Sails do not last forever, but with proper care, cruising sails made of a high-quality Dacron sailcloth will provide many years of service. I know this because I spent more than 70 years maintaining sails, often turning for advice to Graham Knight, of Antigua Sails, who has been repairing sails in Antigua since 1970. Knight has repaired or supervised the repairs to more sails than anyone else I can think of.

My sailing career began in the days of cotton sails and manila or linen running rigging. It was a good school in which to learn how to repair sails, as there were few sailmakers in the Caribbean in the late 1950s, just a few locals who made or repaired canvas sails entirely by hand. We yacht owners did most of our own sail maintenance, also by hand.

When Dacron sails first arrived on the scene, we thought it was heaven. Dacron was unaffected by changes in moisture. Gone were the days of having to carefully ease the halyard and outhaul as you sailed into a fog, or when rain soaked the sail. Gone were the days of carefully drying sails to make sure they did not get mildewed, and we could forget about putting on the sailcover to keep the nighttime dew off the sail. I did, though, miss the most comfortable place to sleep in a boat: curled up on a dry cotton spinnaker in the fo’c’sle.

Over time, we learned from experience that Dacron sails become damaged in three ways: as a result of weak stitching, from flogging, and by degradation from exposure to UV radiation from the sun. The stitching was a particular weakness in those early Dacron sails, in part due to the sensitivity of the thread to UV exposure.

A Stitch in Time

I quickly learned that when the stitching fails, a sail will split from the leech in, seldom from the body of the sail out. If on Iolaire we noticed a seam opening up in the body of a sail, my crew or I would restitch it by hand at the end of the day. If a seam started to fail from the leech in, it would split all the way to the luff before we could get the sail down. I vividly recall spreading a mainsail across the fuel dock at Yacht Haven in St. Thomas, restitching by hand where it had split from luff to leech — two rows of stitches, each 15 feet long. That taught me to regularly inspect the leech of every sail and restitch the weak points before they failed.

Just before my late wife, Marilyn, and I decided to emigrate to Grenada, I acquired a heavy-duty Pfaff electric zigzag sewing machine mounted in a proper table. We disassembled it and packed it in Iolaire’s port pilot berth so it would be on the windward side going to Grenada. Periodically, I set up the sewing machine in the bar at the Grenada Yacht Club, where I could spread the sails out. I regularly restitched them along the leech and along the seams to 3 feet in from the leech. I did the same along the foot of the high-cut yankee. That ended the weak-stitching problem for Iolaire.

Take it from me, you will substantially increase the life of your sails by periodically taking them to a sailmaker who can inspect them, make any obvious repairs and do as I have described above. Also, have the batten pockets restitched if the stitching looks weak.

Once a sail is two or three years old, it will become apparent where it chafes on shrouds and spreaders. Have your sailmaker glue on reinforcement patches in the way of the spreaders and narrow strips over the seams where they chafe on shrouds. Taking these simple steps will lengthen the life of the sail considerably.

Knight recommends you persuade the sailmaker to use Gore Tenara thread when you have your sails restitched. Sailmakers do not like to use it because it is expensive and the machine must be specially set up for it, but the thread will last longer than the sail.

Shaken to Pieces

Flogging is another major cause of sail damage or destruction. In the days when Iolaire had cotton sails, I had a lot of trouble with the batten pockets or the sail under them tearing when the sail flogged during a tack or when reefing. When I ordered my first Dacron mainsail from Charlie “Butch” Ulmer, I asked for a battenless main. This eliminated the problem of broken battens, and battens fouling in the rigging when sails were hoisted or doused, but introduced another: I always had a fluttering leech unless the leech line was pulled taut, and then I had a curled leech.

When the battenless main was coming to the end of its life I replaced it with a main with battens. To keep the wooden battens (plastic battens did not yet exist) from breaking and tearing the batten pocket or sail, I installed three very thin battens in each pocket. The thin battens would bend more without breaking than a single thicker batten. I also removed the batten pockets, sewed a patch under each pocket, then reinstalled the pockets. As a result, if a batten did break and tear a hole, because of the double thickness, the hole was usually in the batten pocket rather than in the sail. A hole in the batten pocket was much easier to repair than a hole in the sail.

