Fed up with UV strip on my Genny

[Refueler]

I have replaced it 2x in the time I have had the boat .... ok that's well over 25yrs.

But I have noted that the UV strip has got thinner and more fragile since the old days .....

My UV strip took a 'hit' last year when furling gear fouled and sail flogged .... its now with many splits ......

I am seriously considering just removing the strip and not replacing. But boy - that's a lot of stitching to remove !!

I also have another genny I can try ... that has no strip at all ... its from my race boat I old in Tallinn .... just have to make sure about luff fits the groove.

Anyone else noticed UV strip changes ???

 

[RunAgroundHard]

On my old Genoa, the UV strip was replaced by Saturn Sails in Scotland, same as the old UV strip, no change, that was about 5 years ago. On my new Genoa, I think it is lighter weight of material compared to the old, sail is 4 years old, Jeckellls.

 

[Biggles Wader]

If I am leaving the boat for more than a few days I remove the headsail. It takes a few minutes with two of us and the same to put it back on again. No UV strip. That works for me.

 

[Refueler]

I have a two line 'hoist' on my furling gear .... one is halyard - other is the preventer to stop halyard wrap.

Tried 'Douhgnuts' .. offset shackles ... all sorts but in the end the two line system cured it.

I could take sail down each time ...

Was interested in anyone who doesn't and has no UV strip ..... what was real outcome ??

 

[dunedin]

Depends on the degree of sunlight. Our North jib which had no UV strip but instead a painted on "UV protection" fell apart after just 3 years in La Rochelle. Had to get the entire leech of the sail resewn, and then added a proper UV strip.
Also had an ex racing laminate sail on a previous boat which had been used for racing (kept below decks) then put on the furler as nothing to lose. It lasted just a couple of summers in Scotland, then fell apart and was scrapped as unrepairable.

Removing a sail after every use depends hugely on boat size (and crew size!) - it is a major battle for our heavy sail with vertical battens, and once a season is more than enough.

 

[James_Calvert]

I had a genoa with no UV strip. Earlier days of roller furling. Sail cloth was allegedly UV resistant.

Can't remember how long it took but after several years the leach got brittle and I had it trimmed off, making a smaller sail obviously.

I did get nearly 20 years service out of that genoa, which started out as about 155%, maybe 145% after its trim.

 

[Daydream believer]

Go to the Netherlands & you will see a lot of boats do not have a UV strip. Instead they have a cover that slides up the sail. One cover suits all sails. Plus there are no issues with them coming unfurled in high winds
Just a faff putting them on, but those that have them seem to do it quite quickly when used to it.

 

[dunedin]

Go to the Netherlands & you will see a lot of boats do not have a UV strip. Instead they have a cover that slides up the sail. One cover suits all sails. Plus there are no issues with them coming unfurled in high winds
Just a faff putting them on, but those that have them seem to do it quite quickly when used to it.

....... but they often do flog badly in strong winds, shaking the rig

 

[jamie N]

I had the UV strip removed from my genoa for purely aesthetic reasons; they made the boat similar to an AWB!
Just joking, but I really didn't like the look and had removed the furler at the same time anyway, so it was unnecessary. When I leave the boat I put the sail into a cover that lies on the deck, the sail still being hanked on etc.etc....

 

[Refueler]

I had the UV strip removed from my genoa for purely aesthetic reasons; they made the boat similar to an AWB!
Just joking, but I really didn't like the look and had removed the furler at the same time anyway, so it was unnecessary. When I leave the boat I put the sail into a cover that lies on the deck, the sail still being hanked on etc.etc....

Funny you mention hanked on sails .......... at odd times - I have thought about removing the furler and reverting to hanked on ...

 

[geem]

I have replaced it 2x in the time I have had the boat .... ok that's well over 25yrs.

But I have noted that the UV strip has got thinner and more fragile since the old days .....

My UV strip took a 'hit' last year when furling gear fouled and sail flogged .... its now with many splits ......

I am seriously considering just removing the strip and not replacing. But boy - that's a lot of stitching to remove !!

I also have another genny I can try ... that has no strip at all ... its from my race boat I old in Tallinn .... just have to make sure about luff fits the groove.

Anyone else noticed UV strip changes ???

UK manufactured sails often have Dacron UV strips. In the Tropics it is more normal to fit acrylic canvas for better sun protection.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

....... but they often do flog badly in strong winds, shaking the rig

Belt and braces, me. If I’m leaving the boat the hoisted cover goes on, on the spinnaker halyard. But mine has lacing running the whole length, once it’s up, a pull on the lacing, which runs in little nylon blocks, makes sure theres no slack to flog.

 

[KevinV]

I've been told that lighter weight fabric for the UV strip doesn't weigh the sail down as much in light airs, or distort the shape as much in a blow. Made sense to me.

 

[Stemar]

Go to the Netherlands & you will see a lot of boats do not have a UV strip. Instead they have a cover that slides up the sail.

....... but they often do flog badly in strong winds, shaking the rig

They can also be noisy enough to annoy pontoon neighbours.

 

[Daydream believer]

....... but they often do flog badly in strong winds, shaking the rig

The ones that I have seen have a lacing that pulls tight & pulls the 2 leaves together. But if you have seen different then I stand to your better knowledge

 

[Sandy]

Anyone else noticed UV strip changes ???

No, but I do have a brilliant sailmaker.

 

[steveallan]

Kayospruce Sunbrella strip fitted in Lagos Portugal 18 years ago still working perfectly in the Mediterranean

 

[davidaprice]

I have a furling jib with no UV strip but some kind of UV-resistant coating which I was told should be renewed every 5 years. After the 6th season (oops, didn't realise I'd had it so long) my fingers went through the sail near the leech when I was taking it off the boat. The replacement sail will have a sliding cover. This is Helsinki, Finland, so there should be a little less UV than e.g. UK; also the sailing season is shorter.

 

[sailoppopotamus]

I have a two line 'hoist' on my furling gear .... one is halyard - other is the preventer to stop halyard wrap.

Tried 'Douhgnuts' .. offset shackles ... all sorts but in the end the two line system cured it.

I could take sail down each time ...

Was interested in anyone who doesn't and has no UV strip ..... what was real outcome ??

At the risk of thread drift, what do you mean by this? You use two halyards to hoist the sail?

 

[Refueler]

Halyard hoists sail up furling gear as usual ... a second lighter line via a small block on mast front is also connected to halyard swivel. Hoist sail by the two lines .... halyard made up hard as usual .... lighter line as you see in picture is at good angle to furler and made up tight to stop halyard wrap.

It is an actual recc'd system if 'doughnuts / bent shackle' fails to stop wrap.