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Expert Help & Advice
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Sail
Maintenance
We all know how expensive sails
are and it would seem a sensible ….
to try to extend their use full life for as long as possible. And there are a
number of easy commonsense steps that can definitely help.
| Using
the Sails |
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New Sails |
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are best
broken in gradually, if its blowing hard, or you’ re just out practising,
just use the oldies, keep the new ones for best. And don’t put new ones
up at a Championships, you are bound to have to change some rigging
settings. |
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Coming Ashore |
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Don’t
leave the sails up the mast, in any wind, this is the best way to ruin
them.
Pull the sails down by
the luff, if you pull on the unsupported leech it will quickly cause
localised stretching, resulting in fluttering and creasing.
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| Washing |
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| If dinghy sailing |
you
should wash the sails down with fresh water, and then dry them to prevent
mildew (laminates just need to be sponged)
Spinnakers are best dried at home – supported, no weight on the leeches. |
| If
you do need to remove stains the following may help |
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General dirt |
sponge
with a mild solution of household soap and warm water |
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Oil,
grease |
best to
try tricloroethylene, or swarfega |
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Blood |
best
to sponge down at the time of the incident.
If that was not possible use a biological detergent containing
proteclytic enzymes – do not use bleaches. |
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Email
or call us +44 (0)191 490 1736 if
you have a query
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We do not suggest you
iron your sails |
| Storing |
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| Considering
your sails will spend 80 – 90% of their life not being used, how you
store them can make a big difference to their life span. |
| Creases
should be avoided when possible. |
| Dinghy
mains and jibs |
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should
be rolled together, preferably round something eg plastic drainpipe. Care
must be taken to ensure you roll the battens square, or you may cause a
twist.
Make sure you let the batten tensions off, however we suggest you leave
battens in their pocket on sails such as Enterprise, Gp14s etc., since
damage to the leech may occur when removing them. |
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Spinnakers |
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should
be carefully folded, the best way is to probably to fold leech to leech,
then centre to leech, then rolled from the head. |
| Check
Over |
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This
is obviously worth doing periodically, especially if you are going to a
Championships or on holiday, and before the new season starts.
Lay the sail on the floor
and starting in one corner check in a systematic fashion. |
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Check
stitching |
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- along the seams
- around and on the patches
- batten pockets
- around the edges of the sail, the tapes
and turnovers
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Check
panels for cloth damage |
especially
for wear |
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-
batten pockets
-
luff ropes,
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patch areas
-
eyelets
-
hanks
-
tell tales
-
windows
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Make notes of any
problems and send them to us or take them a sail maker.
our repair turn around is very quick.
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