Sail Mender — Sail Repair in North Texas

Price menu

What I fix, and what it costs

Repairs only — no new sails, no canvas work. Prices include standard materials. Anything not listed is billed at the hourly rate below, and you'll always get the number in writing before I start.

Restitch rates are per foot of run — measured once along the run, not per row of stitching. Inside edge, outside edge, and horizontal seams are included; cover run = leech + foot. UV cover work carries the higher rate: it's edge work through Sunbrella over Dacron, with PTFE lifetime thread included. Minimum charge $95 per visit — a floor, not an hour. Work bills at the $85/hr shop rate, but a visit is never billed below $95, however quick the job. Standard materials — thread, standard-weight Dacron, standard hardware — are included in every price above, not billed separately. † marks a line that includes a specific named material at standard spec; anything above that spec (specialty cloth, color-match Sunbrella, oversized hardware) is quoted before work begins. Rush service (under 5 business days) adds 25%. Patch rates assume the sail is already on the bench as part of a larger job — a standalone patch carries the minimum. Turnaround is counted from when the sail reaches the bench, not from drop-off or pickup.

Simple by design

Three steps to a mended sail

Step 01

Bring it in

Arrange a handoff at DCYC midweek or Grandpappy Marina on the weekend — or book a pickup within 30 miles of DCYC. Confirm the time first; see drop-off details below.

Step 02

Get a written quote

I inspect it and send a written quote off the menu — no work starts on anything over $150 until you say go. Pay securely through Square.

Step 03

Sail again

Most repairs turn around in a week or two, counted from when the sail reaches my bench. Rush service is available. You pick it up ready to bend on and go.

Drop-off & pickup

Two locations, two windows

Sails change hands at DCYC midweek and at Grandpappy Marina on Lake Texoma over the weekend — but only when the time has been arranged and confirmed in advance, both ways.

Dallas Corinthian Yacht Club

Tuesday & Wednesday evenings

At your boat. Gated grounds; access arranged when I confirm your slot.

Grandpappy Marina

Friday through Sunday

Lake Texoma, at your boat. Dock gates are locked — access is arranged when I confirm your slot.

Boat kept somewhere else on Texoma? Ask — other marinas can sometimes be arranged.

By prior arrangement only. Get in touch before you bring a sail, and wait for confirmation back. A sail left at either club without a confirmed handoff isn't in my care — I won't know it's there. Turnaround is counted from when the sail reaches my bench, not from drop-off.

Before you bring it in

Let it dry. A damp sail bagged up will grow mildew before it ever reaches the bench. If it's been wet, open it out and dry it first.
Shake out the grit. Sand and leaf litter dull needles and can score the cloth.
Check for rodent nesting. Barns, garages, and storage units are prime nesting sites, and a bagged sail is ideal material. If you find droppings, urine staining, or nesting — don't shake it out, sweep it, or vacuum it. Leave it be, bag the sail, and get in touch before you bring it in.
Pull anything you want back. Battens, and any hardware that isn't part of the repair.
Mark the damage. A photo, or a piece of tape at the spot, saves inspection time and keeps the quote down.

On #3 — this one matters for you as much as for me. Dried rodent urine and droppings can carry hantavirus and other pathogens that go airborne the moment the material is disturbed, which is exactly what shaking out, sweeping, or vacuuming a sail does. Don't. That is the one instruction that is always right, whatever the sail is made of. The CDC covers the health side — How to Clean Up After Rodents — but note that its guidance was written for houses and household fabric, not sailcloth: the bleach solution it specifies is several times stronger than any sailmaker would put near Dacron, and it will ruin a nylon spinnaker or an aramid sail outright. So please don't improvise a cleaning. Bag it, leave it be, and call me — we'll sort out who should handle it, and it's very likely still a good sail.

The mender

A local loft, back on the bench

When Mariner Sails closed after 50 years serving DFW, the region lost its repair loft. Sail Mender picks up that thread — a lean, one-person shop focused on doing repair work well and turning it around fast.

I learned the trade on Mariner's floor: restitching, patching, UV covers, hardware, and modifications on everything from dinghies to cruisers. No overhead, no upsell — just honest repairs priced off a fixed menu.

The art of making a good sail last.

Good sails mended, not replaced.