The problem of the flogging mainsail was solved in 1989, when Robbie Doyle gave Iolaire a fully battened mainsail with one of his first StackPacks. I will not get into the debate about which sails are faster, but from the cruising sailor’s standpoint, a fully battened sail beats the battened soft sail six ways to Sunday. A fully battened sail does not flog when it’s being reefed. If a squall approaches and the skipper feels it will only be a brief one, the main can be eased so it’s completely depowered but will not flog. It may take some strange shapes, but it will be depowered. It can be retrimmed once the squall has passed.

We discovered a few problems with the Doyle StackPack as originally conceived, but we sorted them out over time. A fully battened sail installed in a StackPack or a similar cover will last virtually forever.

After six hard seasons in the Caribbean and a transatlantic passage, I replaced Iolaire’s original StackPack with a Street Pack — a Doyle StackPack installed with zippers (see “From StackPack to Street Pack,” page 85). I replaced it not because the sail was worn out but because the cover and the membrane were falling apart and, being all sewn together, were too difficult to repair. Since then, the cover and membrane have been removed and repaired three times, but the sail was still going strong when I sold Iolaire 17 years later!

Many sailmakers make their own versions of the StackPack. Before ordering one, make sure the sail, cover and membrane (if fitted) are all connected with zippers rather than being sewn together.

UV and Polyester

We discovered the hard way in the tropics just how susceptible to rapid degradation polyester fabrics like Dacron are when exposed to UV rays. Knight showed me how to determine how severe the damage was. He pushes a sail needle through the cloth. If it goes through cleanly, all is well and the sail can be restitched and repaired. But if the needle goes through the material with a pop, the cloth is toast.

We also discovered that the light, easily handled Dacron sailcovers were not the answer; they did not protect the sails from UV damage. The solution was to make the covers out of mildew-proofed Vivitex or, later, Sunbrella. The life expectancy of boom-stowed sails on all rigs was greatly increased if the crew put on the sailcovers every day as soon as the sail was dropped. The StackPack took care of the UV problem to a great extent, on Iolaire’s mainsail anyway. Headsails were another matter.

On Iolaire, we fought the problem of UV degradation on roller headsails for 50 years. In 1961, I installed a jib and a staysail that roller-furled on their own luff wires. We made them work by setting them up on two-part halyards led to a winch. The luff wires were the same diameter as the stays, and we tensioned the luff wires until the head and staysail stays were slack. The system worked well, but the sails were all the way out or all the way in. To minimize damage from UV rays, any time we would not be sailing for two or three days, we lowered the sails and stowed them coiled in bags.

Eventually, the leech and foot of the yankee, which remained exposed when the sail was furled, were shot. The body of the sail was fine, so my crew and I laid out the sail and removed the luff wire. I then had a sailmaker cut 18 inches off the leech and foot and rebuild the head, tack and clew corners. My mate and I shortened the luff wire to suit the new luff length, fed it through the sail and tensioned it between two palm trees with a four-part tackle. We then adjusted the luff tension of the sail, secured the head and tack cringles to the ends of the wire, and secured the sail to the luff wire. We now had a good J2 and bought a new J1.

This same operation, cutting the sunburned material from the leech and foot of a high-cut jib, can also be done on a genoa, reducing a 150 percent genoa to a 135. With headsails fitted to a roller-­reefing foil, this operation is much easier than with the old sails with luff wires.

Roller Reefing

In 1986, Olaf Harken offered me a very good discount on Harken’s headsail ­roller-reefing gear. From the late 1960s to the ’80s, bent-up and ­broken-down roller-reefing headsail gear was stacked like cordwood in rigging lofts across the Caribbean, so despite the limitations of my roller-furling headsail rig, I was not at all interested in switching to a roller-reefing headsail on a foil.

What Harken really wanted was for me to test his company’s new gear for larger boats. When he offered to give me the gear and a headsail to go with it, I accepted. The gear worked perfectly for nine hard years in the Caribbean, three transatlantics, 17 years cruising and racing in Europe, and was still going strong when I sold Iolaire.

