Mainsail Cover, Halyard Bags, Tiller Cover, Rescue Ring Bag

Posted October 11, 2009.

We recently installed a new mainsail cover on "WALTZING MATILDA" as our old cover had been repaired on numerous occasions since we acquired her.




The new cover was received during the summer of 2008 from "SAILOR SAM" and we have been very pleased with it. Ted (WAYFARER), Carol (SIREN)and George (MACGREGOR 26D) have also ordered and received mainsail covers from "SAILOR SAM" and are also very pleased with their covers.
















The halyard bags are a great way to reduce clutter in the cockpit as it is so convenient to simply coil the main and jib halyards and stuff them in their proper bag rather than have them underfoot.




























Life ring safety line bag (protects the floating polypropylene line from ultra violet degradation)and the tiller cover which also protects the wood's finish from the sun's rays.







































Here's a write-up by SAILOR SAM on why these mainsail covers are of such high quality.


THANK YOU FOR LOOKING
My specialty is making high quality sail covers at affordable prices for seasoned knowledgeable sailors WHO HAVE GROWN TIRED OF WATCHING THE CANVAS ITEMS YOU PURCHASE FALL APART.
The big difference between my sail covers and many other covers is in the quality workmanship and attention to every single little one of the details that when they are all combined add up to a higher degree of quality than normal. I believe the details are very important and I include close up photos so you can see the details for yourself. It's all in the details. Everyone who is considering buying a new sail cover should know as much as possible about how it is made and the little details that will add up to long term buyer satisfaction. I believe the purchaser has a right to know as much as possible about the workmanship details before he makes such a purchase, instead of waiting for it to be delivered after the purchase.
Sail covers ARE NOT by any means a one size fits all item. I use only genuine American made Sunbrella brand fabric made by Glen Raven Mills in North Carolina. Sunbrella has been the number one fabric choice of boat manufacturers and boat owners worldwide for decades. Why? .... Because Sunbrella has earned their brand recognition and loyalty of their customers through decades of widespread use. There are many similar fabrics out there, but only one genuine Sunbrella fabric.
My sail covers are always sewn twice above and also below the seam below the boom where the twist lock fasteners (also called turn buttons) are located that secure the cover closed below the boom. The Common Sense brand Twist Lock fasteners located along the bottom edge below the boom are spaced just 16 inches apart to more evenly spread out the stress load from high winds. I install the fasteners through 3 layers of Sunbrella fabric, plus I use a very sticky double sided rubberized seam tape in all seams. By placing the twist lock fasteners closer together than normally found on other sail covers it better spreads out the stress loads from high winds and storms virtually eliminating any chance of high winds pulling the fasteners out of the fabric. By placing these fasteners closer together it eliminates the need to tie sail covers closed with a line as we see many sailors do when high wind speed storms approach to prevent damage to their sail and sail cover. Making a better sail cover is all in the little details. Some sail cover makers use cheaper to buy and easier and faster to install presa closed button snaps instead of twist lock fasteners to lower their materials cost and work time. Button snaps tend to break and/or pull out of the fabric far easier than correctly installed twist lock fasteners as sail covers age. Many sail cover makers only have two layers of fabric supporting those twist lock fasteners below the boom .... while I use three layers at the fastener locations for added strength and resistance to pull out of the fabric
I use YKK brand outdoor marine quality UV resistant #10 wide teeth nylon plastic zippers and they are triple stitched to the fabric to prevent it from being pulled out. The zipper is also held in place by very sticky rubberized seam tape located between the zipper and the fabric. The very sticky seam tape fuses to the fabric when the pressure from sewing stitches through the seams and hems where the tape is used inside the seams. The very sticky seam tape will also help to prevent the thread from ever pulling out of the fabric in long strands if the thread ever breaks from snagging on something or from abrasion wear. The seam above the boom is at least triple stitched and I use the same very sticky seam tape there also. Along the top seam running fore and aft above the boom I place a UV resistant semisolid white vinyl bead (just like the bead commonly found around the edges on seat cushions, see pictures). The bead makes the seam stronger, enhance appearance, hides the thread from exposure sun and makes the cover easier to line up on your boom. This is an added feature I use, rather than the easier, faster and less costly method of just sewing the two sides of the cover fabric directly together as most cover makers do because is far easier and less costly than adding the semi-solid white bead. The semi-solid white bead also helps to add some shape to the cover over the sail ... so the fabric does not hang unevenly or sag as much as other sail covers.

