Sacrificial Strip renewal

seivadnehpets

seivadnehpets

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Westminster, Penge and the Medway
www.schnark.home.blog
Hi Folks,

I've found lots of chatter here about the cost of this, mostly out of date....

But nothing on the period.

I have taken on a boat, the sail is 2015, and the strip hasn't been replaced. The original sailmaker, (Crusader), tells me it should be renewed after 6 years, or it gives up and the sail will fail. He is suggesting it will fail, and isn't worth doing now. Wants to sell me a new head sail, and stackpack.

I think his advice is good if I want to sail in heavy weather, and the contrary advice I get is good, if I'll put the sails away whenever the wind blows....

But does anyone here have any more insight? I understand the responsibility is mine!!!

Many thanks.
 
If the strip is still intact, surely it should still be protecting the sail?

Last year I renewed the strip on our genoa, which still has a decent shape, even though it's the original from 1984. I hope I'll never be out in weather bad enough to damage even a slightly tired genny. OK, it wouldn't do for a racer, but for a heavily built catamaran that I don't push close to the wind, it's fine.
 
A 2015 sail is quite recent by most cruising boat standards. If a decent quality sail should have more life in it unless been abused.
Our jib is 2012, done 23k miles and still in good shape (if getting rather dirty) - and we like sailing fast upwind. We have replaced the UV sacrificial strip once already.
I would get a second opinion of cost to replace the strip. And perhaps offer to do the labour intensive but simple task of removing the old one to reduce cost?
 
2x replaced strip on genny on my 25ftr .... sail was from early 90's .... was finally replaced about 4yrs ago after it had a mess up with the furling gear and tore.
Replacement sail was 10yrs old ... excellent condition .. sellers put new sacrificial strip ... I have no reservations at all with it ...
 
2015 roller furling genoa on my 31ft sailing cruiser. Replaced sacrificial strip last winter as some stitching had failed and strip material was “tired”. Sail valeted and minor repairs done at same time. Now as good as new. Not cheap but money well spent IMHO.
 
seivadnehpets said:
Hi Folks,

I've found lots of chatter here about the cost of this, mostly out of date....

But nothing on the period.

I have taken on a boat, the sail is 2015, and the strip hasn't been replaced. The original sailmaker, (Crusader), tells me it should be renewed after 6 years, or it gives up and the sail will fail. He is suggesting it will fail, and isn't worth doing now. Wants to sell me a new head sail, and stackpack.

I think his advice is good if I want to sail in heavy weather, and the contrary advice I get is good, if I'll put the sails away whenever the wind blows....

But does anyone here have any more insight? I understand the responsibility is mine!!!

Many thanks.
Click to expand...
It also depends on what the cover is made of. Trick question, unless you tell us that.
 
A lot would depend on the boat it is on - if its a trailer sailor and kept under cover in winter it should last a long time away from UV degradation. If its outside in the elements all year round it isn't going to last as long.
 
I had the sacrificial strip on my genoa replaced a few years ago. At the invitation/advice of the sailmaker, I took off the old strip, which saved a considerable amount of money.
 
Looked at having my 2014 sacrificial strip replaced recently, the cost was such that I decided to go for a new genoa instead.
 
In the US Sunbrella is most common for cruisers. At 11 years, with UK sun, restiching might be needed (probably not if the right thread was used), but not replacement. The sail would be fine, because Sunbrella does not lose its UV-blocking properties over time.
 
The cost to replace a sacrificial strip depends on how the leech has been constructed. Most sailmakers have a 4 ply leech and this will require the whole leech to be rebuilt. Top sailmakers use a 6 ply leech and this only requires the sacrificial strip to be removed and replaced. When I replaced my sails a decade ago, Crusader only used a 4 ply leech, so I was not interested (besides quoting for a Dacron genos despite me wanting a Vektran to keep the quote lower). I replaced the sacrificial strip at 10 years and about 7000 miles sailing.
 
seivadnehpets said:
Hi Folks,

I've found lots of chatter here about the cost of this, mostly out of date....

