Boat Cover Question

Beaubeech · 05-12-2016, 11:55 AM

Can anyone advise me on a place that can clean my very dirty boat cover and mend a few minor tears? I Live at the Weirs

Descant · 05-12-2016, 02:22 PM

Welcome to the Forum.
Almost any canvas shop can do the tear repairs. You don't say where you are, but there are threads about various shops and who likes which one because... I'd go there first, as they might tell you that the tears are too severe or they're because the material is really old and stitching won't hold. If they do patches, then they can double cover/patch if the tears are on heavy wear points like corners or around fittings. Small tears can be patched, short term, with iron on patches. These probably won't hold long if there is a lot of dirt. Something like that might get you along for awhile, since most canvas shops are backed up this time of year.

First level of cleaning may be just to lay the canvas out on the lawn and wash it with something like Simple Green that won't hurt the grass. If it is quite old, water repellency may be gone. You can buy bottles of water repellant on line at Overton's or West Marine. Local marinas have a wide variety of products and somebody to give advice. Parafunalia in Gilford gets high marks on this forum, and of course we always recommend you shop local first.
I'm sure this isn't as specific as you might have expected, but it's hard to recommend names when geography is unknown.

NoBozo · 05-12-2016, 05:51 PM

DESCANT is pretty much correct. I'll go one step further: When fabric covers start to fall apart it is because the fabric is OLD and deteriorating, and needs to be replaced. Stitching is the usual weak link. If the stitching is cotton, it rots. If the stitching is polyester (plastic) it dies from exposure to UV Light.

Spending money on the old stuff is really a waste. Either way, it's time to buy a NEW cover.

NB

Dave M · 05-12-2016, 06:38 PM

If you decide to clean/repair or even new, try Village Canvas on Rt104 in Meredith. We had our canvas cleaned by them.

Dave M

05-12-2016, 11:55 AM	#1
Beaubeech Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2014 Posts: 2 Thanks: 7 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Boat Cover Question Can anyone advise me on a place that can clean my very dirty boat cover and mend a few minor tears? I Live at the Weirs Last edited by Beaubeech; 05-12-2016 at 03:46 PM.

05-12-2016, 02:22 PM	#2
Descant Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Merrimack and Welch Island Posts: 4,329 Thanks: 1,335 Thanked 1,619 Times in 1,051 Posts	local canvas shop Welcome to the Forum. Almost any canvas shop can do the tear repairs. You don't say where you are, but there are threads about various shops and who likes which one because... I'd go there first, as they might tell you that the tears are too severe or they're because the material is really old and stitching won't hold. If they do patches, then they can double cover/patch if the tears are on heavy wear points like corners or around fittings. Small tears can be patched, short term, with iron on patches. These probably won't hold long if there is a lot of dirt. Something like that might get you along for awhile, since most canvas shops are backed up this time of year. First level of cleaning may be just to lay the canvas out on the lawn and wash it with something like Simple Green that won't hurt the grass. If it is quite old, water repellency may be gone. You can buy bottles of water repellant on line at Overton's or West Marine. Local marinas have a wide variety of products and somebody to give advice. Parafunalia in Gilford gets high marks on this forum, and of course we always recommend you shop local first. I'm sure this isn't as specific as you might have expected, but it's hard to recommend names when geography is unknown.

05-12-2016, 06:38 PM	#4
Dave M Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 395 Thanks: 4 Thanked 26 Times in 24 Posts	Village Canvas If you decide to clean/repair or even new, try Village Canvas on Rt104 in Meredith. We had our canvas cleaned by them. Dave M

05-12-2016, 05:51 PM	#3
NoBozo Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Portsmouth. RI Posts: 2,231 Thanks: 400 Thanked 460 Times in 308 Posts	DESCANT is pretty much correct. I'll go one step further: When fabric covers start to fall apart it is because the fabric is OLD and deteriorating, and needs to be replaced. Stitching is the usual weak link. If the stitching is cotton, it rots. If the stitching is polyester (plastic) it dies from exposure to UV Light. Spending money on the old stuff is really a waste. Either way, it's time to buy a NEW cover. NB

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