In one way, though, it was a step backward. To protect the sail from UV rays, we removed it whenever we were not sailing for any amount of time. With the headsail it replaced, one person could slack the halyard, drop the sail and, with some difficulty, coil the furled sail into its bag. By contrast, removing the big yankee from the headstay was a three-person job, as was hoisting it. Thus we did not do it with the frequency we had with the roller-furling sails, and the sail suffered.

To eliminate the sunburn problem, many cruisers have a protective layer of Sunbrella about 18 inches wide sewn on the leech and foot. It looks like hell and does not improve the set of the sail. The better solution for a roller-reefing headsail is a cover of the kind I first saw on German yachts in the Baltic in the late ’90s and is now becoming common elsewhere. The cover, which is a long sleeve, is hoisted, usually with the spinnaker halyard, then tightened with a lanyard threaded through a series of hooks and eyes. It covers the sail completely and does not flap in the breeze. However, friction imposes a limit as to how big a sleeve can be made and still be practical to hoist and douse. Knight says the maximum practical luff length is about 60 feet. A sail with a luff any longer than 60 feet is too big to regularly take down when the boat is not being sailed, so it is left up and the leech and foot remain exposed to UV rays. Some skippers, rather than use a colored protective material, have sacrificial strips of cloth the same color as the sail sewn on the leech and foot. Mark Fitzgerald, the longtime skipper of the 115-foot high-tech ketch Sojana, coats the leech and foot with white emulsion paint, which has proved to minimize UV damage. North Sails has a liquid “ink” that reduces UV damage. It is available in several colors and can be sprayed on existing sails if they are clean.

Be sure when you furl your sail on a roller furler that the drum turns in the ­direction that leaves the Sunbrella cover and not the sail itself exposed.

I have been told by Evelyne Nye, head of Custom Canvas and the North Sails agent in St. Thomas, that the best headsail covers are made by Etienne Giroire, a French singlehanded racing skipper who does business as ATN (atninc.com). This certainly looks like the solution to the UV problem with roller-furling headsails.

With diligent care, Dacron sails can be made to last a good long time: Don’t let them flog, inspect and restitch vulnerable areas on a regular basis, and protect them from sunlight.

– – –

Voyaging legend Donald M. Street Jr. has been racing and cruising on both sides of the Atlantic — and writing about his exploits — for over five decades.

The post Making Your Sails Last appeared first on Cruising World.

Spinnakers should be dry and free from dirt or salt before storing. Many spinnaker fabrics are woven from the small denier threads. Any dirt or salt left on the sails will get into the fibers and cause the cloth to deteriorate prematurely. If your sail is wet from salt water, fly it upside down, with the clews tied together at the top and the head at the bottom. To rinse saltwater off the sail, use a hose spraying from the top and letting the fresh water flush to the bottom. Using this method the sail will float gently in breeze and dry off pretty quickly. Use this same method for sails wet with freshwater or spread out indoors, inside your boat or in an enclosed space with a dehumidifier running.

Once your asymmetric is clean, fold and store them properly using these tips:

Step 1: Start with the spinnaker open and flat, with one person at the tack and one at the clew. Begin to take flakes in the sail, of equal widths, along the luff and leech.

Step 2: Continue to flake the sail. Make the flakes along the luff, which is longer than the leech, slightly wider so sail flakes evenly on top of itself.

Step 3: Finish flaking by making the head reinforcing patch lie flat in the the center of the flaked sail.

Step 4: Start rolling the flaked sail from leech to luff.

Step 5: Continue to roll to luff. The finished product will look as it does in Figure 5 above.

The easy way to store your spinnaker is just to stuff it in the bag it came with. By taking good care of your sail, flaking and storing it properly, you will extend its racing life and ensure you get the most from your investment.

The post Asymmetrical Spinnaker Care appeared first on Cruising World.

