Sail cleaning and winter storage

[FairweatherDave]

Just got my sails off the boat and I'm in the new situation of how to look after them! Previously our old sails just got rinsed with a hose at home, dried etc. But a 2 yr old genoa and single short season main. ...do they deserve better and if so what is a fair price? Do some people get them washed every couple years as a compromise?

 

[dunedin]

Rinsing off salt and allowing to dry definitely a good idea.

I was advised by the sailmaker NOT to send sails for washing unless absolutely essential, as always loses some of the cloth stiffness and coating.

 

[johnalison]

Many years ago I sent a Dacron genoa to a respected sailmaker for winter cleaning and they washed the stuffing right out of the sail, which was never as good again. My newish sails are higher tech cloth, laminate and Hydranet and I think things may be different as they have survived a couple of winter services unscathed, and probably won't become porous with washing.. I think it is a matter of what you feel you can do yourself. If it is just a matter of rinsing, there is little point in forking out.

 

[FairweatherDave]

And the good Lord said "FairweatherDave, for that is what you are known as, do not rinse down your sails in the garden. They shall get much more dirty, and will not get dry until hanging over the bannister of your freshly decorated house. And this shall be the sign. A bird will deposit crap on you, and your freshly laid out mainsail, from a great height. And when it comes to pass that the sails will appear dry, she who knows better will show great reluctance to help fold". And FairweatherDave knew he was a miserable sinner, and hung his head in shame.

 

[Pete735]

As no one has answered your question about 'fair price', our local sailmaker was in the boatyard last week whilst I was there and I asked the same question. He told me it was about £6.70 per kg incl vat and carriage. You are probably aware there are only a couple of places that can do it (or is it only one now?) For us in South Wales they go to the South Coast somewhere (he might have said Chichester area). I asked for similar reasons to you, new sails in 2019. I know him to chat to and I asked what he would do and he said just go sailing.

 

[Iliade]

Put 'em back on and keep sailing :0) The rain will rinse off the salt.

 

[ip485]

Just had mine done, about 5 years from new. It is around the perfect time and they have come up beuatifully and look new and bright white again - well worth it and a good time to have the sails thoroughly inspected and any tidying up done.

 

[ashtead]

At around £150 plus a sail we do ours every 5 years. The main is protected but perhaps the headsail might be more often. Thus just once for each sail after5 years.

 

[RJJ]

I plonked mine in a big bath with oxygen bleach. Then rinsed. Then laid them out in the kitchen with a dehumidifier running, which took several days and various rearrangements etc.. (no, my kitchen is indeed not that big!).

All in all, a pain in the wotsits. Probably won't do it again.

 

[Stemar]

And the good Lord said "FairweatherDave, for that is what you are known as, do not rinse down your sails in the garden. They shall get much more dirty, and will not get dry until hanging over the bannister of your freshly decorated house. And this shall be the sign. A bird will deposit crap on you, and your freshly laid out mainsail, from a great height. And when it comes to pass that the sails will appear dry, she who knows better will show great reluctance to help fold". And FairweatherDave knew he was a miserable sinner, and hung his head in shame.

Funny you should say that, He said the same to me. With a liberal helping of mud because the "lawn" is well shaded and has been much rained upon recently. Which is why I took 'em to Arthur's who relieved me of the price of a meal* out and gave 'em back clean and dry.

*Variable according to size, but still a constant For a cheapskate like me on a cheap boat, it was a cheapskate meal in a gastropub. If you sail Mirabella, it'll be at Noma, with flights and hotel included

 

[FairweatherDave]

Cheers for the replies. I felt better for posting ?....
My Konsort genoa dry and nicely folded weight is 12kg. But the fresh water rinse is good enough for this year and maybe 3 more.....I think next year I won't get the sails off until I have rinsed them down in situ and allowed them dry in windless conditions....masts seem designed for hanging sails up?. I blame the pandemic for my rushing, I had (have) visions of being locked out from the boat once lifted out for the winter.

 

[Shuggy]

I've just had 53kg of mainsail (cruising laminate, 3 seasons) and genoa (Hydranet, 10 seasons and maybe the last) washed and dried, plus full inspection with minor stitching to the mainsail and to the genoa at the luff head and clew for £477 including winter storage in a sail loft. I get the point about washing being detrimental possibly, but having clean and dry sails stored away from rodents with all repairs carried out feels like a good use of cash when we rely on them so much for safety and speed. Full replacement with new equivalents would be c. £7,000 so not a huge proportion of replacement cost.

 

[Stemar]

allowed them dry in windless conditions

Yeah, we often get a bit of an anticyclone that gives those conditions in January...

 

[Daedelus]

I found that the outfit that commonly does them for the Solent area is based in an industrial estate in Portsmouth and doesn't deal direct with the public. On one occasion the main came back with a brown stain and the sailmaker who had had them cleaned for me apologised but said he couldn't get it back to the firm as the van was out doing deliveries and the washers closed at 5 . If I could get the sail there he would ensure it was done over the w/e and he would refit for me.

The cleaners appeared to use a little detergent of some sort and a pressure washer with the sail on the concrete floor. When they were rinsed off they were hung to dry in the almost aircraft hanger type place.

However, I let the main go to one of the major sailmakers who were offering a free clean if they got the job of any repairs and their cleaners certainly knocked the stuffing out of it.

One of the sails came from Crusader sails and when I asked if they would clean it and mentioned my experience they agreed and said machine washing was deadly but said the cleaners they used were more gentle and that any salt in the sail would mean it went away damp and was likely to mildew. So I've had Crusader do them since then and all seems ok apart from the fact they are some way away (Bournemouth - ish)