Dye for an old sail (dacron)?

[Krusty]

Anyone know of any dye wth a chance of binding to Dacron sailcloth? Any experience of application at home?
Twenty years ago I had a heavy-weather mainsail made for a winter delivery passage, (no roach, no battens). It has since given good occasional service as reserve for the normal mainsail but in storage for the past two years, evidently damp, it grew patches of multi-coloured moulds. These have been killed off/removed, but stubborn brown and purple stains remain.
An overall masking dye, tan for preference, seems to be a good idea since it would also improve visibility in a grey/white seas.

 

[misterg]

Can't bear to see you sitting there without a reply!

There was some discussion of this fairly recently here , but the upshot was that almost nothing that you can do at home will dye polyester (Dacron) - towards the end of the thread.

Is it worth asking a sail maker / valeter (?) whether anything more can be done to clean the sail?

Andy

 

[Gunfleet]

You've tried oxalic acid. Gets rid of stains on decks etc and is relatively weak as an acid (though poisonous, someone will post soon).

 

[BrendanS]

I'd say almost no chance, but this says some chance depending on exact type of Dacron, and which dye?

here

 

[Guest]

I started a thread sometime ago about dyeing a Spinnaker .... the Blue Peter way .... that is bunching it up and tieing off .... so that you effectively get a starburst centre and colour streaking out to solid outer colour .....

Got some imaginative responses ...

Still yet to do it ..... as I haven't found the colour fast dye yet suitable .... "don't want dye dripping all over my pristine decks when it rains etc. !!!!"

 

[Krusty]

Many thanks for responses! It seems dye is not the answer: so back to cleaning options: so far I have used products sold for sail cleaning (containing perborates, I think: I'm wary about oxalic acid on dacron). Another go with fungicide, and longer soak-time, is next on the agenda. I'll post results in due course.