Sail Cover finished... Now for the dodgers.

Not much writing today.. The pictures should be enough :~)
The canvas sail cover is finally finished and I have started on the dodgers. The dodgers are very simple to make but the lettering take blinking ages.
Scaling up the font for the templates and accurately cutting them out took a whole evening. Sewing them on is currently running at three letters per evening... that means it'll take a whole week to make these and it's shaping up to be not very interesting.

Sail cover part 1

I have always been envious of those of you who have nice canvas sail covers and dodgers with the name of the boat emblazoned on them. I have had quotes for sail covers to be made but have always shied away as I would prefer to spend that kind of money on a world cruise.

So whilst browsing eBay the other day I came across a local supplier of Canvas. http://www.acorncanvas.com/ . I had some work in that direction the following day so arranged to go and see what he had a see if he could give any advice on how to make such thing.

What a great guy, really helpful, I came a way with Canvas and thread, I'll leave the fixings until I have decided what method will be best for me.

I had been given a rough idea of how to go about making the cover so once at home I fired up the ageing tower PC and designed the pattern on auto cad to make the best use of the material. I then marked this out on the Canvas, I know, a professional would mark the canvas with a purpose bought chalk or some thing but I just laid down some masking tape and mark it up with a biro.

The curves were marked with what ever come to hand, a nice 200mm diameter pan lid for the boot top, I had to free hand the 300mm radius as I could find a 600mm diameter pan in the kitchen :D

Tools of the trade above,auto cad pattern, tape measure, piece of wood for a straight edge, pan lid and masking tape... if it  works don't knock it.

Once I'd cut out one side I used that as a template for the other side to ensure that they were both the same.

Then cut that side out ready to sew.

More high tech machinery.. I picked this up from Freecycle a couple of years back and it is the Bees Knees. Built in Scotland in 1907 it still works perfectly... If only I could sew in a straight line.

Here it is with both sides sewn together along the back bone. A 3/4 inch hem then double sewn  along its length.

First trial fit. Lots of amussing comments from neighbours about weather forcasts etc as I put the mast up and the sail on the boom. I used clothes pegs to hold in place while I measured where the next cuts should be.

Well that's it for now. I think you'll agree it look pretty good even in its unfinished state.

Well the Sail cover is now finished.. Hoorah. I have a zip to close the front and a row of turnbuckles to close the underside.  The back end has a draw string running through it and the boot top has a strap that wraps around and ties tight.

I'm really happy with it and will add some pics later :D

Just need to start on the dodgers now (Lettering is already cut out, that took a while to get right).