Hobie 14 , tear along batten about 3-4 inches long, how to repair and or , can a upholstery shop do this repair
thank you

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtNX4say96I

Chafe on a batten pocket is a pretty easy repair. I would not use sail repair tape for anything other than a temporary patch since it isn't likely to last very long, especially if it's located in an area where the batten pocket rubs against the shroud.

I've done permanent repairs on my own sails using dacron sail cloth, 1/4" wide seam stick (double sided tape), and nylon sail thread. You can get all of the necessary materials online from companies like sailmakerssupply.com. Cut your patch to fit over the batten pocket and tack it in place using the seam stick. Then stitch it down. For small repairs (like yours), you can just use a hand needle using the existing zigzag stitch holes as a guide. It may be helpful to use a pair of pliers to push/pull the needle through. The whole repair will take about half an hour to an hour.

sm