How To

How to Repair Canvas Snaps on Boats

Basic steps for repairing canvas snaps.

By Kevin Falvey

Updated: November 25, 2014

Snaps pulling out from boat covers and tops are a common event, especially in autumn when dropping temperatures cause fabrics to contract and stress snaps. Take heart! In many cases you can repair the snap yourself. Here are basic steps for replacing the female snap on the canvas using the simplest, least expensive tools. For more canvas and snap how-to, visit boatingmag.com/canvas-tips.

Insert the post of the “dome” through the hole. If the hole is worn large, sew a patch four times the area of the hole onto the back of the canvas first. Boating Magazine

Place the anvil or die on a flat, stable surface that won’t give under the blow from a hammer. A scrap piece of plywood laid on the ground will work. Boating Magazine

Place the female section of the snap onto the post of the dome. Smooth out any wrinkles or puckers in the canvas Boating Magazine

Place the punch or “set” onto the post and, with a firm rap (but not a mighty blow), hit the punch and deform the post down onto the dome. Boating Magazine

Quick Tip: If the hole is not worn too large where the snap pulled out, you can achieve temporary replacement by placing a patch behind the hole that is not sewn in place. (Sewn is better.) Boating Magazine