Having sails washed, experiences and recommendations?

[Skylark]

My cruising sails, fitted to the boat from new, are now 5 years old. There are a couple of areas requiring attention to the stitching so I think putting them in for service at the end of the season is appropriate. Both main and headsail are approx. 42 m2, according to the boat spec. It's an 41ft AWB.

I'm not sure whether or not to have them cleaned at the same time. I've no real experience of this having only ever had one mainsail cleaned, but that was many years ago. The sails are still stiff and perform well. I recall anecdotally that washing can soften them. Any truth in this?

I'd appreciate any first-hand experience? What sort of costs are involved? Any word of mouth sail maker / cleaner recommendations? If I had to ship them, due to their weight and bulk, what's a cost effective way to get them to/from sail maker?

Many thanks

 

[Praxinoscope]

I have my sails washed and valeted at the end of every season, after all you service your engine, why shouldn’t you expect to service your sails. Can’t comment on cost for your sails but on average washing and valeting of a 230sq ft Genoa and a 130sq ft main washed and valeted last WInter was about £170.I think most of the big sailmakers offer a wash/valet service, but there may be one in your area that offers the service.

 

[jwilson]

I too have sails valeted (washed, checked over and minor repairs done) every year: I think it prolongs their useful life. Most sailmakers offer the service, though most send them off for the washing part. Usually charged by weight, unless they find significant repairs/restitching needed.

 

[[70521]]

I too have sails valeted (washed, checked over and minor repairs done) every year: I think it prolongs their useful life. Most sailmakers offer the service, though most send them off for the washing part. Usually charged by weight, unless they find significant repairs/restitching needed.

+1

Having my sailmaker cast his expert eye over my sails has allowed me to use the old set as my primary sails for three years AND I've now got a full set of spares.

 

[capnsensible]

Im all for checking over sails regularly and getting that stitch in time done. But washing? Really? Dont think any other country in the world has that as a service. Happy to be proved wrong.

 

[Motor_Sailor]

Be careful having sailmakers wash sails. Many to my personal experience, simply lay them out on a huge plastic sheet, spray them with bleach cleaners and then pressure wash them.

Simply ask yourself, what are you trying to achieve by washing them? Much better once a year is to wait for a warm windless day, and as you hoist each sail (or unfurl it), use a soft broom to rinse them with a hose, gently scrubbing any bits of real dirt.

But the most beneficial thing you can do for your sails, is get them off the boat as soon as you're not using the boat in the autumn and have a sailmaker inspect, dry and then store them for you until spring.

 

[Praxinoscope]

Be careful having sailmakers wash sails. Many to my personal experience, simply lay them out on a huge plastic sheet, spray them with bleach cleaners and then pressure wash them.

Simply ask yourself, what are you trying to achieve by washing them? Much better once a year is to wait for a warm windless day, and as you hoist each sail (or unfurl it), use a soft broom to rinse them with a hose, gently scrubbing any bits of real dirt.

But the most beneficial thing you can do for your sails, is get them off the boat as soon as you're not using the boat in the autumn and have a sailmaker inspect, dry and then store them for you until spring.

The U.K. aren’t the only country to wash sails, try... quantumsails.com, they are a Netherlands sailmaker that offer a sail washing service. I am sure there are others.

 

[CalicoJack]

You could always wash them yourself, we do. We put our sails into soak over night in the bath and then rinse then twice the next day. Go over each sail when it is soaking with a nail brush and attack any dirty marks with a liquid washing soap. Always useful to have a large builders bucket. Then, we use a Rotary washing line and plastic garden furniture to keep the sail off the grass. Choose the right day, warm, not much wind, save yourself some money and inspect your sail at the same time.

 

[jwilson]

You could always wash them yourself, we do. We put our sails into soak over night in the bath and then rinse then twice the next day. Go over each sail when it is soaking with a nail brush and attack any dirty marks with a liquid washing soap. Always useful to have a large builders bucket. Then, we use a Rotary washing line and plastic garden furniture to keep the sail off the grass. Choose the right day, warm, not much wind, save yourself some money and inspect your sail at the same time.

OK for small sails: couldn't do that with many bigger ones.

 

[Praxinoscope]

Our first boat was a Leisure 17 and we found we could just get the sails into the machines at the local launderette, anything bigger is going to need commercial/laundry type washing machines. Tried them in the bath once and got so much water over the bathroom floor gave up on that idea.
Interested to know what evidence motor Sailor has that sailmakers might just spread them out and flood them with bleach and hose them down.
I do find the valeting useful as the sailmaker checks the sails and usually tidies up any small defects in their basic fee.
The sails on my last boat were still in good condition after 15 years, I think as a result of the Winter servicing.

 

[johnalison]

It may depend on the what kind of sail. I once sent some Dacron sails to a well-known sailmaker for cleaning and they washed the stuffing right out of them. Some sails depend on a dressing of something or other to stop them being permeable, and washing this out will ruin them. My current sails are laminate and Hydranet and presumably more robust in this sense.

 

[mainsail1]

I have my sails serviced and washed about once every three years. The latest sailmaker to do them has been Owen Sails near Oban this year. The sails look great and I have no hesitation in saying it works for me.
I have tried to wash them myself but the result was not anything like as good.

