Repairs

Mark P

Mark P

New Member
Hi Everyone-

I have recently decided to get back into sailing. In doing this I have noticed that my boat is a little run down. I left the sail outside for a bit of time and it got pretty dirty. I figure that I can clean that with some warm soapy water. The issue is that when I brought the sail inside I was in a hurry and put a 4 inch rip in it as well as a 1 inch by 1 inch "L" shaped rip in it. I know that West Marine sells a repair kit. I figured that I could purchase this kit and sew it up with a sewing machine. Does anyone have any tips or pointers in repairing a sail?

The hull as well is in need of a good cleaning. The hull has normal dirt, grime and little patches of some sort of fungus. Any ideas on the best thing to use to clean her? I have a small power washer that I can use.

Thanks in advance.

Mark
 
Hello Mark,

I hope you're still checking this thread.

Like you, I'm resussitating my old ('85) AMF Alcort Sunfish that hasn't been sailed for six years.

My original Sunrise sail is in very bad shape. I'd like to buy a brand new one, but friends are encouraging me to try to patch it instead. I found this interesting, relevant link that I'm considering. The nicely illustrated instructions involve 3M Marine Adhesive and no sewing.

How to Patch a Sail: http://www.sailingtexas.com/chowtopatchasail.html

Best of luck.

-Margaret
 
Margaret-

Yes, I am still checking this thread... Thanks for the reply and thanks for the link. I had thought about going that way but in the end I got the sail repair kit from the boating store. Interestingly enough I just put the tape on this evening.

I figure that if it lasts a while that's great. If not, I'm only out 12 bucks and a little time. The sail has some wear and some tiny holes in it here and there. So, it isnt really worth spending too much money on at this point I feel that it will be new sail time soon.

I would love to know if I am on the right track. It seems that info on sail repair is not very easy to come up with!

Let me know if you find any tips along the way. Good Luck!

Mark
 
Yuck,,, that sail patch is pretty Uuuuuuugly. I'll bet it is stiff as a board too. Do you really want to do some sort of backyard patch job that looks like poop. Not what i'd want on my sail.

Sail Repair Tape is a standard at any sailboat dealer and will do that job in a cleaner and more functional way. Sewing over the tape can make the patch even stronger.

Sail repair materials are available from <believe it or not> a sailboat shop or a sailmaker supply outlet,,,

Sailmaker's Supply (I know it's an obscure name, but they have anything you might want)
http://www.sailmakerssupply.com/

Sailrite sells sails, sail kits, and materials. You hafta poke around their site because their menu organization isn't very good.
There are some videos there that show you how to sew with sailcloth. The demo clips should be enough if you already know how to run a sewing machine.
http://www.sailrite.com


,,, isn't Google a great tool,,,


Cleaning your hull will take elbow grease. Put away the power washer, you'll have to get your hands dirty. Scrub it with Bar Keeper's Friend. It's a soft scrub type cleanser that also has a non-bleach stain remover that works better than bleach on organic and metal stains. Sand the deck and hull with 600 grit sandpaper and polish it with automotive rub compound. It will look like new when you are done.
 
I agree with Megan on the sail repair. Using 5200 seems waaay not right. And the patch is UGLY and like megan said, it will probably result in a stiff spot in the sail. Sail repair tape is definitely the way to go. I would use the tape and not even bother sewing it. If the tape starts to come off after many uses, just re-do the tape. It's cheap and easy.
 
So, my findings are this...

Sail repair tape was the way to go. It is easy to use and is holding well. I took my time to do it right, pinning the sail to a board and really making it flat. I taped both sides and rounded all corners of the tape. I even spoke to a friend of a friend pro sail repair guy that said I did the right thing.

The only issues are white tape on my colored sail and I will have to re tape at some point. Both are better than the hole that the 747 made when it flew through my sail.

Also, I did power wash the hull. This turned out very well. I still need to polish though. It did not get the hull looking new but, very close for 10+ years of sitting. I think that during the colder months I may do the whole 600 grit sanding thing that Megan suggests along with some gel coat repair.

Thanks for all the info.

Mark
 
Mark P,

Check the Tips and Trick section on the SF Class home page. Look for Gelcote repair, in there, about step 9, are instructions for wet sanding your hull, similar to what Megan was talking about, it takes some time and that good old elbow greese, but it works. My '69 SF was stored under a tree for about 14 years, with the rough fiberglass, mold, mildew etc. After about two weeks (an hour or so a day) my hull is a smooth as a new hull and just as shiney. It may not have come back to bright white (it yellowed a little with age), but with some of the upgrades (sail, ratchet block, rudder, etc.) is as competitive as the newer SF on the lake. Good luck.
 
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