Ripped Boat Cover

[feb]

In my haste to cover the boat yesterday I managed to create a 3' straight rip in the boat cover. Can anyone recommend a fix other than to get a new one? I used the ole standby - duct tape. But I dont think it will last too long. I was hoping that there might be an iron on patch or something like that.

[TomC]

why not take it to a canvas shop and have it restitched? In the past, I've used Village Canvas in Meredith (Foundry Rd behind Jackson Star) with good results...

[kjbathe]

It sounds easy enough to repair. We had some custom cover work done last year by the canvas shop at Fay's and were very happy with the results -- http://www.faysboatyard.com/site_page_3795/ has the phone and e-mail info as another option.

[masssteve]

If its an original cover that came with the boat from the factory, most of the time you can still order replacments. I had an 93 four winns with a sunbrella cover and I got a replacment for that in 2004! Same color, same button locations, same zipper locations, and it was less expensive then a custom replacement! It was pretty cool!

[LIforrelaxin]

why not take it to a canvas shop and have it restitched? In the past, I've used Village Canvas in Meredith (Foundry Rd behind Jackson Star) with good results...

I agree with Tom here..... Have it repaired by a canvas shop.... I am sure they would put a patch in.... it might not look as pretty but certainly better then duct tape and would definatly last for a while while you ponder new canvas or a new boat........

[ApS]

In my haste to cover the boat yesterday I managed to create a 3' straight rip in the boat cover. Can anyone recommend a fix other than to get a new one? I used the ole standby - duct tape. But I dont think it will last too long. I was hoping that there might be an iron on patch or something like that.
Duct tape is a great repair where it's dry and can be wrapped around itself. A PVC-coated duct tape is available and much more weather resistant; however, no duct tape is great in outdoor applications. (Though the color selection is big in "Racer's Tape"—which is duct tape).

Sails get torn on occasion, and we use "Sail Tape" for repairs. Unlike duct tape, it's very difficult to tear by hand.

Sail Tape is lightweight, very sticky, waterproof, tough, easy to cut because it's on a waxed backing sheet, available in a few colors other than white, and can work on one side only. (Patch both sides anyway—it will get you through a season—maybe more). Because a tear will keep going in the same direction, I'd recommend an overlapping backup patch on the inside, which can still be of duct tape. If your tear is near an edge, I'd wrap it around the edge to patch both sides with one length of tape.

A good hardware store will have sail tape, and any marina worth its salt should certainly stock one color. If the only color available is red, cut the patch into an arrow shape—pointing to a snap. Nobody will think it's a repair! :D

Another alternative—found at Home Depot—is a tape entirely made of a PVC-type plastic. Better and cheaper than duct tape in your application—it's still nowhere-near as good as sail tape—it is called "tarp tape". It's available in dark blue and brown—"tarp colors" :).