How to Repair a Ripped Cloth Boat Seat

Keep your boat seats looking new.

Boat seats often face harsh elements, such as cold water and salt air, making them especially vulnerable to damage. If your cloth boat seat develops a rip or tear, you can fix it instead of replacing the seat. Consider purchasing a plastic seat cover, after making the repair, to avoid future rips and tears. Cloth boat seats may be less comfortable than plastic or vinyl seats when they come into contact with water as cloth absorbs water while vinyl is water-resistant.

Things You'll Need

• Heavy thread
• Small needles

Instructions

1. Thread a small need with heavy thread.

2. Insert the needle on one side of the rip and pull it across the rip. Reinsert the needle on the back of the fabric on the other side of the tear and pull it away from the seat.

3. Pull the needle across and above the tear. Insert the needle into the fabric, below the first hole. Pull the needle across the tear, reinsert it into the fabric then pull it across the tear again.

4. Continue sewing the tear until you reach the bottom of the tear.

5. Repeat this technique, sewing from top to bottom instead of left to right.

Tips & Warnings

• If possible, use the extra fabric on the bottom or sides of the boat seat to repair the tear if it's too extensive to sew back together. Place this fabric over the tear and sew it over the damage area.

References

• Sewing.org: Clothing Care and Repair
• Boat Depot
• Cars Direct: Maintaining Your Car's Interior