drying sails after rain

[rebel heart]

I've really just started noticing this lately. Some boats, not most by a long shot, hoist their on-deck (in furler, in bag) sails the day after rain to air them out and let them dry. I guess in theory it sounds like a fine idea but:

a) Plenty of people, like tens of thousands of people, aren't on their boats enough to do this.
b) I never did this with my sails for ~10 years and they're still fine.

I have fairly new canvas covers on my sails (no furlers) so maybe they're just staying drier?

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by rebel heart

I've really just started noticing this lately. Some boats, not most by a long shot, hoist their on-deck (in furler, in bag) sails the day after rain to air them out and let them dry. I guess in theory it sounds like a fine idea but:

a) Plenty of people, like tens of thousands of people, aren't on their boats enough to do this.
b) I never did this with my sails for ~10 years and they're still fine.

I have fairly new canvas covers on my sails (no furlers) so maybe they're just staying drier?

Never heard of such a thing.
It rains a lot in FL too.

[rebel heart]

Originally Posted by Therapy

Never heard of such a thing.
It rains a lot in FL too.

It seemed a little monkey-see-monkey-do but a really excellent racing/cruising sailor I know does it and he's usually not goofy.

[Nicholson58]

Prevents mildew especially in membrane sails if you keep them dry. I wouldn't do it if there was enough breeze to rattle them. Sails we keep below don't stink if they are dry.

[rebel heart]

"membrane" sail?

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by rebel heart

"membrane" sail?

“Laminated” sailcloths:
➥ Sail Materials | Doyle Sailmakers

[Nicholson58]

Our #1 is a 5-layer Quantum Fusion Membrane laminated sail. - What GordMay said.

As water begins to live in the layers, you can get staining. Best to dry if possible.

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by Nicholson58

Our #1 is a 5-layer Quantum Fusion Membrane laminated sail. - What GordMay said.

As water begins to live in the layers, you can get staining. Best to dry if possible.

Do you do it by putting it in a bag like first explained?

[Celestialsailor]

Whats next...putting a diaper on your boat?

[MarkJ]

Sails are made of plastic. Do they need to be dried off?

Mark

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by Therapy

Do you do it by putting it in a bag like first explained?

It weighs over 200#. 89.5 sq meter. 80 ft mast. It lives on the forestay furler. If its wet we roll it out if possible.

The only sails we manhandle are the mizzen staysail and spinnaker. Everything else is on a furler. The Storm trisail has its own track but weighs next to nothing. In bad weather its bagged at the track base. New code zero coming this year. Code zero & kite are hoisted through the cabin port/stbd hatches directly as the bags are too heavy to haul out the companionway.

Photo is the turtle with a well flaked Genoa packed in for winter. Getting it in a bag on deck is impossible.

[Therapy]

OUCH! I misread the OP.

I read that they hoisted the sail while still in the bag. By rereading (sober both times I swear) I note that one can unroll a genoa and call it a hoist if you want. OK.

So yea. Light winds in the right direction to dry out a sail. Why not if you want to.