Sail - July 2018

SAIL MAGAZINE

cruising; however, show it any sunlight, and it

pretty quickly starts to break down. Sailmakers

and fabric makers know this, which is why they

will encapsulate the UV-sensitive yarns be-

tween tafetas that have been treated with anti-

UV additives. (he same thing goes for most

ibers, but Vectran is especially vulnerable.)

In some cases, the mylar ilms on laminated

sails will also be treated with UV inhibitors,

which will go a long way to protecting those

ibers in the mix that are most susceptible to UV

degradation. When discussing new sails with

your sailmaker bear this in mind and make sure

that the sailcloth being recommended has ad-

equate UV protection engineered into the fabric.

No matter what the ibers or type of con-

struction used, all cruising headsails should

have a protective UV cover along the leech

and foot so that when the sail is let rolled up

on the headstay the UV strip is outermost

and completely protects the sail. If you don’t

like the look of a UV strip, you can try a

genoa cover that goes over the sail once it is

rolled up. It’s simple to use—just hoist it with

a spare halyard and zipper it closed as it is

being pulled up the stay. (Once hoisted there

are lines that will allow you to snug the cover

closed so that it does not lap in the breeze.)

A genoa cover can be especially useful with

membrane cruising headsails, where it seems

a pity to add a low-tech UV sunshield to the

trailing edge of a high-tech sail.

he same applies to boom covers. Any time

the mainsail is lowered and lashed to the boom

it should be covered. For really bulletproof pro-

tection you might consider having a mainsail

cover that includes a foil liner on the inside.

his liner consists of the same material that is

used for making space blankets and completely

blocks the sun’s harmful rays.

Chafe: Chafe is the other great enemy of every

sailor. Unfortunately, it can’t be prevented, only

mitigated through the addition of chafe protec-

tion. All sails rub against the rig and lifelines,

and an area that is constantly rubbing will

soon develop into a hole that may, in turn, lead

to the sail ripping. his applies to all sails, no

matter their engineering. Fortunately, there are

a number of things you can do to prepare both

your sails and your boat to delay the inevitably

as long as possible.

Start by adding spreader patches to both

your headsail and mainsail. Each time you

tack, the headsail, for example, gets dragged

across the spreader ends, gradually weakening

the sail in that area, so protecting these areas

makes a lot of sense. You can either go alot

and mark the sail where the patches need to

go, or you can simply wait until you start to

see the marks on the sail where it has been

rubbing against the spreader.

While you’re at it, you can also add some

kind of chafe protection to the outboard ends

of the spreaders by putting on a bit of leather,

adding a plastic cover piece or simply taping

the ends with stickyback Dacron. he same

thing should be done where the headsail rubs

up against the stanchions: add patches to the

sail and then cover the top of each station with

some kind of protection. Another good idea is

to add a strip of protection along the foot of the

sail where it rubs against the lifelines.

Over-trimming a sail: As bad as logging can

be, over-trimming a sail can be even worse.

hese days many cruising boats have at least

one electric winch aboard, and while this rep-

resents a terriic convenience, an electric winch

can also sometimes lead to some serious sail

damage. When you are cranking in on a sail by

hand, there is a certain amount of information

transmitted through the winch handle. If, for

example, you are hoisting a genoa and it sud-

denly gets harder to wind on, then you know

that perhaps the sail has hung up on some-

thing and you need to act accordingly. Electric

winches, on the other hand, are so powerful

they just keep on keeping on until something

breaks, more likely than not, the sail.

If you are hoisting a sail at night, in particu-

lar, it may be a good idea to hand crank the

last few feet, so that you an “feel” when it has

reached either the hounds of the masthead.

It’s also a good idea to add full-hoist marks to

your halyards. On a calm day at the dock, hoist

the sail all the way up. hen, when it is at max

hoist, mark the halyard against some corre-

sponding point on the boat. (he edge of the

winch is a good place.) You can also whip the

halyard with twine in addition to ticking it with

a waterproof marker. his way you will be able

to feel it stand proud when it’s dark.

While you’re at it, do the same on your head-

sail sheets. Trim the sails perfectly and then

make a mark. hat way the sail trimmer will

know to look at the sheet and never trim it past

the mark you have made.

Exceeding the sail’s designed range: Many

of us have been caught in squalls and found

ourselves with too much sail up, which can

result in a permanently distorted sail shape,

especially with laminated sails. Fortunately,

there are a number of things you can do to

avoid damaging your sails if you are caught

in a sudden squall.

For example, the sail is at its most vulner-

able when it is sheeted on tight, so if there is

a sudden increase in wind the best thing you

to do is to ease the sail out in coordination

with the helmsman. Specifically, as you ease

the sail, the helmsman bears away, thereby

causing some the load to come off the sail

PHOTOS BY while also preventing the sail from flogging.

PETER NIELSEN

(BELOW ); COURTESY OF

DUFOUR

(ABOVE)

A protective UV cover, like the

leech and lu canvas aboard this

performance-cruiser, is a must

Reduce sail chafe by

covering your spreaders

or spreader ends as well