| If your sails have seen better days, you may think that | | | | repairing it will be. But even severe cases of wear can |
| replacing them with new sails is your only option. But | | | | be fixed by sail restoration specialists. |
| think again - high-quality, competent sail repair can | | | | Batten pockets - Battens and the pockets that hold |
| make old sails look, feel, and perform like new. Even | | | | them provide an important role in shaping your mainsail. |
| sails that have been in service for decades can be | | | | As you change direction with the boat, the mainsail |
| restored and refurbished to like-new condition. One of | | | | moves from one side of the boat to the other. This |
| the keys to getting the longest life out of your sails is | | | | causes the batten to flex and bend the cloth at the |
| to keep a close eye on your sails and have repairs | | | | end of the pocket. Over time the cloth can become |
| done as soon as a problem appears. Here are some | | | | weak and even tear. If not caught in time the damage |
| things to look out for: | | | | can be catastrophic, tearing out the whole pocket |
| Stains - The bad news is that stains on sails are an | | | | back to the leech edge and causing major damage to |
| unsightly but unavoidable consequence of regular use. | | | | the sail. This is a problem that's all but impossible to |
| But the good news is that the right cleaning techniques | | | | address on your own, but it's a reasonably simple |
| can reliably eradicate just about any kind of stain, | | | | procedure for a sail restoration professional to repair. |
| including stubborn rust marks. Returning stained sails to | | | | While making a repair of this kind it would be a good |
| their original beauty is a job for trained and | | | | time to replace the elastic in the end of the pocket to |
| experienced sail repair professionals, however - no | | | | keep proper tension on the batten to help maintain |
| amount of washing or do-it-yourself stain removal will | | | | good sail shape. However it is important to catch wear |
| give a badly stained sail that like-new look and feel. But | | | | in this area as soon as possible, so be sure to inspect |
| in the right hands, professional dry cleaning using tried | | | | your sails regularly for this kind of wear. |
| and tested sail restoration techniques will eliminate | | | | Bolt rope has shrunk or drawn up making it hard to |
| stains and leave your sails looking almost as good as | | | | raise or lower the main and to get a nice set on the |
| they did the day you bought them .... even if that day | | | | sail - This is a common problem and one that many |
| was thirty or more years ago. | | | | sailors are told cannot be fixed or adjusted. However |
| Mainsail, leech edge - The leech or back edge of the | | | | the truth is that a good sail restoration professional |
| mainsail is often the first part of the sail to show wear | | | | may very well be able to fix it. In addition, the cost for |
| and tear. Be on the lookout for these signs of leech | | | | this type of repair is relatively low and it takes very |
| edge problems: | | | | little time to do. |
| - You're having trouble setting or trimming the main. | | | | Different sail makers use various types of line or rope |
| - It's hard to flatten the back edge of the sail | | | | in the bolt rope. Nylon is popular because it has stretch, |
| - Using the leech line only seems to cup the back edge | | | | but it also will shrink. If you begin to notice the boom |
| instead of helping to flatten or quite down the back | | | | seems to be hanging lower at the clew or back edge |
| edge. | | | | of the sail than the tack or front edge of the sail, or if |
| - You see visible signs of wear along the leech/back | | | | the bottom of the sail seems to have a noticeable bag |
| edge of the sail. This wear may be visible as tiny holes | | | | or extra cloth, the problem could be the bolt rope. |
| in the fabric, or in extreme cases tears along the | | | | Bag in the lower body of the sail - Another common |
| stitching may even be visible. | | | | problem that is almost always due to the sail being |
| If you note any of the above, it's likely that aging and | | | | stretched by the wind. Sail restoration professionals |
| use have created a problem that requires professional | | | | have a number of ways to make repairs or |
| sail repair. As with all sail problems, the sooner you | | | | adjustments that will solve this problem. |
| tackle it, the better the chances of successfully | | | | |