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UV and Thread Life

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
We dropped off our '96 model dacron 135 genny at the Seattle UKSails loft (former Halsey/Lidgard loft) a couple days ago. Time for a new sacrificial dacron leach cover and associated stiching.
I knew that age and sun exposure would take its toll, and so I called up my friend at the UK loft on Friday for some advice. I was asking for some sort of easy evaluation method for the sail.

So... I was told that a simple test is to sharpen a good quality pencil and push the lead under the thread and lift. If the pencil lead breaks there is another year or two of life in the old thread. Note: this is for the UV-exposed thread on the leach. I quickly found that several threads near the clew broke -- pencil lead was never harmed.

When Doug, the Seattle loft mgr, inspected the sail on Saturday morning, he agreed that the dacron leach cover was yellowing and needed replacement and then proceeded to run his thumb under some of the leach cover stitching and tear out over a foot of it with thumb pressure!
:rolleyes:

The rest of the sail looks good for many more years; this was considered a good quality model (a "passagemaker" headsail) when purchased. Triple-stitched, etc.

Doug told me that most leach covers and their stitching are good for around 5-ish years. Our sail is on the boat each year from March to November, and so the total sun (UV) exposure is about on par for its age.

Something to ponder before we all head off on our vacations with aging sails next summer. [Big sigh] --
Everything on my boat needs preventative maintenance!
:)

Best,
Loren in Portland, OR
 
Last edited:

u079721

Contributing Partner
Color?

Loren,

What color was your UV cover? I ask because I have been told by my loft that while they will make a genny with a white UV cover (like the one that my PO ordered) they don't really like to, since it doesn't really do a good job. Their recomendation is always to go with a dark color that absorbs more light.
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Color commentary

It was generic white dacron. I understand that the Sunbrella (r) ones will last longer, but then you have the problems of added weight, different stretch characteristics, and you still have to pay to have it restitched at least once in its longer life. I have friends that have had to have their Sunbrella leach covers restitched regularly.
It seems like, "in the end, all solutions are temporary" as a philosopher once said....
:)
Loren
 

Chris Miller

Sustaining Member
Spectra threads...

We also ran into a situation this year where North had been using "Spectra" material thread to sew all their stuff together (Late '90's- Early 200x) and then discovered that it DOES NOT like the sun very well. Just one more thing to get checked.
Chris
 
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