Sail Care

Every boat and most sailmakers are different. As to how to roll your sail, ask your sailmaker.

The reason for folding the sail before rolling is that the battens will not roll parallel, unless you do. Later Bank's Square Tops are like that.

On some sails the battens stay parallel when you roll from the foot. For example Hobie 18 and old rig Ullman Tornado sails. On some squaretops with a batten at the top, you can't roll from the head. Also rolling from the foot is easier and if you leave the battens tensioned it is very easy to hoist the main.

Call the sailmaker... duh. Thanks.

EP Sails recommends rolling and storing in a bag, other details not important. Rinsing a laminated sail every so often with fresh water (if sailed on brine) and not letting it luff violently while drying are the only suggested care tips.

I think that your practice of rolling from the head and the material at the head showing early signs of delamination are related. You are forcing a heavily reinforced area around the tightest roll which is slightly stressful. Take a stack of paper and roll it tightly - notice how they want to slide in relation to each other? Well the same thing happens in sail corners but they are fixed in position by the stitching and that stresses the mylar. That is another reason why starting near the middle of the sail is better - it allows the reinforced corners to be on the outside, larger radius roll where less stress is. Besides that, it is quicker to roll this way. The previous point about keeping the battens parallel as you roll is important to prevent the battens from assuming a twisted shape. They need to lie flat in the roll which requires that they remain parallel to the roll. Any dirt or stains should be cleaned off with a mild detergent and water (like manual dishwashing soap). Only a cloth or very soft brush should be used; anything left on the sails after that should be enjoyed as part of the new color scheme! Finally it is very important to store dry to prevent mildew, which can really be a mess, and away from vermin which gladly chew through any material. You are smart to ask for and use good sail care techniques because it can make a big difference in the length of useful life you get from the sails.

Mike Fahle

Mike:

Rick said you might know some good rules video's for 2001-2004 rules. Nice advise on sails. If you start keeping them good a start they will last a lot longer.

Doug Snell

H17 #6325

"Stress Free"

Mike;

Appreciate your post but I am trying to visualize the nuances of this process in my little brain. When you refer to rolling it from the middle, are you folding the sail in two along a batten and then rolling both halves simultaneously? I have rolled from both ends and actually seem to have greater difficulty keeping the battens straight and getting an even roll when starting from the foot (with the square top, must take out the upper batten to get this to work). Maybe trying from the middle will help.

Thanks

Bob Klein

An experimenting novice

Hi Bob, Yes, start rolling from a middle batten - choose one that lets you roll up the head inside the sail; and, yes, you have to remove the top batten from a flat top main first. I usually slide the top batten into the second batten pocket from the top with it sticking out enough for easy retrieval. That way it is close to where I need it and hard to miss so that I do not raise the sail without putting it back in! Starting the roll from a batten makes it much easier to get a good roll going. Some sails may have battens that are at slight angles to each other so that you have to make slight adjustments as you roll the sail to keep the battens parallel but this gets easier the more you do it. In fact, I find it easier to roll the sail by myself than to have help, even on the Mystere 6.0 because I have done it hundreds of times alone and it is just second nature to me that way. Another tip: If you have a jib to roll up also it is easy to lay the jib on top of the main before you start and roll the jib up inside the main. I did not mention before that you should place sails on grass and never concrete, asphalt, stones, etc. for drying and rolling. That can be very damaging and staining. While you roll you can wipe/flick off anything on the sail(s) and check for wear and tear.

Hi Doug, U.S. Sailing has a two video set to explain the rules and they have that available on CD also. I am going to the Chicago Strictly Sail Boat Show at the end of the month and will keep an eye out for new sources. There are some good websites on the rules, at least one features interactive rules quizzes. I have concerns about their accuracy but it is certainly worth viewing at: http://www.uksailmakers.com/RulesQuiz/index.html

Dave Dellenbaugh produces an excellent racing tips newsletter that features the rules one issue each year and my favorite resource is Dave Perry's book. I will let you know if I find anything interesting at the boat show (better remind me early in February!)

Mike Fahle

Mike:

Found the link to Perry's book, but not video's & cd's. Send me the page to dsnell@ev1.net

Thanks,

Doug

With my sail, I fold over the top in such a way that the

top batten is parallel to the rest of the battens and then

roll the sail down from there, to the foot. This way

I don't have to remove the upper batten. I also roll

the sail loose enough that I can store the jib inside

the main and feed the whole thing into the sail bag.