Use double-stick tape to hold the webbing in place; stagger the ends of the webbing so that their transition into the sail is gradual; and then secure the entire repair together with a layer of sticky Dacron, since it will be easier to sew the webbing if everything is held in securely in place.
Full Answer
What kind of tape do you use on a sailboat?
Rig Wrap: Coil the clear tape around rigging in places where the sails come in touch. Also, it provides a friction-free surface to facilitate the passage of sails when tacking and gybing. Spinnaker Repair Tape: This tape is perfect for emergency spinnaker and kite repairs.
How do you fix a torn sail on a boat?
A big tear in the body of the sail looks dramatic but is easy to fix. Don’t use sail repair tape – PSA adhesive backed sailcloth is much better than standard sail repair tape and it comes in large areas. Clean any salt off and dry the sail, then put it on a flat surface – the deck, pontoon, or a wooden board.
Can I use a repair tape on my sailcloth?
Tapes are particularly helpful if you want to quickly repair your sails while you’re cruising, along with the help of Dacron or Ripstop sailcloth. Keep in mind that most of the tapes are designed for emergency and temporary repairs.
How do you repair a chafe on a sail?
Shroud chafe is a common sight on batten pockets and can usually be repaired with a little insignia or Dacron tape. Spreaders can also cause chafe and puncture holes in sails, so an insignia reinforcement patch should always be used wherever the sail comes in contact with standing rigging or stanchions.
Where should the mainsail tapes be fitted?
Main Tales: Like tell-tales that fit genoa luffs these tapes should be fitted at intervals along the leech of the mainsail . In this way, you’ll be able to trim the mainsail when sailing upwind or on a reach.
What is a sail tell tale?
Tell Tales: These are designed for upwind sailing. When the sail is trimmed correctly the leeward tell-tale should stretch evenly backward and the windward tell-tale should be slightly lifted.
What is wave tape?
Dacron Wave Leech Tape: This is an adhesive Dacron cloth edging that is manufactured in order to reduce flutter and breakdown to the leech of the mainsail. Moreover, the tape becomes waterproof approximately within an hour at room temperature when the adhesive has set.
What is gorilla clear duct tape?
Gorilla Crystal Clear Duct Tape. It’s made with a particularly strong adhesive layer that ensures the tape’s durability. It’s also waterproof and UV/temperature resistant. To achieve the best results, clean the sails thoroughly with soap, let it dry and then use tape on both sides of the sail. Link to Amazon.
What is a Kevlar repair tape?
Kevlar Sail Repair Tape/Patch: A high performance and emergency Kevlar/Mylar laminate tape for strong repairs to racing sails.
What is rigg wrap?
Rig Wrap: Coil the clear tape around rigging in places where the sails come in touch. Also, it provides a friction-free surface to facilitate the passage of sails when tacking and gybing.
Who is Peter from Better Sailing?
Peter is the editor of Better Sailing. He has sailed for countless hours and has maintained his own boats and sailboats for years. After years of trial and error, he decided to start this website to share the knowledge.
How to stitch a sail by hand?
The process is really simple. Firstly, make one pass to stitch on one set of diagonals as well as to the opposite direction and then fill in the other set. This can be applied in case you are following an existing zigzag stitch. Moreover, the sailor’s palm will facilitate you in order to force the needle through the fabric, and pliers will help you pull the needle through it. Remember to melt the ends of each knot with a lighter to prevent any loosening, as well as try to make tight stitches to ensure a strong repair. Buy a Sail Repair Kit From Amazon
What happens when you use slab reefing on a sailboat?
Most of the time, when a sailboat uses its slab reefing it will subsequently wear out the webbing attachments to the tack rings. Therefore a failure of the webbing connection to the mainsail luff slides will be caused. As I’ve mentioned before, the most practical and easy solution to this is to be equipped with twine, a webbing, a needle, and a sailor’s palm. In case you don’t have the correct size of webbing, then Spectra cord can attach a slide fairly well.
Can you use dacron tape on sails?
You can use a Dacron patch for almost everything except spinnakers. Dacron can even stick to many laminate sails on the film side, but not on some resin-based and silicone-covered sails. In addition, dacron tapes come in different forms of thickness rolls and you can also buy larger sheets. Naturally, sails are not flat and they’re made up of panels that create depth. However, due to its design, when the surface you lay it on is flat it might pose you a problem. So do some temporary tucks and folds in the cloth, but away from the rip, and try to keep it flat. So, be patient and follow the below-mentioned procedure:
Who is Peter from Better Sailing?
Peter is the editor of Better Sailing. He has sailed for countless hours and has maintained his own boats and sailboats for years. After years of trial and error, he decided to start this website to share the knowledge.
Can sharpening a spinnaker damage it?
Spinnakers: Anything sharp can damage the spinnakers. Especially near the boom, so check that everything is taped up. Also, spinnakers tend to get caught between the shrouds and above the spreaders so consider closing off this gap with a bungee.
What tape to use for repairing sails?
