I immediately thought of all those customers I spoke to at Ultramar in recent years. At least more than half believed that there was nothing wrong with the stitching.
Just clean and waterproof my boat cover
"No, there's just mold in the boat cover and it's leaking a bit. Just clean and make it waterproof again, that's enough." "Are you sure the stitching is still good?" I then asked. "Yes, of course, the boat cover is only about 3 years old."
Checking the stitching of the boat cover
We check every boat cover that we receive at Ultramar Zeil- en Tent Wasserij for washing and waterproofing. Just simple, just rub your nails over the stitching. The customer is often surprised when you remove the stitching in this way. "How is that possible? You saw none of it. They still seemed fine."
Polyester/cotton yarn
Many boat covers are still stitched with a polyester/cotton yarn. The sailmaker does not use this blended yarn for nothing. This has everything to do with the watertightness of the boat cover.
Stick boat cover with double-sided tape
If the sailmaker wants to sew 2 parts of the boat cover together, he often sticks them together first. He uses double-sided tape for this. This keeps the parts together nicely, so that he can easily stitch over it in a clean line. If he didn't use the tape, the parts would slide apart every time he ran them through the sewing machine.
Big needle, big holes
The needle is of course always larger or at least as large as the yarn used. Otherwise the yarn would not fit through the stitching hole. This is precisely the reason why the sailmaker still often opts for a polyester/cotton blended yarn.
Waterproof by cotton
The polyester core of the yarn provides strength. The cotton sheath of the yarn ensures the water resistance. Cotton expands when it gets wet. The cotton swells and closes the stitching hole.
The big disadvantage of cotton
Cotton is a natural product. "Everything that nature produces will eventually be absorbed by nature again" I have heard someone say.
And so it is with the cotton of the blended yarn. It will digest and deteriorate from all kinds of influences. The biggest culprit is the harmful UV rays. Although the stitching still looks good, it may just be completely digested. Your boat cover is actually only attached to each other because of the double-sided tape used!
Check the stitching of the boat cover regularly
There is only 1 way to know whether your beautiful boat cover is still that sturdy. Check regularly. Run your nails firmly over the stitching. In various places on the boat cover. Is the stitching still good or do you see it getting thinner right away? Or maybe disappear completely?
In time with your boat hood along the sailmaker
It is a good idea to have the boat cover stitched through if you see that the stitching has become bad. By checking it you will be there on time. It is then simple for the sailmaker to topstitch the boat cover. This will cost you considerably less than if whole parts were blown loose.
Don't wait until it's too late
Are you waiting for heavy wind, storm and rain to blow over the boat cover again? Then there is a much greater chance that the boat cover will come off in certain parts. Difficult if you are in the middle of the water. Perhaps even more difficult if you are warm at home by the stove, while it is raining into your boat in the meantime.
Sailmakers near you
Would you like to have your boat cover checked? As the owner of Ultramar, I have a lot of experience with sailmakers. Here you will find a list of addresses of sailmakers that I have enjoyed doing business with for years. Use it to your advantage! Prevention is better than cure. And cheaper than a new boat cover! :-). List of sailmakers.
Who am I?
My name is Pieter Visser. As the owner of Ultramar, I will regularly cover topics, news, products and tips related to the maintenance of your sails, awning, sunshade, boat cover, etc. Do you have tips, fun news or suggestions? Feel free to email me: support@ultramarxl.com
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