Help... Need some sails

[Gilligan and mate]

Just bought 85 Mac 25... Found both sails have small holes. Any ideas on repair or new.
Thanks

[nedmiller]

Rather than throw them away and buy new, repair them.
Expensive solution is to take to a sailmaker to fix. It will be right but it will cost a bunch, especially if you have to ship, etc. Worth it for newish sails with a lot of life in them.

Less expensive for light sails like on your boat if you have a sewing machine..especially an older machine!
Sails are not too hard to patch small holes. You can use sail tape--sometimes called Dacron tape and it will come in 2" 3" or 4"--maybe bigger. You can also order some sail cloth or a sail repair kit online. Sailrite is a great place to order online from and you can call them and it is amazing--a real person answers the phone and is very knowledgeable! You must sew using zigzag and UV thread.

Cheap
If you have an old torn sail that is no longer useful, you can find the best part and cut out the size you need. Sometimes Fabric shops have UV protected polyester cloth you could use.

No matter which of the methods you use, you do need to get UV thread--fairly heavy, as heavy as your sewing machine will handle. Probably won't get thread thicker than V90 in your home sewing machine--need big needle too. UV thread is a must-regular thread will not last long enough in sunshine. If you have a fabric shop like Joann's, you can get UV protected thread for about $7 and it will be way more than you need and you will only have one choice of weight.
Cut out your patch--you may want to make two matching patches-one on each side- if your machine will sew through three layers. Put your sewing machine on zigzag (sails will rip along the sew line if you don't use zigzag, crank up the thread tension (heavy thread) and and sew all around the hole.

No sewing machine? You can also get adhesive backed repair tape for "temporary repair".... you are supposed to sew it later...but it may last a long time...I've never used it so cannot recommend.

Good Luck!

SILK

[Gilligan and mate]

Thanks ned! I love this forum. 1 more question, what is the best way to clean a sail.

[Judy B]

Just bought 85 Mac 25... Found both sails have small holes. Any ideas on repair or new.
Thanks

Hi, if the sailcloth is still strong, there are lots of options for fixing. See below for an article on evaluating old sails that I wrote in 2000.

How many holes do you have? What shape and size? Linear tears? or holes from wearing thin? Did a rodent chew thru? If you could give a description, I can offer advice on DIY repair.



Fair winds,
Judy B

[Judy B]

Thanks ned! I love this forum. 1 more question, what is the best way to clean a sail.

just dirty or stains? Mildew? Rust?

Generally, you should wash Dacron polyester sails with mild soap such as woolite, using a soft brush gently and rinse well. For tough stains, try resolve or shout laundry stain remover then wash. Hang up to dry, pulling the three corners tight. Don't flog the sail in the wind while drying. If it,s flogging, please remove the battens so they dont make holes in the batten pockets.

do not ever, ever use a washing machine. ever!

To remove mild mildew and grey grunge or spray. from white woven Dacron cloth, use a solution of one cup household bleach to One gallon of water (approx 30:1). Apply with sponge Or spray. Leave on 15-30 minutes, do not let it dry. rinse well. Dry.

Inflatable kiddie pools make good soaking tubs for cheap. If you have one, you can soak the sail fro a day or two in a 30:1 chlorox solution. Cover the pool to prevent the bleach from evaporating. Rinse well. Dry well.

For rust: vinegar applied directly to the stain. If that doesnt work, try a paste of salt and vinegar. Rinse thoroughly and dry

THE ABOVE ADVICE IS ONLY FOR WOVEN DACRON SAILS. DONT TRY THIS ON ANYTHING ELSE!

Hope this helps,
Judy B

[frede]

Send it to SailCare and have them evaluate the sail. If you decide to have them clean and repair it, it will come back almost like new, at a pretty reasonable cost.
http://www.sailcare.com

[bscott]

Substitute Hydrogen peroxide for Chlorox/bleach--safer to use and more effective with cold water. google it

2 X for Sail Care

Bob

[noyopacific]

"just dirty or stains? Mildew? Rust?"

For rust stains on sails, I had a sailmaker recommend oxallic acid. I've had excellent results with it on rust stains and even on rusty tools. You can find it in the paint department where it is often sold as a wood bleach. It's inexpensive, easy to use, requires no scrubbing and it is very mild. I mix the powder in water and put it in a spray bottle. Spray some on, wait 15 minutes and spray again if necessary. Don't bother scrubbing, it doesn't help. I've used it on lots of rusty items and never found it to cause damage to anything . . . except rust.

[Freedom77]

Do you have a friend with a swimming pool. Do you have a couple of kids. I put mine in the pool and let kids jump up and down on them 'til they got tired. Chlorine will clean 'em up pretty well. Just hose of with fresh water after. Fair winds and full sails....

[Gilligan and mate]

Thanks all. Just got boat home. Trying to clean her up. Boat has been on trailer for 2 1/2 years. Seeing some hull warping. All good.
Thanks again all.