 

[thinwater]

The commercial services basically scrub off anything obviously loose, soak them for 6-8 hours in a sail cleaning solution that is basically Oxiclean, and rinse them off. That 's it. The active ingredient is percarbonate and is safe for polyester and laminates. That is their "secret." (I've tested sail cleaners for articles)

I seriously doubt anyone has any testing or science to back up the "they last longer if you clean them" argument unless they fantastically mildew and stored in a puddle. Polyester is not attacked by mildew or much else other than UV. As for salts, that is what rain is for. Vigorous washing will only lead to stretch.

But go for it and feel good about it. To me, it's eye wash. IF they are getting stained, that is bad care.

http://www.sailcleaner.com/

 

[Steve The Seagull]

Salt is the biggest killer of sails, it breaks down films and resin coatings and speeds up the weave loosening and deforming.

I have a customer who races his J24 three times a week through the summer and most weekends through the winter, he is meticulous, every few months he hoses his sails down, and always makes sure each winter when he does pack up he gets them out in his garden and properlly hoses and scrubs them.
His sails are now 18 years old, and still have a good flying shape and can win races, and it is all down to his care of them.

No you don't have to give them to your sailmaker to get washed, you can do it yourself, but the proffesionals will do a good and thorough job, and can kill mold and mildew if needed.

Don't not do anything and leave your sails salty as letting them deform much quicker.

 

[TSB240]

Dave
May I suggest you.....

Speak to Steve at Boatshed in Felinheli. They offer a sail cleaning , inspection and repair service. You could off load your sails when you visit prior to lift out at Penryhn. You could even go alongside at Dinas to drop them off. Alternatively for a small ransom someone :encouragement: could help you get them from the Dock to Dinas!

Philz'z next door neighbour is the Boatshed stitchist!

 

[Skylark]

Thanks, Steve,

Steve would have been a good choice as I was delighted with his canvas work when he made my full cockpit tent. The problem is that I’m not planning to winter at PD this year, I’m staying north.

Another problem is folding the things. For the past few years Phil has lent a hand but it’s a bit of an ask for him to drive 500 miles to help me fold them!

I still may ask Steve for a quote, good call, thanks.

I smiled at the suggestion by one response to put them in the bath at home. Many years ago I did that with Solo dinghy sails but I suspect that 2 x 42 m2 of sailcloth would fill the bathroom (and probably the hall, stairs and landing, too).

I’ve never had much success in trying to clean sails while they’re still on the boat/deck. I try to clean them outside my house but usually pick up as much dirt as I remove. It doesn’t help that the back of my house is usually damp/wet for the 6 months of winter. The joys of living in Manchester.

I used to take them to work and get one of my guys to help unfold them in the conference room to clean any marks. It helped being the boss. Now retired, can no longer do this.

 

[CalicoJack]

Further to my earlier post about washing your own sails, obviously the size of the sails is a limiting factor when trying to wash your own sails. Our yacht is a 10 m ketch with a 150% Genoa.

 

[pragmatist]

Then, we use a Rotary washing line and plastic garden furniture to keep the sail off the grass. Choose the right day, warm, not much wind, save yourself some money and inspect your sail at the same time.

We once flew our spinnaker off the apple trees with a small child on each of the two bottom corners

 

[thinwater]

Salt is the biggest killer of sails, it breaks down films and resin coatings and speeds up the weave loosening and deforming.

I have a customer who races his J24 three times a week through the summer and most weekends through the winter, he is meticulous, every few months he hoses his sails down, and always makes sure each winter when he does pack up he gets them out in his garden and properlly hoses and scrubs them.
His sails are now 18 years old, and still have a good flying shape and can win races, and it is all down to his care of them.

No you don't have to give them to your sailmaker to get washed, you can do it yourself, but the proffesionals will do a good and thorough job, and can kill mold and mildew if needed.

Don't not do anything and leave your sails salty as letting them deform much quicker.

I hope I did not imply that salt was harmless, only that it was removed by rain and rinsing, not washing. I am also quite certain this individual stored the sails well every day; that makes a huge difference.

If the professional cleaner used percarbonate (and they will or should) that will kill the mildew. When in water it releases H2O2.

In fact, it is possible to give a fair wash at the mooring, with a long brush and hoisting 6 feet at a time. You'll need very light winds and enough time to repeat several times. I've done this with quite large sails. Not perfect, but quite easy if done while fooling with other things. The first time, use a GP cleaner for dirt. After that, two rounds with Oxiclean, followed by a good rinse after about 4 hours. The sun will do the rest when you sail.

 

[lw395]

I wash my dinghy sails if they need it, and also the yacht sails once a year.
It's quite a faff to do it without making a lot of mess or damaging the sails.
We are lucky to have the use of a large area of flat smooth concrete.
We cover it with a sheet of heavy polythene damp course, then hose the sail and attack the stains.
If you roll or flake the sail, you can work in sections, so the work area just needs to be a bit longer than the foot.

Then you need to dry them. Without leaving them flapping in the breeze. That can be a challenge!

So it's a fair bit of work and needs the right weather to DIY as well as the right facilities. I can see the attraction of a paid service.

Salt damages stitching, but it does have an up side. I've had to clean dinghy sails which have been used in 'fresh' water (i.e. a big lake of your drinking water) and they fester if left damp.