Mainsails, Genoas, Cruising Spinnakers cost tons of money to repair and big $$$s to replace. World cruising voyaging couple Lin and Larry Pardey have seven sailing tips that can save you headaches and big bucks too.

Veteran world cruising couple Lin and Larry Pardey write that they had to learn the hard way about the #1 killer of sails--flogging!

Your sails wear along their edges, corners, and anywhere that you have sail hardware--like battens, slugs, slides, or hanks. Follow these seven sail-saving tips from Lin and Larry to save big $$$...

1. Keep Leech Flutter under Control.

It's better to practice prevention than pay for cure. -- Larry Pardey on sail care

Tension leech lines just enough to put leech flutter to sleep. When reaching or running, use a boom vang or preventer to tame the leech.This protects your sail's most vulnerable edge.

2. Use Soft-Hand Sail Cloth for Cruising.

Heavy resin coated sails might hold shape longer around the race course, but softer, more pliable sail cloth lasts longer under all cruising conditions. You will find it easier to handle when wet and more durable and forgiving for distance cruising.

3. Consider the Batten-less Mainsail.

Full length battens cause much more chafe than short traditional battens. But some cruisers choose to eliminate battens all together. Have your sailmaker insert a leech-line to control flutter. A batten-less mainsail with a hollowed leech could help your mainsail last 50% longer!

4. Pump up Corner and Cringle Patches.

Extend corner and edge patches deeper into the sail. This helps spread cloth tension over a large area to extend sail life. Beef up tack and clew reefing cringles to handle the heavy loads on heavy weather sailing.

5. Protect Against Shroud and Spreader Chafe.

Cruising involves lots of broad reaching and running. This exposes your mainsail to chafe from shrouds and spreaders. Install split hose on shrouds and pieces of carpet remnant onto each spreader tip. This protects your costly sails at one of their most vulnerable spots.

6. Replace Headsail Luff Wires.

Have your sailmaker remove the stainless luff wire from hank-on or furling headsails. Replace it with high-tech luff boltrope made from Kevlar or Spectra rope or some of the other super high-tech "almost-as-strong-as-steel" synthetic rope available. This eliminates most luff chafe and your worries about rust, corrosion, or "meat hooks" will be a thing of the past.

7. Super-Size Your Sail Bags for Breathablity.

Stow your sails in over-sized sail bags. You won't always be able to dry your sails right away. Bigger bags allow more air circulation to slow down mold and mildew growth.

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Follow these seven super sailing tips from famous voyagers Lin and Larry Pardey. Save money, add sail life, and protect your costly investments--wherever in the world you choose to go sailing!

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