Like your engine and other onboard systems that get special attention in spring, your sails — along with all the gear that lets you raise and trim them — will benefit from a thorough pre-launch inspection and maintenance routine. If you didn’t already do it when the boat was hauled, the first step as you prepare for commissioning is to pull your sails out of the bag and examine the stitching on the genoa’s UV cover or leech areas (also check any other headsails set and stored on furlers during the season). It’s these areas that are exposed to sunlight and weather, and it’s where the stitching is most likely to slowly break down over time. If caught early enough, your sailmaker can make a corrective repair before the damage and repair costs spread.

Also on the genoa, it is a good idea to look at the spreader patch and the area where the sail rubs against the bow pulpit to see if there is any heavy wear and tear that needs addressing.

On the mainsail, look for chafing on batten pockets, and if battens are held in place with Velcro, make sure the hooks and loops seal firmly. Also check where the sail comes in contact with shrouds for any marks to determine if the cloth or stitching there is wearing through.

Storage Tip: Unless you plan to sail over the winter, take the sails off the boat and store them inside rather than leaving the main bent on under a sail cover and the genoa rolled on a furler. Winter weather can lead to a lot of mildew growth, green slime and general pollution finding its way into the sailcloth. After five months, sails can turn an ugly color. Worse, our loft see a lot of jibs shredded by winter storms.

Next move your attention to the leech lines. Look to see if they are working correctly (can be pulled tight) and if the line is holding well in the end fitting, often a jam cleat of some sort. Check the Velcro that holds the cover over the cleat and keeps the excess leech line from flying about because this can weaken over time.

Once you’ve completed your sail inspection, it’s time to move on to sail-control systems. Go over the sheets, looking for any chafe. If you didn’t do it in fall, now is the time to give them a good rinse in the sink or a backyard kiddie pool, and wash them using a mild detergent such as Woolite.

Use fresh water to rinse out all the turning blocks and bearing races in the furler that you can reach. This will remove old salt and any grime that’s collected over the winter. Then relubricate as recommended by the gear manufacturers. Service your halyard and sheet winches to make sure they are fully lubricated and running well before the season starts.

Rerigging

When you’re ready to put the sails back on the boat, wait for a calm day and do it with the help of a friend. When hoisting any sail with a luff tape, like a furling genoa, it works best to have one person guiding the sail into the groove as the other mans the halyard, because it is easy to accidentally catch the tape, tearing or jamming it as the sail goes up.

When bending the main back on, acetone can be used to clean the track or groove in the mast. Rinse off any rollers or slides with bearings to remove as much salt and dirt as possible, but be careful that the ball bearings don’t get dislodged. To make the job go more smoothly, you can coat the track and slides with a product such as McLube Sailkote Dry as they go in. Avoid oil-based lubricants because they tend to collect dirt and turn it into a gooey mess.

If the mainsail is still tough to hoist and you have regular slides, it might be time to look into upgrades such as slides with rollers or even a new track-and-slide system, if your budget allows. There are lots of different options from which to choose. Lastly, just to make sure your sails provide a ­season’s worth of good service, have your local sailmaker put together a simple repair kit to suit your boat and the ­material your sails are made from so you have something on hand if you need to do minor repairs on the fly.

On The Water

Once the boat’s launched and you’re out sailing, it’s a great idea to take pictures of your sails at work. This really helps your loft understand the sails’ shape underway and identify where improvements could be made over the following winter. Many cruising sails are made from Dacron, and can lose their shape as they age. As this happens, sailing performance decreases, and eventually the boat heels more. Short of buying a new suit of sails, a sailmaker might be able to make repairs or suggest an upgrade such as fitting full battens in a main to extend its life.

Dennis LeFeaux is a sailmaker at North Sails Canada.

The post Spring Sail Care appeared first on Cruising World.

1. Keep your sail out of the sun when not in use.
If you have furling systems, this may be just a matter of furling sails when not in use. For non-furling sails, this means covering or stowing sails. There are cover options for both mainsails and headsails, allowing the sail to stay rigged and protected between uses. When no cover is available, sails should be removed, flaked, bagged and stowed below deck or off the boat.