But nothing on the period.

I have taken on a boat, the sail is 2015, and the strip hasn't been replaced. The original sailmaker, (Crusader), tells me it should be renewed after 6 years, or it gives up and the sail will fail. He is suggesting it will fail, and isn't worth doing now. Wants to sell me a new head sail, and stackpack.

I think his advice is good if I want to sail in heavy weather, and the contrary advice I get is good, if I'll put the sails away whenever the wind blows....

But does anyone here have any more insight? I understand the responsibility is mine!!!

Many thanks.
Click to expand...

I would never replace the strip unless it was visibly failing, that's just crackers.

In my experience the sacrificial strip will eventually fail and start to get tatty, maybe in 3 or 5 years time- depending. The sail will probably last another's 5 years if you just cut the strip away but it looks very poor as adhesives are often used.
The failure mode is from the point of most wear - the leach or belly of the sail, not the luff.

Stand on me, I am a cheapskate and have used sails to destruction. By all means replace the ss but it will have little effect on reliability with the average cruising boat. It's expensive and wasteful, at 15 years you are due a new start.

.
 
I used acrylic inflatable paint (flexible and will not crack) on this old dog for ~ 5 years. never a crack. I replaced the sail because it was getting blown out, not because of UV damage. Just peeled off the cover and painted it.

I have resewn Sunbrella covers; just a few feet here and there. They outlast the sail.

19f.+painted+sail.jpg
 
doug748 said:
I would never replace the strip unless it was visibly failing, that's just crackers.

In my experience the sacrificial strip will eventually fail and start to get tatty, maybe in 3 or 5 years time- depending. The sail will probably last another's 5 years if you just cut the strip away but it looks very poor as adhesives are often used.
The failure mode is from the point of most wear - the leach or belly of the sail, not the luff.

Stand on me, I am a cheapskate and have used sails to destruction. By all means replace the ss but it will have little effect on reliability with the average cruising boat. It's expensive and wasteful, at 15 years you are due a new start.

.
Click to expand...

I've replaced when the SS starts to crack and show signs of about to tear .... the sail underneath can still be in VG condition.

The SS has no structural or sail performance aspect - so it can stay until its literally falling apart .. its job is to be a barrier between the sun and the sail stitching / material.

When people start quoting xx years then should replace sail .. I suggest that it depends on how used ... if owner is a fair weather cruiser and does not sheet in hard to extract every last bit .. does not push limits - the sails can go for many years ... but a racer will be replacing sails often ...
 
We have had our current headsails since having new boat in 2015 . I assume you are sailing in uk. They are nothing special ie the usual elevstrom cheap quality Dacron. A few years ago we had some patching to strip by the sailmakers at Thornham marine . Last year (mainly as I didn’t need to make a trip that way as no longer going to Prinsted and very happy with team there) I contacted Kemp who took in and renewed strip plus produced a report collecting from Gosport. The renewal of strip wasn’t cheap but cheaper than cost of new headsail and if they had said beyond repair I would have got a quote for new sail from others to compare. I guess whether you replace depends on type/distance of sailing and what you plan to do re keeping boat. Also do you want to spend hundreds on strip which might last 5 years or equivalent in thousands for new headsail which might last say 15 . So as said above get a second view eg from Kemp and say Sanders. You don’t say boat but it might be a new headsail will be better cut and thus you won’t have to roller reef so much ( I assume the current sail is crusader so I would be looking for other views /prices personally) . I have had Crusader quotes in past but always preferred approach of other sailmakers such as Sauders in Lymington and Kemp. but a lot is down to what style of service you like. If thinking of replacing maybe you have a local sailmaker worth contacting.

Ultimately guess it depends on your sailing plans /age . Have they quoted for a new sail/size/material or are they in effect refusing to renew strip as it’s too far gone?
 
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