Instead, use rip-stop nylon tape, basically the same thing as stickyback Dacron except that it’s made from nylon. Be warned, though: rip-stop nylon does not have the same adhesion as Dacron, and usually also needs to be sewn. You can also use stickyback Dacron for repairing laminated and molded sails.
How to repair a corner ring on a sailboat?
To start out, eyeball where the ring should be positioned then lay some strips of nylon webbing through the rings and onto the sail. Use double-stick tape to hold the webbing in place; stagger the ends of the webbing so that their transition into the sail is gradual; and then secure the entire repair together with a layer of sticky Dacron, since it will be easier to sew the webbing if everything is held in securely in place.
What stitch holds a patch in place?
Strait-line stitching is the easiest and will hold the patch in place just fine. Sure a zigzag will look more professional, but it’s all going to be pulled apart again anyway after you get the sail to a sail loft. Sometimes when repairing a seam you can follow the original zigzag holes and repair the sail that way.
How to keep scissors from rusting?
Keep the needles in a tight container wrapped in a cloth that has been lightly soaked in sewing machine oil. Also wrap your scissors in an oiled cloth, since even though they are stainless steel they will rust if not protected. Roll the pieces of nylon, sticky-back Dacron and regular Dacron tightly, and hang them in a waterproof chart storage tube from the overhead in your forepeak.
How to store sewing machine needles?
The smaller bag should include: Keep the needles in a tight container wrapped in a cloth that has been lightly soaked in sewing machine oil.
Can you use stickyback on a sail?
You can use stickyback for repairing any Dacron sail and as a quick fix for spinnakers, although it’s not a good idea as a long-term repair on the latter, because Dacron is not compatible with nylon and will form a hard spot in the sail that could end up ripping over time.
Can you use spray adhesive on fabric?
If you run out of sticky-back Dacron and double-stick tape, spray adhesives work quite well to hold the fabric in place. So does a glue gun, although you will have to sew the patches down since the spray glue and hot glue do not have a strong enough bond. You can also use epoxy for a really good bond.
Stitching Your Sails
Patch Repairs
- For repairs that are not on a seam, a patch fix is necessary. You can use a Dacron patch for almost everything except spinnakers. Dacron can even stick to many laminate sails on the film side, but not on some resin-based and silicone-covered sails. In addition, dacron tapes come in different forms of thickness rolls and you can also buy larger shee...
Seam Repairs
- In order to make sure that no seams are starting to appear, try to check your sails daily. It’s not particularly hard for a seam to be unstitched, right in the middle of your voyage. So, if you see any loose stitching, put the sail down immediately, if possible, in order to get it fixed. Stitching a seam back together is a task that requires some time and attention. However, it’s much easier than de…
Patch and Glue
- Sail damage can be also caused by a tear to the sun protection on roller-furling headsails. If that happens don’t put new holes in your sail in order to stitch up the tear. This will be really time consuming. Use instead some sticky-back which definitely is an efficient and fast solution. Although you have to take the sail down and put it back up to do that, sticky-back is the answer t…
Spinnakers
- A lot of spinnakers are no longer stitched and are put together just with tape, so if you need to make a repair it’s a particularly easy task. For most repairs a sticky back spinnaker repair tape is fine. Try not to change the panel’s shape and don’t use too much cloth for the patch. This way you’ll avoid generating unnecessary loads and stress lines. Instead, use the same amount of clot…
Hardware
- One of the things that need occasional repairs on your sails is fabric. Fabric is one of the most vulnerable parts of your sails. Most of the time, when a sailboat uses its slab reefing it will subsequently wear out the webbing attachments to the tack rings. Therefore a failure of the webbing connection to the mainsail luff slides will be caused. As I’ve mentioned before, the mos…
Common Damage Areas
- Spinnakers: Anything sharp can damage the spinnakers. Especially near the boom, so check that everything is taped up. Also, spinnakers tend to get caught between the shrouds and above the spreaders...
- Spreader and Rig Chafe: When you’re sailing downwind the mainsail spends a lot of time relaxing on the rig. Keep in mind to fill your spreaders with pipe insulation. Moreover, conside…
- Spinnakers: Anything sharp can damage the spinnakers. Especially near the boom, so check that everything is taped up. Also, spinnakers tend to get caught between the shrouds and above the spreaders...
- Spreader and Rig Chafe: When you’re sailing downwind the mainsail spends a lot of time relaxing on the rig. Keep in mind to fill your spreaders with pipe insulation. Moreover, consider having extra...
- Spreader Ends: Always reinforce the sail and put smooth cages around protrusions. In addition, wrap foam around your spreader caps on long voyages.
- Bottom of the Headsail: Try to lower the halyard enough in order to reach the damaged section. Then reinforce with a sail repair tape. In case the conditions don’t favor you to do so…
Summary – How to Repair The Sails
- All this is much easier if your sails aren’t damaged in the first place. But, I know for a fact that sometimes you can’t prevent it from happening. In any case, always be alert to what is going on with the rags. Moreover, always carry a sail repair kit(link to Amazon) on board especially for long-distance cruising. Before leaving for any long trip have also a sailmaker service to check your sa…