How to Repair and Sew a Boat Cover
Boat covers often have highly-stressed places that get straight-line tears or small holes. A small tear or two --even a few, if they are not too close together--does not mean the whole cover has to be replaced. Repairing a slightly damaged boat cover saves money and gives the boat owner another year or two before a full replacement is necessary. A small patch often is all that is needed to repair and the cover.
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Instructions
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Use the tape measure to determine the dimensions of the damaged area on the boat cover.
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Cut the canvas patch. The patch should be a minimum of 1 1/2 inches wider than the tear on all sides. If the tear is right on the edge of the cover, plan to wrap the canvas around the edge.
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Place the cover as flat as possible beside the sewing machine. Fold the edges of the patch 1/2 of an inch under.
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Make sure the patch is centered over the damaged part of the boat cover. If the damaged part of the boat cover is on a shaped part of the cover, sew a dart in the patch that is the same shape as the cover before sewing the patch onto the cover. To make the dart, place the patch on top of the cover and make a fold line to make it fit the shaped part. Sew a straight line to hold the dart in place.
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Use the sewing machine to sew a 1/4-inch seam all of the way around the patch.
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Check the underside of the cover for puckers or old fabric hanging down. If there are puckers, the stitching needs to come out and be resewn. If there is fabric hanging down, sew a large "X" over the top of the patch.
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Tips & Warnings
Boat covers tend to be awkward to work with because of their size. It helps to have either a table beside you or a helper to support the cover when it runs through the sewing machine.
