CARE AND MAINTENANCE
By: Mark Olson
Howe & Bainbridge
Diligent sail care and maintenance can add years to the performance of sails. Whether you race or cruise, proper storage and cleaning can mean the difference in speed as well as one extra season with those old "rags".
Over the past few years, sailcloth in general has become increasingly firm, starting with "conditioned" and "new yarn tempers" and now with "Temperkote" or mylar. For the racer or racer/cruiser, it is important to keep the fabric wrinkle free, so rolling or folding is best. I am convinced that rolling "all" sails when possible is the surest way to keep and maintain the racing edge. The best way to roll a sail is to start at the head and roll to the foot. When folding becomes necessary because of size or space, hold the clew and tack and fold the sail accordian style toward the head. One word of caution, always store your sails dry, as heavily resinated or firm sailcloth may soften up over a period of time when wet or damp. Also, never let your sail luff when it can be avoided, as vibration will eventually weaken sailcloth and loosen shackles, battens, etc.
Cruising sails, typically much softer then their racing counterparts may be stuffed for weeks at a time without harm. In general, when possible, store dry and cover as ultra-violet radiation can over a period of time weaken both polyester and nylon sailcloth. At all time, common sense is the best guideline.
At some point in time, it will be necessary to wash or remove stains from your sails. The following suggestions will help.
For the most problems such as common dirt, dried or caked salt, etc., try scrubbing the surface with a soft bristle brush and liquid detergent. Avoid harsh powder detergents and stiff brushes, as they may damage the finish or stitching. The approach should work nicely for most applications, more severe stains can be taken care of by the following:
BLOOD: Soak the stained portion for 10-20 minutes in a solution of bleach (Clorox) and warm water, generally 10 parts water to 1 part bleach. Scrub and repeat if necessary. Rinse thoroughly, particularly nylon and dry completely.
OIL, GREASE, TAR AND WAX: Warm water, soap and elbow grease seem to be effective. On hard stains propriety stain removal and dry cleaning fluids should do the trick. Be careful to remove all fluids, as they can soften the various resinated coatings on sailcloth.
RUST AND METALLIC STAINS: These types of stains are very often the most frustrating and difficult to remove. First scrub with soap and water and apply acetone, M.E.K. or alcohol. As a last resort, you might try a diluted mixture (5%) of oxalic acid and soak 15-20 minutes. Hydrochloric acid 2 parts to 100 in warm water will also work.
MILDEW: Hot soapy water with a little bleach will generally prevail. After scrubbing, leave the solution on the fabric for a few minutes and rinse thoroughly. When using bleach a residual chlorine smell may be present after rinsing. A 1% solution of sodium thiosolphate (photographer’s hypo) should remove all chlorine traces. Here again rinse and dry well.
PAINT AND VARNISH: Acetone and M.E.K. should remove most common paint stains; varnish can be easily removed by alcohol.
Temperkote or Mylar sails are still new and experimental. At this point in time, avoid most solvents, as time can damage the fabric over a period of time. Soap and diluted bleaches should take care of most stains.
Use all solvents with care. Always rinse and dry thoroughly. It should be emphasized that nylon ripstop spinnaker fabrics are less durable and more sensitive than their polyester counterparts. Bleaches and solvents can ruin nylon if not used properly.
Follow the above guidelines, take your sails into your sailmaker for periodic inspection and I’m sure you will have many effective seasons of racing and cruising pleasure.
