Temporary sail repair...

Quick question for all you sail experts-
We knew our Dacron U/V cover on our RF Genoa was in it's last stages of life, but our repair guy suggested we not worry about replacement until it let go. Well, it let go and tore as it was coming across a spreader (when we take it down, I'll send our fly gal up to double check that there isn't anything sharp up there on the boot).
My question is about immediacy. Do I need to take it down immediately? Can I sticky-back it and have it last the season? Or at least a couple of weeks until I can get it to Naptown to get it fixed? How soon does UV start degrading the sail underneath?
Thanks!
Chris

Sail Tape it and sail on.....

Sail tape the cover, and sail on.......... Get it fixed at the end of the season....

unless it is so torn that it wraps itself around thing, or is in any other way a danger...

Guy

Yes

Sticky back should get you through a few more weeks of sailing-maybe more.

Make sure the area is as salt free and dry as possible, and depending on where the rips are, try and overlap the sticky back onto the body of the sail so it stays down better. No reason not to try it if you don't feel like having it repaired professionally.

Cheers,
S

Thanks Guy!

That's what I was wanting to do, but I've learned to double check with you guys who know more about it than I do. It was due for a UV replacement this coming winter anyway.
Sail on! is my kind of option...
Chris

Hi Chris,


I think I would err on caution and get it off. My Sunbrella was coming loose, but not looking like an immediate threat - just a little slack in some stitching, and then it let go one night sailing up Eastern Bay in a pretty good blow. Didn't know that it had come loose until it fouled the spreaders on a tack and tore a nice chunk out of one of the back panels of the sail. I then got to spend lots of boat bucks putting a new panel on as well as replacing the Sunbrella (now actually UV Dacron).


-David
Independence 31
Emerald

Chris, I'm not a sail expert but I've had some fun with the UV cover. In your case we're at the front end of the season. For this kind of thing I would take it down and take a close look all over the UV cover. Look at the stitching and test the material strength of the area that failed and look for similar weakness elsewhere. Often when one area of sail fails, there's more just around the corner.

If you find similar weakness elsewhere, you may be kidding yourself to expect to get thru the season. On the bright side, if the failed area just looks like an anamoly, then the sticky stuff sounds good for the season.

A few years ago we tried to nurse some bad UV cover stitching thru the season but ended up getting a mid season repair anyway. Fortunately UK in Annapolis was able to do a one week turnaround for us. Our experience with a simple patch was similar to what happened on Emerald, but without the sail panel damage.

Good luck.

Repairs...

Thanks all for the suggestions.
My repair guy at North told me that it (the UV cover) was on it's last legs. I've got a call in to our local Quantum loft to get some appropriate sticky back for this application. I'm going to have to take our main and this genny in to get them fixed before August anyway- we have 2 middle distance races in a range of a few weeks. We're already WAY overbudget with the boat this year after $2000 in unexpected expenses-- I guess that means I keep diving and don't get my week of dry haul to put a new bottom on :headb: until she comes out in the fall.
THanks again!