Repairing a sail cover

Nothing lasts forever and this is particularly true for fittings and covers exposed to salt water and intense ultraviolet radiation. The Australian sun is relentless, even in winter, and especially after several years of drought. Throw in the hottest summer for decades and it’s not surprising my canvas mainsail cover was looking a little ancient.

When it was originally custom made, I asked the upholsterer to use UV-stabilised thread. He advised it wasn’t necessary as the Sunbrella canvas would likely fail by the time the thread decayed. Well, the canvas is still serviceable after 11 harsh years and I’m now preparing to replace the stitching for the second time.

The cost for an expert to do this again was somewhat eye-watering, so with plenty of time at home isolating from the Coronavirus I thought I’d attempt the job myself. The cover isn’t on a multi-million dollar yacht and as my sewing isn’t too terrible, so few would notice the occasional glitches.

I have a tough old sewing machine and could buy the appropriate thread, so what could be simpler? “It only