Technique: Genniker repair/maintenance

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Genniker repair/maintenance

Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: Dinghy classes
Forum Name: Technique
Forum Discription: 'How to' section for dinghy questions and answers
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=8089
Printed Date: 07 Aug 25 at 7:13pm
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Topic: Genniker repair/maintenance

Posted By: asterix
Subject: Genniker repair/maintenance
Date Posted: 30 Jul 11 at 12:20pm

What's the best thing to do with small holes in a ripstop nylon genniker?

I have between a dozen and twenty small holes in one region, the largest of which is about 2cm by 2cm.

Should I put spinnaker tape on? or sew it? or both? or even use some sort of heat welding process that someone mentioned to me?

thanks:-)

Replies:

Posted By: SoggyBadger
Date Posted: 30 Jul 11 at 12:28pm

I think your best bet would be to take it to a sailmaker and get a proper patch put on.

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Best wishes from deep in the woods

SB

Posted By: RS400atC
Date Posted: 30 Jul 11 at 6:48pm

A small patch of tape on either side works very well for the larger tears, just one side is fine for the small ones.
Tears on a seam may need to be stitched, I do that myself for older kites, a 'best' kite would get taken to a sailmaker.
Best work out what's doing the damage and tape it up!

Posted By: asterix
Date Posted: 30 Jul 11 at 6:52pm

thanks - I will see if I can find the problem - it always affects the same part of the sail - probably on the last bit of the downhaul

Posted By: Mister Nick
Date Posted: 08 Aug 11 at 8:10am

With that many holes your best bet is to take the gennaker to a sail makers and ask them to replace the panels that are ripped. We tore the foot tape right off of our RS500 spinnaker in February and they just replaced the panels and put a new tape in, looks as good as new. If you don't want to pay for that then spinnaker repair tape on both sides of the tears would work - I wouldn't try to sew it yourself because you could easily ruin the shape of the sail if you don't know what you're doing. While it's being fixed, try and work out what's tearing your gennaker on your boat and wrap it up in insulating tape. As a rule of thumb, everything sharp on the boat should be taped to prevent it damaging sails, equipment and you.

Posted By: Ruscoe
Date Posted: 08 Aug 11 at 8:17am

I only ever use spinnaker repair tape for short term fixes. I always get small holes looked at by a sailmaker, it really is not very expensive to get them repaired properly.

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Posted By: radixon
Date Posted: 08 Aug 11 at 8:23am

The RS 700 is a classic for getting the holes in the same place due to the downhaul method. The class mod is to replace the rope with dynema (correct me if i am wrong) which reduces friction, however it is a slipery rope, so depends on what boat you are sailing.

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Posted By: asterix
Date Posted: 08 Aug 11 at 9:56am

thanks - I'll think about that. I have taped the worst of the holes for now and am keeping a watch on it. Can't see anything sharp or rough in the chute or on the bow - all a bit odd

Posted By: Ian29937
Date Posted: 08 Aug 11 at 10:30am

"The RS 700 is a classic for getting the holes in the same place due to the downhaul method. The class mod is to replace the rope with dynema (correct me if i am wrong) which reduces friction, however it is a slipery rope, so depends on what boat you are sailing. "

You are correct! The pump system keeps the sail under tension due to the elastic tensioning. The sail gets caught between the chute mouth and the halyard. It was like a switch when I changed over to dyneema.