Re: [BCC Forum Post] bccodyssey: Sewing Machines

BCC Forum
1

Hi Wayne-

We were fortunate enough to be given a sailrite machine as a wedding
present, and we found a great place for it under the chart table on the
boat. That thing was incredible - hand crank, 12 volt, and 220 (110? I
don’t know my voltages). Portable might be a stretch, as it weighs A
LOT, but we did port it from boat to shore in the dinghy on more than
one occasion. We (I should say Jeremy) used it for things as varied as
sailcovers, cushions, awnings, dinghy covers, sky chairs - I even made a
skirt on it. We have been married 12 years and the thing is still
working as well as the day we bought it - and this is after 4 years of
living on the boat and being used all over the Eastern Caribbean, on
shore and on the boat. Expensive, but so far worth every penny. It sews
through 12 layers of Sunbrella (possibly more) with great ease, but also
will sew simple cotton fabric (with adjustment, but hey) And Sailrite
has been responsive when we have had a question.

My 2 cents (worth much less, I fear)

Nica
Calypso, BCC #6BCC Forums wrote:

Author: Shamrock
Username: Shamrock
Subject: Re: [BCC Forum Post] bccodyssey: Sewing Machines
Forum: BCC Forum
Link: http://www.samlmorse.com/forum/read.php?5,4241,4243#msg-4243

Check out www.sailrite.com They have a good reputation of lasting longer than you want to look at them. Some one once told me, don’t know if it is true, so for what its worth, he said they were originally a Chinese knock-off of a Singer industrial machine, refined of course along the way. The ones we have seen used will power through most materials, leather, 8 layers of Sunbrella etc.

Good luck,

Marty Chin, BCC Shamrock

BCC Forums bccforums@samlmorse.com wrote:
Author: bccodyssey
Username: bccodyssey
Subject: Sewing Machines
Forum: BCC Forum
Link: http://www.samlmorse.com/forum/read.php?5,4241,4241#msg-4241

I am in the process of searching for an industrial yet portable sewing machine. Any experience or recommendations about specific machines would be greatly appreciated. I intend to use it for canvass work (Sunbrella) and the occasional sail repair.
Wayne
BCC “Odyssey”

2

Nica and Marty,
Thanks for your sewing machine advice. I did purchase a sailrite machine and spent most of the late fall sewing covers for every piece of exterior wood except the cabin eyebrow. Now that winter has arrived, I am hopefull that all of the refinishing we did this summer will be protected. I took a couple of pictures of the covers last week and posted them at the end of the Odyssey folder in the gallery if anyone is thinking about making covers. Paper patterns created with lots of masking tape along with a machine that can sew multiple layers of fabris proved to be the secret to getting them to fit properly.
Wayne

3

Nica and Marty,
Thanks for your sewing machine advice. I did purchase a sailrite machine and spent most of the late fall sewing covers for every piece of exterior wood except the cabin eyebrow. Now that winter has arrived, I am hopefull that all of the refinishing we did this summer will be protected. I took a couple of pictures of the covers last week and posted them at the end of the Odyssey folder in the gallery if anyone is thinking about making covers. Paper patterns created with lots of masking tape along with a machine that can sew multiple layers of fabris proved to be the secret to getting them to fit properly.
Wayne