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Canvas. You see a lot of it when you’re out walking the docks. You might have some yourself. How do you take of it? Maintain it? And when does it need repair or replacing? Canvas Corner helps answer your questions.

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y husband and I bought our first sailboat in 2009 for $6,000 in Panama City, Florida – without a lick of boating experience. We outfitted her with kerosene lanterns, dried salami, hard tack and anything else we read about in sailing memoirs or saw on the movie Master and Commander.

Breena Litzenberger

Our vessel was prepared for anything.

Our first day out, I checked AccuWeather, and saw it was going to be sunny. We thought, what better weather to leave the dock and set out on a grand adventure.

Three hours later, after hoisting a full sail and getting knocked down in 40 knots of wind, the salami prep revealed its uselessness. Overwhelmed, we pulled into the closest harbor. At the helm, Spencer shouted over the wind, “It says in Chapman’s Guide we need rhode to set the anchor. We didn’t buy rhode. We just just have a bunch of rope tied to the thing.”

Our first month cruising, I cried everyday and used expletives that would make a seasoned sailor blush. In the end, we fell in love with sailing and cruised for over a decade on seven different boats.

The thing was, it didn’t have to be so hard. There was an easier way.

Since spring has officially arrived, it’s time to put your canvas back on (presuming you took it off for the winter). Using the lesson from our first sailing experience, I promise you there is an easier way to reinstall your canvas, preventing the tears and expletives.

So. Pick a sunny day, grab some salami and crackers, and use this guide to reinstall your canvas for the cruising season:

Inspect and test: Before you even start to install your canvas it’s a good idea to look it over. Scratch the stitching to see if it comes loose. Run the zipper pulls up and down the teeth and pull lightly on the twill of the zipper to make sure the stitching stays in place. Be as rough with it as you are when installing.

You can skip this step – but it’s likely you’ll be zipping your final bimini pocket, only for the stitching to fail. Then you have to remove the entire thing for repair. Save your time and inspect the canvas.

Zippers can create tension – in the canvas, and in those installing the canvas.

Lubricate: Once your stitching looks good and / or any repairs are completed, it’s time to lubricate zippers and fasteners. Use silicone free lubricants if you have Sunbrella fabrics – they do not react well to silicone. For zippers, we use Zippy Cool – a dual cleaning and lubricant in one.

Run it along the teeth and pull the zipper car up and down several times. Snaps have an interior gasket that needs lubrication. EZ Snap is designed for marine use and does not contain silicone. Now you’ve set yourself up beautifully for installation.

Find your Center: If you are installing a bimini or dodger, make sure you have it aligned correctly. Check if your stainless steel frame has a center line marked on it. The inside of your canvas may have a mark for the centerline. If so, align the two centerlines. If not, use your best guess. You can tweak it once it’s installed.

Start your Zippers: One of the biggest mistakes when installing canvas is completely zipping the canvas closed. Once done, the canvas is so taught it’s nearly impossible to snap it to the boat. Instead, start the zippers, closing them 3-4 inches. Do this with all zippers on the canvas.

Secure Fasteners: With the zippers partially secured, fasten the canvas to the deck. Whether it’s snaps, turn buttons, Lift-The-DOTs, or grommets, secure the bottom edge of the canvas completely.

An easy way to determine port and starboard on your canvas – color code your zippers.

Tension Canvas: Once the bottom is secured, go back and close the zippers. The canvas will become taught (tensioned) as the panels are zipped together. Be sure not to force a zipper. If you meet resistance, go back two inches and try to run it again. Use more lubricant if necessary. Once the canvas is tensioned, you can tug gently to make sure it is centered.

Take Photos and Label: If installing your canvas felt like solving a puzzle without the reference photo, it’s a good time to snap a few pictures for next season. Or take a graphite pencil and – in a very discrete place – add a helpful label as a reminder of its location. For example, writing “starboard” on an enclosure panel that took a few extra minutes to figure out.

With your canvas inspected, lubricated, and installed, you’re ready for the spring cruising season.

Happy spring sailing,
Breena Litzenberger

Breena and her husband live in an historic home in Oriental. Together they own and operate Inner Banks Canvas.