<<Any recommendations for an on-board sewing machine (lightweight, compact, reasonably priced) that would be appropriate for repairing canvas and boat stuff in general. It seem to take our local canvas guys forever to get to the "little stuff". I'm not a sewer but figure with the right equipment, I could tackle the job.>> My wife, the seamstress, tells me that for light canvas work just about any sewing machine will perform adequately. Just make sure that you have enough space between the sewing needle and the frame pedestal. Otherwise you will be folding and refolding large cloth panels constantly. On our former sailboat she used a flea market purchased hand crank Singer about 70 years old. I guess this was the sewing head of an old treadle machine. It was slow but didn't require external power and with sufficient hand effort could penetrate several thickness of rhino hide. For heavy canvas and for sail work you need a machine that will do a zig zag stitch. You don't need any other fancy attachments, buttonholers, etc. That is unless you want to embroider your initials on your hatch covers. Brother sewing machines, sold by Sears work well. Resist the temptation to buy machines with built in patterns or electronic controls. They are not necessary for canvas work and serve mainly to keep sewing machine repairmen in business. Top level sail making machines use a moving foot to stop one layer of slippery Dacron from sliding over the other but unless you are stitching for an America's Cup defender they are overkill. Larry Z (dictated by Maggie Z)