Frank Langer
1984 Ericson 30+, Nanaimo, BC
Hi,
I sail year round in coastal British Columbia, and am again seeing some of those small black mould spots on my sails. I'm requesting any advice on how to avoid these, and how to get rid of them.
I sail whenever reasonable weather allows, and sometimes raise sails at the dock to air them. I flake the mainsail somewhat loosely on the boom to allow some air flow inside the mainsail cover, but that isn't possible on my furling headsail.
I have tried a brief, gentle application of "30 second" algae/mould removal spray, leaving it on the sail for about 5 minutes, light brushing, then water rinse and dry in the sun. That sort of works to get rid of some spots, but I noticed the sail becoming slightly yellowed in some areas, likely due to the bleach in that product.
Our BC climate is quite rainy in the winter, and this year we've had a nasty cold spell as well, so sometimes it's a couple weeks before I can get sailing to ensure they are dry again.
Any thoughts, advice or wisdom would be much appreciated!
Removing the sails and storing them in a dry location over the winter is not an option--I have to be able to go sailing!
Frank
I sail year round in coastal British Columbia, and am again seeing some of those small black mould spots on my sails. I'm requesting any advice on how to avoid these, and how to get rid of them.
I sail whenever reasonable weather allows, and sometimes raise sails at the dock to air them. I flake the mainsail somewhat loosely on the boom to allow some air flow inside the mainsail cover, but that isn't possible on my furling headsail.
I have tried a brief, gentle application of "30 second" algae/mould removal spray, leaving it on the sail for about 5 minutes, light brushing, then water rinse and dry in the sun. That sort of works to get rid of some spots, but I noticed the sail becoming slightly yellowed in some areas, likely due to the bleach in that product.
Our BC climate is quite rainy in the winter, and this year we've had a nasty cold spell as well, so sometimes it's a couple weeks before I can get sailing to ensure they are dry again.
Any thoughts, advice or wisdom would be much appreciated!
Removing the sails and storing them in a dry location over the winter is not an option--I have to be able to go sailing!
Frank