How do I maintain my sails?

© photo batur.be

Every sailboat deserves to do its job with beautifully maintained sails. An optimal condition of the sails, ensures a longer and better sailing experience. Because we like to see you as skipper and crew spending many hours on the water, we are pleased to provide, in cooperation with Lefebvre Sailmakers, these tips for longer life of your sails.

During the winter

Like the boat itself, your sails also crave maintenance. If you take good care of your sails during the inactive months, you will have a carefree sailing season.

• Rinse your sails copiously and remove dirt and stains. Never store wet, so let
• dry!
• Check the sail for damage to contact surfaces and seams. If necessary, repair (or have repaired).
• Once the tarp is thoroughly dry, store it lying down and in a dry place.
• During the winter, a professional sailmaker can thoroughly check the sails. He can detect possible problems early and suggest repairs, store the sails dry and possibly put them back on the boat after the winter.
• No perfect sail without an excellent stay. We strongly recommend that you thoroughly check (or have checked) the rigging annually.

During the sailing season

Showing your sails to the sea in all their glory is the setup. Only you need to draw your attention to a few points both before hoisting and while sailing.

Before sailing

• Make sure all sharp parts that the sail could come in contact with are protected. A clogged cotter pin can seriously damage your sail. So make sure that every cotter pin and locking ring on guardrails or bushing tensioners and the ends of battens are properly shielded.
• Mark where the sail touches the beatings and provide a guard here.
• If you have a battened mainsail, it is also best to have the areas where the sail meets the stays reinforced.

While sailing

• Use just enough tension on lower and luff.
• Adjust the control line of the leech to remove too much tension or to prevent a vibrating leech.
• Try to limit the flapping of the sails as much as possible. Rolling in and out the genoa is best done on wide courses with just enough pressure in the sail.
• Visually inspect the sails for (rubbing) damage and loose seams.

After sailing

Avoid exposure to UV and do not leave sails under tension.

Genoa

• Do you have a furling genoa with UV protection? You can leave this one rolled up on the boat. Don’t forget to take the tension off the luff here.
• No UV protection? Even then you can leave it rolled up on the boat, if you put a cover over it. Again, take the tension off the luff and pull the cover tightly around the sail to avoid a flapping cover (avoid wear on the sail and cover).
• No UV protection or cover? Then remove the tarp and fold (or roll) it neatly. Always alternate where you fold to avoid permanent creases.

Mainsail

• At the mainsail, take the tension off the luff.
• Fold up on the boom if you have a protective cover.
• Don’t have a protective cover? Then remove the tarp and fold it neatly. Always alternate where you fold to avoid permanent creases.

With these expert tips, you’ll always have the wind in your sails!