2. Sun Covers: Sewn-on protection.
Many owners use sewn-on sun covers to protect furled sails. Sunbrella and WeatherMax are the fabrics commonly used for sun covers. For racer-cruisers and some racing sails like furling code zeros, there are lighter weight options such as UV-treated Dacron®. While there is a gain in weight savings, these materials are not inherently UV resistant. Over time the UV treatment can wear off, with the lifespan of the treatment affected by boat location and amount of time in the sun. In high exposure areas, treated covers may have a lifespan of only a couple of seasons.

All sun covers should be inspected regularly and repaired if damaged. Generally speaking, covers should be re-stitched every three years or so to prevent more extensive damage to the fabric that can occur from flogging due to compromised stitching.

To provide maximum protection for your sails, sun covers require care and maintenance. Remember, if you can see the sailcloth below the cover…so can the sun!

3. Keep your sails clean
After sun, the second-worst enemy of any sail is salt; but other types of dirt and debris can be just as damaging. Periodic sail washing is key to maintaining your sails. A couple common-sense rules apply to frequency: 1) a sail that has been exposed to saltwater should be washed sooner rather than later, and 2) all other varying degrees of grime should be removed when possible. A genoa or staysail probably needs washing, or at least a rinse, more frequently than a mainsail that is stowed under a cover on the boom or furled when not in use. Not sure if your sails are salty? Run a finger along the foot and have a taste…you’ll know right away!

4. Add years to your sail’s life expectancy.
Sailmakers generally refer to the life of a sail in hours or seasons, rather than years. The lifespan is affected by the amount of time sailing and the level of care given to the sails. In the mid-Atlantic region, the main sailing season can begin in early spring and extend late into the fall. A sailing season in the upper Midwest, for example, is much shorter, thus extending the life of a sail. The lifespan of sails that spend the sailing season furled on your headstay, in your mast or boom, or left on the boat to endure the frigid months of winter, will be much shorter than the life of sails that are properly protected or stowed.

If you know your sails are going to be sitting idle on the boat in a marina for at least a month or more during a sailing season, you can extend sail life by taking the sails off of your boat and stowing them. If your schedule prevents you from doing this personally, contact your local Quantum loft for sail removal and storage – part of our full array of sail care services.

5. Inspect your sails regularly (or have an expert do so).
At least once-a-year sails should get a check-up. To do this yourself, find a dry place in good light where you can lay them flat, then work your way over every inch of the sail, looking for trouble spots such as abrasion or loose stitching. Small problems can turn into bigger problems later, so be sure to note even the smallest details. Alternatively, you can drop off your sails at a nearby loft for our multi-point inspection.

6. Tape up that turnbuckle!
If you’ve ever scraped your finger on a piece of hardware, then you know it’s sharp enough to damage your sail. Put some tape on it. Even seemingly blunt objects (like a spreader) can damage sails on a tack, so take a look around (and up) to see what can or should be covered to protect your sails. Rigging tape, self-fusing silicone tape, leather and other protective coverings are relatively inexpensive ways to protect your sails.

7. Read the writing on the leech.
Even a well-protected spreader-tip or navigation light can wear a sail tack-after-tack. For these areas, a spreader-patch (or navigation light-patch, etc.) might be the answer.

8. Fix it now instead of replacing it later.
A lot of catastrophic sail failures can be traced back to a small repair that was never made. When you notice a small hole or a chafed spot that’s getting increasingly worse, save yourself serious head- and wallet-ache by addressing the problem while it is still small.

9. Bag it!
There’s a good reason new sails come with a sturdy bag and it’s not just another place for a logo. That bag is a much cheaper sacrificial covering than the sail inside of it. Take a look at an old sailbag that’s scuffed and torn-up, now imagine if that were your sail. Not good. It can be a pain to keep track of bags, but used regularly, they can really earn their keep.

10. If you don’t know…ask.
Curious about some sail-care method you’ve heard somebody touting on the dock or trying to figure out if your sail could use a new piece of webbing on the tack? Feel free to call the service team at your local sail loft.

The post Extending The Life of Your Sails appeared first on Cruising World.

The weather forecasters are predicting a big El Niño year that could bring heavy and unusual weather to marinas across the country. After every storm, there’s a boat sitting in the marina with damage because the owner didn’t do a little preventative maintenance. Remember to follow these five steps and you’ll save yourself some money and avoid a heartbreaking call from the harbormaster.

