T&T: I need some help with a money decision

[John Barlow]

Ok so here is my dilemma, on Saturday here in Hilton Head South Carolina we
had a freak hail storm and my Bimini windows were damaged. The front 3 and
also the port window look like someone punched holes through them with a mop
handle. It turns out that the size of the hail was that of a tangerine.
 
I contacted 3 companies that do canvas work and they are telling me 2 to
2.5K for 3 new windows and a new port side window. I am going to pay this
out of pocket and am willing to go ahead but then another idea came to me. I
have been interested in learning canvas work in the past and this may be my
excuse to do something about it. In searching the internet I came across 2
companies that teach how to do canvas work. The school closer to me is in
Palmetto FL and would charge me $875 for class, and $700 for all the class
books on DVD. Now if I stay in a hotel for 3 nights for $250, spend $125 on
gas, and spend $600 on a sewing machine, canvas and whatever else I would
need to do the job then is it ok? I'm pretty particular about my boat so I
want the end result to be good; given this does it make sense? Lastly, the
current top is on its way out (5K Replacement Cost) and I want to change the
color of it also but could probably get another 1 -2 years out of it. 
 
 
Class                875
Books              700
Hotel                250
Food                75
Gas                  125
Lost Work       650
Materials          600
 
Total                3275
 
Estimate           2300
 
Difference         975
 
 
WHAT SAYS YOU OH WISE AND COMPASSIONATE LIST!