I cut the fabric pattern pieces for the cover with a hot knife because it melts this acrylic fabrics edges to prevent it from raveling and having strands of loose threads sticking out. Just as many sailors melt their line and sheet ends to keep them from raveling. I make the cut outs for the fasteners below the boom also using the hot knife because it melts the fabric forming a harder more durable edge around the fastener openings to the help prevent the fasteners from pulling out of the fabric. It takes longer than using a much easier die punch to quickly punch holes through the fabric where the fasteners are located, but the die punch leaves raw fabric edges that will fray more easily and not help to keep the fasteners in place as good.

I use only high quality brands of American made UV resistant size 92 polyester thread such as Sunguard brand thread and I color matched the thread color to the fabric color. While most sail cover makers charge extra for color matched thread because color thread costs them more to purchase than white thread does I include it because it makes for a better looking sail cover.


Included in the price is an additional layer of inner fabric where the headboard is located and where any mast mounted winches are located to help prevent those items from causing friction wear through the outer fabric .... to help extend the useful life of the cover and have it look better for a longer time.

All of my mast neck collars that secure the sail cover around the mast are heavy duty multi layer reinforced custom made for an exact fit for your boat instead of the normal flimsy wrap around fabric style. The collar closes using a large patch adhesive backed and sewn in place Velcro. The collar also has a brass grommet and tie chord. Eventually Velcro can lose it's stickiness after years of use, so I add the brass grommet so it can later be tied closed if the Velcro alone will not do the job years down the road.
Every little detail I use takes longer, but that is what it takes to make a sail cover that will last longer and be more trouble free. I personally just hate things that fall apart prematurely.
Unlike many other sail covers I guarantee my Workmanship for 3 years against any of the seams opening up and against the fasteners pulling out of the fabric and against the zipper separating from the fabric. I even enjoy sewing so much that I make FREE sewing repairs if it is accidentally damaged by novice crew members for the first 3 years from date of delivery. Ask other cover sellers for a three year warranty on their workmanship on those items and see how they respond. If they say no, then obviously they do not have as much confidence in their own workmanship and they do not enjoy sewing as much as I do. The difference is I have over 35 years experience as a sailor and power boat owner. I know what works and I do not mind putting extra labor time and reinforcements into every cover I make so my fellow sailors get a cover from me that does not start to fall apart after just a few years of usage.

I spent 15 years as a boat owner buying my sail covers and other canvas work at shops just like everyone else before I finally got tired of seeing the canvas items I was buying start falling apart at the seams prematurely, so about 20 years ago I began doing all of my own work to get the higher level of workmanship I wanted.

If you are a boat owner who buys a different boat every few years then probably any cheaply made lesser quality sail cover will do. But if you are a longer term boat owner that expects many years of service from your sail cover I am sure that the added quality and details I provide will better satisfy your long term boat ownership requirements.

Thank you or your interest and please email me any time if you decide you need a new sail cover for a free fast cost estimate. It's all in the details .

The Priority Mall shipping charge is listed at $16.00 but it can be less if you live closer to NJ, but will not be more than $16 to the west coast of mainland USA. If outside mainland US please check postage rates at usps.com. Item is shipped from Red Bank NJ 07710 and it's weight is 7 pounds. I charge as close as possible to the actual postage costs and do not add on.

Thank you,

Sailor Sam

Sgentilejr@aol.com

PS: Attn. Cat boat owners •.•.• yes ••.. I also make custom fit Cat boat covers with lots of attention to the special details on cat boats and at very offer affordable prices also.