Drop and flake your sails

Roller furling sails should not be left on the headstay during threatening storms, especially if the boat is on the hard. Drop your sails and check them for loose points, discoloration, or wear marks. Take care of any tears when they’re still small, to avoid larger damage in the future. And, if you’re going to go an extended period without sailing, there’s no better time to bring your sails into the loft for some annual maintenance.

Inspect all the shackles, lines, and swivels

No matter how beefy your furling system is, it takes a beating every time you roll and unroll your genoa. Inspect all elements of the system including shackles, lines, and fairleads on the deck to make sure every element is in good, working condition, and is properly fastened. You should also give a thorough once-over to every element of your standing rigging, and check all halyards, lines, sheets, and clutches for wear and tear. Harden up on the backstay to keep your rig from bouncing around in heavy weather. If your boat will stay in the water during a storm, be a good neighbor and tie off your halyards to keep them from banging—anyone who lives on their boat nearby will thank you!

Properly store your sails

If you’re not sailing your boat for an extended period of time, the jib should be dropped and stored down below. If your boat is in the water and you have a good cover for your main, it’s fine for the main to stay flaked on the boom. But if you don’t have a cover or if your boat is on the hard, your main should also be stored down below.

Get a dehumidifier

Storms can cause excess moisture inside your cabin and damp conditions aren’t good for your sails. Get a small dehumidifier for your boat. Your sails will last longer and your boat will smell a whole lot fresher the next time you come out to sail!

Check your ports for leaky seals

It’s hard enough to keep a boat dry without rainwater seeping under the hatch covers. Before you leave your boat for an extended period of time, it behooves you to check every single port, hatch, window, companion way—anywhere water might find its way into your boat—for possible leakage points. And if you find any, fix them now. Also, make sure that all through-hauls (except for cockpit drains) are closed.

Don’t waste quality sailing days on fixing problems that could have been prevented. Remembering to follow these five preventative measures will ensure your sails and boat are ready to go the next time the weather allows.

This cruising tip has been brought to you by Quantum Sails

The post Keeping Your Sails & Rigging Safe in Heavy Weather appeared first on Cruising World.

1. Mildew, mold, and runny colors

Letting your wet sails stay furled or flaked in a sail bag creates the perfect incubator for mold and mildew to grow. All sail cloth types, when stored wet, will promote the growth of mildew, but it’s really a problem with less breathable laminated sails. Keep in mind, where you store them is also important. Damp locations also attract mold and mildew. Regardless of how it gets there, once you have mold, your sail needs a professional cleaning.

Your spinnaker needs to dry too. Nylon, when left wet, has the tendency for the colors to run together. Once that happens, we can apply a special coating to help stabilize the colors, but it can be expensive.

The simple solution: You guessed it, make sure your sails are completely dry before storing them. If you don’t always have that luxury, look into getting an anti-fungicide coating to help protect the fabric. If you’re storing your sails for an extended period of time, click here to read our tips on how to store your sails correctly.

2. Your boat tips/heels too much

Ok, this isn’t exactly a sail disaster, but if you’re not careful, it can become one. A frequent complaint is that a boat heels too much, or even tips over, in heavy air. Though there could be some outlying factors, one thing to consider is the shape of your sail. A sail’s shape changes over time with use as the fibers stretch out and wear with time. Those changes can cause the boat to heel more than it should.

The simple solution: If you feel that you’re heeling too much or are in danger of tipping over, take a few pictures when you’re using your sails upwind and take them to your local loft. The service department can then identify where your sail’s geometry has changed, then modify it to take it back to its original design shape – that will keep you moving forward instead of tipping over and causing serious damage. It can also buy you a few more years before having to replace the sail.

3. Your roller furled sail is brittle and cracking

Your sail is probably rolled on the furler the wrong way. Sun exposure shortens the life of any fabric, and sails are no different. A roller furler that lives on the headstay should have a piece of sacrificial fabric sewn onto the side that’s exposed to the sun. When rolled correctly, that piece of fabric absorbs the UV damage while your sail fabric stays protected.

