, but the curvature of the cabin roof interfered. The porthole you see in the picture is in the head area. Under the 21/2 foot forward starboard piece of stock plexiglas on a 26D is a small rectangular opening about 9 inches long by 2 inches tall. The oval porthole opened up that area as well. John S
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mrbill
dimensions?
any chance you have the pattern or dimensions of the main and jib covers? I need to make a set also. -did you use sunbrella? I'd like to see photos of the portholes in the cockpit/aft sleeping berth. -when you cut this area, could you take a photo before installation? again, nice work.
any chance you have the pattern or dimensions of the main and jib covers? I need to make a set also. -did you use sunbrella? I'd like to see photos of the portholes in the cockpit/aft sleeping berth. -when you cut this area, could you take a photo before installation? again, nice work.
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John S
Sailk Cover Pattern
mrbill, I would like to recommend "Canvaswork & Sail Repair" by Don Casey. Very informative and is a great guide to measuring and sewing a sail cover for your own boat. He even guides you in machine selection, threading the machine, and troubleshooting stiches. There are many projects in the book, very simply designed for the boat owner. Biminis, lee cloths, awnings etc. Available from Amazon.com or if you are lucky Ebay, it is simpler for you take your own measurements and make your own cover. I did not use Sunbrella, but another acrylic cloth that was 1/2 as much $$. The jib bag I just totally made up from leftover scraps. The stock Mac will require 4 yards. I used snaps to connect the sides, and they are exspensive! The preferred item is the kind of closer that twists 90 degrees after you put the halves together (twist lok?) I don't know what those are gonna cost. I already had a machine, the correct thread, #16 needles and the seam tape before I started. Drop your main, and stack it on the boom, leaving the halyard connected, take measurements at the forward stack along the slides, then 6 inch back, then 6 in back for about 4 feet, then figure 6 inches of a tube for the rest of the boom, lay out your measurements on the INSIDE of your piece of material and draw a smoothe curve, double the fabric, (60 in wide preferred), and cut both pieces at once. Of course you allow for the lap seam at the top and the hem on both pieces at the bottom and the forward overlap to go around the mast (with hems) and the hem at the back. Think before you cut, you can always trim off too much later. With a seam ripper, you can resew a line of stiches over and over till you get it right. Good Luck John S
mrbill, I would like to recommend "Canvaswork & Sail Repair" by Don Casey. Very informative and is a great guide to measuring and sewing a sail cover for your own boat. He even guides you in machine selection, threading the machine, and troubleshooting stiches. There are many projects in the book, very simply designed for the boat owner. Biminis, lee cloths, awnings etc. Available from Amazon.com or if you are lucky Ebay, it is simpler for you take your own measurements and make your own cover. I did not use Sunbrella, but another acrylic cloth that was 1/2 as much $$. The jib bag I just totally made up from leftover scraps. The stock Mac will require 4 yards. I used snaps to connect the sides, and they are exspensive! The preferred item is the kind of closer that twists 90 degrees after you put the halves together (twist lok?) I don't know what those are gonna cost. I already had a machine, the correct thread, #16 needles and the seam tape before I started. Drop your main, and stack it on the boom, leaving the halyard connected, take measurements at the forward stack along the slides, then 6 inch back, then 6 in back for about 4 feet, then figure 6 inches of a tube for the rest of the boom, lay out your measurements on the INSIDE of your piece of material and draw a smoothe curve, double the fabric, (60 in wide preferred), and cut both pieces at once. Of course you allow for the lap seam at the top and the hem on both pieces at the bottom and the forward overlap to go around the mast (with hems) and the hem at the back. Think before you cut, you can always trim off too much later. With a seam ripper, you can resew a line of stiches over and over till you get it right. Good Luck John S
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mrbill
ok thanks
i've been looking at the pattern described in a sailrite link, (main cover). & yes, I need to measure it....sometime. ps: will try the loose footed main... are your sails 'UK' brand? I think that was the orig mfgr. (mine are UK's)
i've been looking at the pattern described in a sailrite link, (main cover). & yes, I need to measure it....sometime. ps: will try the loose footed main... are your sails 'UK' brand? I think that was the orig mfgr. (mine are UK's)
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John S
UK Sails
Yes, I did read and incorporate some of the info at the sailrite website. My sails are UK-Undeniably Krappy. They used the least number of panels I have ever seen in a commercial mainsail. I'll post photos of my porthole install when I get to it. I am concerned about the gap between the foot tub and the inside overhead. If it is pretty small, I'll fill it with 3m 5200. I saw another website where this mod had already been done. When one cuts thru two layers like this, the angle of the saw has to stay the same all the way around or you get a weird hole. Also, the cut should be made from the cockpit footwell into the hull to make sure that the outer porthole flange does not contact a radiussed section either inside or out. I have already created a template and I am trying to get up the nerve to cut yet another set of large holes in the hull. (anchor locker, porthole in head area, solar fan vent) John S
Yes, I did read and incorporate some of the info at the sailrite website. My sails are UK-Undeniably Krappy. They used the least number of panels I have ever seen in a commercial mainsail. I'll post photos of my porthole install when I get to it. I am concerned about the gap between the foot tub and the inside overhead. If it is pretty small, I'll fill it with 3m 5200. I saw another website where this mod had already been done. When one cuts thru two layers like this, the angle of the saw has to stay the same all the way around or you get a weird hole. Also, the cut should be made from the cockpit footwell into the hull to make sure that the outer porthole flange does not contact a radiussed section either inside or out. I have already created a template and I am trying to get up the nerve to cut yet another set of large holes in the hull. (anchor locker, porthole in head area, solar fan vent) John S
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Steve Paul
Drill small holes
John, could you trace the outline of your template and then drill a few very small holes around on the inside of the template marks? This might give you more confidence you're marks on on track. You could measure then from each hole to be certain of position. Then if off, you could either drown yourself or realign the template a little bit. Thinking again. Steve
John, could you trace the outline of your template and then drill a few very small holes around on the inside of the template marks? This might give you more confidence you're marks on on track. You could measure then from each hole to be certain of position. Then if off, you could either drown yourself or realign the template a little bit. Thinking again. Steve
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