And SEW on…and SEW on….and SEW on…

Our dinghy was looking sadder with each new dawn. Its hand-me-down cover was wearing way too fast.  I figured we could use the old cover as a pattern for a new one, so I committed to sewing a new one myself.  We bought 8 yards of 60” Sunbrella canvas, 2 yards of 60” vinyl, size 18 needles, and 2 spools of extra heavy duty thread. At the checkout counter, the clerk gave me a senior discount without even asking. Hey- wait a minute…! Oh, OK- I guess with my hair au natural I do look like I deserve a senior discount these days.

On the 1st day- It took about an hour to figure out where I could lay out the fabric in order to place the pattern and mark any adjustments. The fore deck has a large flat area, but it was too windy on deck.  There’s some long floor space in the salon and the captain’s cabin, but neither area was wide enough. The table in the salon was too small. Ah! The aft bunk is kind of long and wide, so there it went.  Laying the canvas on the mattress was still a challenge and placing the pattern on it was complicated since I planned on adding some width to the new cover. To make matters worse, my pins weren’t strong enough to use to secure the pattern and bent each time I tried to poke them through 3 layers of canvas.  When working on a project, Dan often recalls his dad’s mantra, “Measure twice and cut once.” So taking that to heart, I measured four times and finally cut out the required pieces.

On the 2nd day- I pulled out my trusty 39 year old portable Morse sewing machine.  It has served me well over the years, but it is NOT a heavy duty machine. I inserted the size 18 needles and hoped for the best.  In the first two inches, the main shaft started shimmying like a hula girl, so I asked Dan to look over the machine.  He fiddled with it for a while and when I began sewing again, it still shimmied, but now the presser foot was also slightly askew. Try to picture this- I’m sitting parallel to the machine and pulling the material through at a perpendicular angle, while trying to stitch a straight line along the edge of the fabric using the crooked presser foot as a guide. The process was very slow and laborious.

On the 3rd day- We dinghied to the beach early in hopes of avoiding an audience while doing a fitting.  No such luck, as some Canadian cruisers strolled up and began chatting with us. Finally, I noted the necessary adjustments, as well as the exact placement of handhold openings on the cover, and returned to the boat to continue sewing. Dan and I were falling into a new rhythm that entailed a partial role reversal, i.e. he was fixing me lunch and dinner while I pressed on to complete the cover. This was an unexpected pleasant part of the project.

On the 4th day- I began wondering, How much longer could this take?!! My machine sounded louder than usual, but still clickety-clacked through the five or six thicknesses of canvas at the outside hem. Although Dan was outwardly positive about my progress, he began searching the net for a new heavy duty machine.  Next, the vinyl needed to be sewn onto the bow section and along both sides at the bumper location. The cover was looking great, but I worried about cutting the holes for the handles.  I climbed into the dinghy, carefully stretched and pulled the cover in place and marked the exact placement of the handholds again…this time they were in a different spot.  That won’t do!  Ashore we went, for another fitting and those handhold marks matched up more closely with the initial markings.  Thank God! Before this sewing project would be completed, I would come to liken it to those required for a bride on the Atkin’s Low Carb Diet.

On the 5th day- I rested. It was Sunday, dude. And besides there were plans for a big potluck dinner ashore with all our Water Island friends.

On the 6th day- Once again, faith in myself faltered and I thought, REALLY- how much LONGER could this take???  Sewing the handhold holes in place was the most tedious part of the job and there were ten of them.  I started timing myself to see how long it took to complete one and tried to shave a few minutes off each without much success.  There was just no way to rush this task. But I finally completed the last one before supper. Woo-HOO!  I’m done! YES! 

On the 7th day- We excitedly put the new cover on the dinghy and headed out into the channel for a test drive. AH-H-H!  As Dan accelerated, water began to flow into the dinghy at the stern! I had designed the new cover to enclose more of the pontoons to better protect them, however, the added coverage caused the water to funnel under the cover, up through the handhold, and into the dinghy. I was so disappointed.  Dan suggested that it could be remedied by simply shortening the hem.  We returned to the boat, removed the cover to let it dry, and I prayed he was right.

On the 8th day- The shortening of the hem was more difficult than we expected, as my machine was behaving as if it was ready to expire. Part of the time, Dan actually had to turn the wheel repeatedly to get the motor to catch as I shoved the material through the stitching mechanism.  Other times he had to pull the fabric through as I guided it.  I was doubtful that my machine would last to finish the job… BUT IT DID!!!
On the 9th day- Dan ordered a new Sail Rite Machine for me.