When people aren’t familiar with how a roller furler works, or if the UV cover is white like the sail, it can be difficult to tell from the cockpit if the sail is rolling the right way. When it doesn’t, your sail is left exposed to the elements.

The simple solution: If you’re not sure if your sail is rolled the correct way or have any questions, call your sails consultant or the local service department. Taking some time to meet at your boat to make sure the sail is rolling properly and is protected from the elements can save you $500-1,500 in repairs later.

4. Your UV cover is peeling off the sail

The same way your sail cover is exposed to UV damage, so is the stitching that holds it in place. UV rays weaken the thread over time, eventually to the point of failure. If you’re lucky, you’ll notice frayed threads before the cover begins to peel off the sail – if not, your cover could come off while sailing!

The simple solution: Annual inspections are key, but it’s equally important to inspect your own sail on a regular basis, looking for things like small tears and frayed threads. Some people say you can go 2-7 years before you need to have your sail checked, but if your boat’s in the sun a lot, it’s best to take your sails in for an annual tune-up. Your Quantum service department will spot weak areas before they become a problem, saving you time and money on your repairs.

Again, just like your car needs regular maintenance and tune-ups, so do your sails. Don’t wait for disaster to strike. Combined with proper sail care, regular inspections by expert service staff will help prevent large problems and ensure you get the most out of your sails.

This cruising tip has been brought to you by Quantum Sails

The post The 4 Most Common–and Preventable–Sail Issues appeared first on Cruising World.

Fall is a beautiful time of year, but for many the change in colors signals the end of the sailing season. Many owners take great care in making sure their boats are properly “winterized” and stored, but their sails are not always given the same care.

When you’re ready to store your boat for the winter, make sure you take care of your sails too. There are three main factors to consider when planning what to do with or where to store your sails at the end of the sailing season.

• What is the general condition of your sails?
• Are there any modifications you’d like to make?
• Where will you store your sails?

Sail Condition

Off season is the time to get your sails checked and maintained so they’re ready to go in the spring. A large percentage of repairs that we see during the sailing season can be avoided by a thorough winter check and service.

Dirt, stains, and salt are not only unsightly, they can shorten the life of your sail. Grit and salt crystals can – and will – chafe fibers in the sail cloth. This damage is small and slow acting, but it can add up over time and make a difference in how long a sail lasts.

Salt also attracts moisture. Moisture and warm temperatures lead to mildew. Mildew won’t necessarily shorten the life of your sail, but who wants to unroll their genoa and see a Jackson Pollack?

Sail Modifications

Are you considering adding an extra reef to your mainsail? Maybe some full-length battens? Planning on converting from hank on headsails to roller furling, or upgrading to a new system? Do any of your sails need a spreader or radar dome chafe patch? These sail modifications are best performed during the off season. That will allow us to work on your sail without cutting into your time on the water.

Sail Storage

Sails need to be stored where they are safe from moisture, temperature extremes, and pests. Any combination of these can ruin a good sail.

As I said earlier, moisture increases the risk of mildew and stains. Temperature extremes can also potentially damage laminates. High temperatures can even cause woven sails to change shape or become brittle.

When it comes to pests, mice and rats love rolled up sails – they provide a secure environment, ample material that can be shredded for bedding, and a good supply of salt. This can leave you with a sail full of holes and littered with feces and urine stains, which are not only hard to get out, but also unhealthy to humans.

Insects and spiders also like to nest in sails. They don’t do as much damage as rodents, but it’s still not pleasant to open your sail bag at the beginning of the season and find these multi-legged tenants.

The best way to store your sails is to hang them from the ceiling so they don’t touch anything. The next best option is to store them on a shelf (keep the open end of the bag facing away from any walls for better air circulation and to make it harder for a pest to get in). If you want to make sure that rodents stay away, an ultrasonic noise system will do the job nicely.

Whether you’re storing your sails at home or at a loft, be sure to follow these steps to make sure your sails are ready to go when you are next spring.

–David Simmons

This cruising tip has been brought to you by Quantum Sails.

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