Master Sailmaker Reveals Five Secrets to Save You Money on Your Costly Sails!
Did you know that you must fold a high clewed headsail different than one with a lower clew? Or that a colored nylon spinnaker stored wet can bleed its colors onto one another?
Your sailboat sails represent a huge investment in $$$, so it makes good sea-sense to give them lots of attention. Emiliano Marino, master sailmaker and author of " The Sailmaker's Apprentice", passes along these five secret tips to keep your expensive investments in great shape for years to come...
1. Stow sails salt free and dry
Any time you sail--even on the flattest, calmest day--your sail surface becomes coated with salt.
Spray adds even more salt. Salt adds weight to any sail and acts as an abrasive to chafe stitching.
And, if you stow the sail wet, it attracts more moisture, which leads to mildew.
Fresh-water wash your sails at the first opportunity. That includes the often forgotten roller furling variety. Dry any sail before you fold and bag it.
After "Rubicon's" 1600 mile passage to the Caribbean (photo), we fresh water washed her sails. Next, we hoisted them at the dock for a few minutes to dry them fast. In no time they were ready to be folded and bagged.
Colored rip-stop nylon can bleed from panel to panel on a wet, balled-up spinnaker. Pull the sail out onto a flat surface to dry it fast.
2. Fold sails accordion or sausage style
Fold mainsails and other low-clewed sails by pulling folds over the foot. Remove any battens. Have one person stand on each side of the foot.
Reach up and pull a fold down and over the edge of the foot. Reach up and grab another fold. Pull it down onto the first fold.
Repeat this to the top of the sail method all the way to the head of the sail.
Change the first step with high clewed Genoas, lappers, or storm sails. Have one person hold the clew in place against the ground. Fold the tack up toward the head. Keep the luffs butted up against one another. Continue folding the sail as described for low-clewed sails.
Stow mylar or high-tech sails flat if possible. This protects the plastic from breakdown. If you must make them smaller, roll them like a sausage. Start at the foot and roll to the head.
3. Install spreader and pulpit patches
Pulpit patches? How many times have you noticed your low clewed 150% or 170% Genoa rubbing on your bow pulpit? This constant back and forth motion chafes sail panels near the tack.
Mark this area with a pencil. Do the same where the sail rubs the spreader tips when running before the wind. Have your sailmaker install patches in both areas to protect your expensive headsails.
4. Repair weak spots with an offset stitch
Inspect the sail throughout the season. Add new Dacron stitching at the first sign of broken or chafed thread. Sew the new row of stitches a bit off of the old stitch row. This prevents "spot" weakness in the sail cloth.
5. Clean sails with the mildest solution
Use warm water to dissolve salt. Scrub the sail with a brush and mild solution of mild detergent and water. Rinse the sail to remove all traces of detergent. The alkaline in detergent can weaken the sail surface to allow sun damage from UV rays.
Bleach works well to remove mildew stains. Start with a stiff brush to remove most of the spore. Then bleach and rinse. Do not use bleach on rip-stop nylon sails like spinnakers (see "Related Articles" link).
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Breathe new life into your small cruising boat or racing boat sails with these five easy tips. You will be rewarded with years of powerful performance and save tons of money on expensive sail repairs.
