Sail cleaning

[Dan Payne]

Excuse me for I'm sure this has been discussed in the past. I've got a stained and filthy main and jib. Who can send me down the rightous path of cleanliness? It's been suggested to go to the loft guys but you got to be kidding if I can't do a decent job by myself. The filthy sail in question are dacron. Thanks All...dp

[Todd Bradshaw]

Whatever you do DO NOT SEND IT TO ONE OF THOSE "PROFESSIONAL" SAIL RECONDITIONERS THAT ADVERTISE IN MAGAZINES! It would come back whiter than Snow Whites panties, but most likely ruined. The leading firm is a guy who used to be a drycleaner. He may know plenty about drycleaning, but seems to know absolutely nothing about sails. He bleaches the living sh!t out of them, burning off all the resin that used to be stabilizing the cloth and sailshape, then hangs them up and coats them with some sort of white paint or resin that locks-in whatever shape they happened to get by stretching it out from the corners. Look up fellow forumite "Captain Pre-Capsize" and ask him about the bang-up job that they did on his two-year-old main that needed a little cleaning. About 80% of the sails that I've seen from these turkeys needed major recuts, if that was even still possible, to turn them back into sails. Clean it yourself. It won't be as white (more like Snow White's slutty cousin) but it will still be a sail.

1 - Find a big tub or kiddie wading pool from someplace like WalMart.
2- Soak the sails in clean water with some mild detergent. It's OK to leave them in there for a day or two. Turn frequently.
3- Bad spots can be scrubbed with a not-too-stiff brush.
4- Specific types of stains (mildew, rust, blood, grease, etc.) may require special spot treatments. If you have them, post it here and we'll figure out what kind of chemicals work best on them.
5 - Rinse, rinse, rinse
6 - Dry, dry, dry (Be sure that they dry long enough to get down into the corner patches and other built-up layers).
7 - fold and stow, out of the sun and away from damp areas and rodents (I make a lot of money off of mice)

Places like West Marine sell a couple cleaning products called "Sail Bath" and "Sail Bleach". If you follow the directions, they are safe. They may or may not get your sails cleaner than dish soap and home-brewed spot cleaners. There are also some reputable sail lofts that will clean sails properly and who know better than to give them the Snow White treatment. These are real lofts where their main business is sailmaking, not sail reconditioning, choose carefully if you decide to have it done commercially.

[Captain Pre-Capsize]

Dan:

I'm afraid Todd didn't emphasize enough (despite the bold face) not to send your sails in. If you do they are doomed. The fellow who ruin I mean cleaned my sails did indeed clean them. I opened the box in a darkened room and STILL needed sunglasses to deflect some of the screaming white that they were. Problem is it was s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d and when sailing flapped like a flag in a Force Nine. I ended up buying a new sail from Todd (highly recommended and no, I'm not a relative) that is awesome.

I chose an Egyptian cotton looking color - cream sort of. The sail looks so good the following actually happened: I sail up to a lady in my skiff with bright finished interior. She takes one look at my wooden boat and says, "Hey, I like your boat but I LOVE the sail." Great, I think to myself. That is the one thing I didn't make... :-)

[Dan Payne]

So what you're saying is don't send them in.

[Nemo]

Yep, I think he's suggesting to let'm get grungy enough to look like Egyptian Cotton sails -- apparently chicks like'm that way. :) Kidding, of course.

I was at the Classic Yacht Regatta in Antigua again this year, but only remember one classic boat that had the cream colored dacron sails -- they look fantastic on a wooden boat!! I wouldn't doubt more and more classic owners will opt for that color when buying new sails. It's a perfect match for gaff-rigged boats.