How do you dry your sails
Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: Dinghy classes
Forum Name: Dinghy development
Forum Discription: The latest moves in the dinghy market
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3395
Printed Date: 19 Aug 25 at 8:30am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.665y - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: How do you dry your sails
Posted By: k_kirk
Subject: How do you dry your sails
Date Posted: 15 Sep 07 at 4:47am
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UK forum is probably the better place to ask this question with the long winters and obviously large number of sailors doing what they love throughout the year. Hats off with respect to you all. Hope the tail end of your summer is good with some more warm weather and sunny skies. I sail in the tropics where it goes without a day when my sails don't come back ashore completely wet either due to the torrential downpours or simply due to a capsize on my part. I try to dry them asap to maintain their quality but often end up feeling guilty doing it under the sun letting the sails flog around a little. What are the other methods used to fulfill this basic requirement to look after your mylar main/jib combo as well as your kite. Thank you very much for your responses. ------------- http://gaijinonfoils.blogspot.com/ - Gaijin on Foils |
Replies:
Posted By: Iain C
Date Posted: 15 Sep 07 at 8:13am
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Main/jib-forget it, they'll never rot, mine just live in the boat. Kite-Fireball one gets hung up in the house somewhere for an hour...Cherub one does not! But in fairness it's more about gently folding it and keeping it stored flat rather than being scrunched in a bag. Far more damage will occur from letting sails flog and UV degrade than them being wet...they are sails, they are designed to be wet! Wash the salt off by all means but don't worry about drying them. The days of opening a sail bag to find out your canvas has rotted, the stictching had gone and the cringles have rusted are long gone! ------------- RS700 GBR922 "Wirespeed" Fireball GBR14474 "Eleven Parsecs" Enterprise GBR21970 Bavaria 32 GBR4755L "Adastra" |
Posted By: mike ellis
Date Posted: 15 Sep 07 at 9:03am
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i hang my laser sail in the garage for as long as possible, after rinsing it at the club. on a good week (one where noone needs anything from the garage) my sail will still be there sat AM ready to be rolled up to go back to the club. whatever you do dont leave mylar sails (or any really) flogging. Especially the jib. ------------- 600 732, will call it Sticks and Stones when i get round to it. Also International 14, 1318 |
Posted By: Villan
Date Posted: 15 Sep 07 at 9:10am
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Vareo: Roll up main, put in bag. Uusally after re-hoisting and popping the battens a few time to shake off most of the water. Put upstairs in the nice warm sail loft. Spinaker - Leave in the boat. Quite often pull it forward out of the chute, so its not being pulled into such weird shapes, but its under the cover and wont go anywhere. Fireball: Mains / Jibs - Currently rolled up upstairs, Roll up after every sail. As they are dacron, we hand them up for an hour or so if they get wet. If not, Roll up, Into bags, and away. Quite often the kite is left in the bag, sheets and halyard attached, week in / week out ------------- Vareo - 149 "Secrets" http://www.TandyUKServers.co.uk" rel="nofollow - TandyUK Servers |
Posted By: k_kirk
Date Posted: 15 Sep 07 at 3:53pm
Wow! Sounds like I am worrying for nothing and perhaps causing more damage along the way. I was told mylar sails are prone to delamination if left in a hot place and situation may get worse if they are wet. I therefore diligently pack them and bring them home after every sailing day. Lots of work. I can roll them wet and leave them in a sail loft at my club which I suspect is a hot room but not as bad as my boats canvas under the sun. I take out the kite and stuff it into the bag. So this is bad and I should nicely fold it even when wet and keep like that. Is that allright? Are you sure the stitching will not rot?
So silicone based kites are ok with this? Where I live its almost constant 30 degrees celcius year round. Lots of rain but then lots of sun in between as well. My boat is partially shaded at the club and always covered with a canvas so the kite would stay under the canvas but I fear the combination of wet kite & heat could lead to moulding to occur. Under the kite sock already has a bit of this. Thanks for all your thoughtful replies. ------------- http://gaijinonfoils.blogspot.com/ - Gaijin on Foils |
Posted By: mike ellis
Date Posted: 15 Sep 07 at 6:11pm
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laminate sails do de-laminate with heat, the glue melts on the seams (if they are glued), so the panels fall apart from each other. Also you get proper de-lamintion (layers of sail falling off other layers) if you leave it in a hot enough place for long enough (under boat cover). i would never leave a kite in the shute as they go sticky and soft if not dried out and folded (personal experience) the water proofing wears off them but then everyone seems to have their own theories on sail care so maybe its just me being pedantic. ------------- 600 732, will call it Sticks and Stones when i get round to it. Also International 14, 1318 |
Posted By: timeintheboat
Date Posted: 15 Sep 07 at 6:30pm
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I never have my sails rolled up wet for long and they are never - except for the old ones in summer - kept in the boat. If salty I rinse them out at home in the garden with the hose and dry them where I can They dry out in the lounge, garden, garage, hallway - not popular with the landlubbers in the house though. ------------- Like some other things - sailing is more enjoyable when you do it with someone else |
Posted By: Iain C
Date Posted: 15 Sep 07 at 10:48pm
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In fairness I do try not to get my sails that wet... Not sure about sunnier climes but leaving a kite in the boat is a VERY bad idea. There's something about the wax on them that attracts rodents, so you may well end up with a mouse nest down your chute, and a nice big hole too... ------------- RS700 GBR922 "Wirespeed" Fireball GBR14474 "Eleven Parsecs" Enterprise GBR21970 Bavaria 32 GBR4755L "Adastra" |
.Posted By: k_kirk
Date Posted: 16 Sep 07 at 3:19am
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Amazing! Rats nest on my boat. Another reason to keep doing what I am doing and not the sails there. Thanks for the second round of posts with the alternate views. Sails beings as expensive as they are I also prefer to err on the safe side. More tedious but I hope its worth it in the end. Thanks for all your input.
------------- http://gaijinonfoils.blogspot.com/ - Gaijin on Foils |