I have an ugly spinnaker!

[Captaink73]

I bought my boat about a year ago and it came with the ugliest asymmetrical spinnaker that I've ever seen. This thing looks like the coat of many colors on LSD. Maybe the sailmaker just took whatever was left over and sewed it together. To make it worse, at some point it was stowed wet and the damn thing has colors running running all over.

Has anyone had any luck dying their spinnaker? I've searched and found mixed reviews, I was hoping y'all could clear it up a bit. I wouldn't mind just dying the thing black, pieces of it already are.

I don't use it all that much so I don't want to buy a new one. At worst, I fly it the way it is and cringe a little when it fills.

[zeehag]

no pix???? disappointing. wanted to see this.
btw--i receive that which no one else wants.. you can always send it to me.....

[Captaink73]

Nah, no pics. Maybe the next time I fly it I'll take some. That's probably gonna be around 2019. It just sits in a bag stowed neatly away.

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by Captaink73

Nah, no pics. Maybe the next time I fly it I'll take some. That's probably gonna be around 2019. It just sits in a bag stowed neatly away.

you need to send that horrid space usurper to me......

[Sea Dreaming]

There are dyes for nylon and other synthetics. Check out Dharma Trading and read their facts pages.
Darmatrading.com ....i think!

[Dave22q]

I would certainly try dye. Just be careful in stowing in case the new color transfers. Ask a sailmaker which dyes might work. I do not think you are limited to black. You can always fall back to black if other colors fail to cover.

[reed1v]

We had a silk pattern of Snoopy attached to our huge drifter. Worked well. Big pattern: approx. 15' tall, 5' wide. Everyone in the world seemed to know who Snoopy was. We did it with him in his Sopwith camel outfit, scarf billowing behind him.

[buzzstar]

I am not sure, but I heard the guy who started the thread, "whipping - antal method" got into it because he had an ugly spinnaker too. Be cautious about dying.

[mfrench]

The spinnaker that came with my boat might give yours a run for the money (but more tacky/odd than ugly, I guess). It has a giant blue nun on it. As in Blue Nun wine.

[reed1v]

Originally Posted by buzzstar

I am not sure, but I heard the guy who started the thread, "whipping - antal method" got into it because he had an ugly spinnaker too. Be cautious about dying.

That is what life insurance is for.

[buzzstar]

Originally Posted by mfrench

The spinnaker that came with my boat might give yours a run for the money (but more tacky/odd than ugly, I guess). It has a giant blue nun on it. As in Blue Nun wine.

Somehow there may have been a subsidy or a discount involved in the original purchase. Moreover, how old is the sail? I think Blue Nun (if what you are talking about is not buoy) was popular when Mateus and Lancers wines were, which is a long, long time ago.

[thericksster]

I have an ugly old lady but I love her. Never thought about dying her.

[Yeti]

I really feel like this thread is lost without pictures.....So I'll start.


Here's my "Big Gay Sail" (that's a term of affection and it's official name on my boat)....

[UNCIVILIZED]

Spinnakers are only ugly when other people see them as they accelerate away after passing you, when you're both going downwind. So as long as you're fast you've got nothing to worry about.

But... Since it is "trippy looking". My $0.02 is for you to put a set of monster sized speakers on deck for downwind runs, & crank up some psychadelic 1960's type music. Plus anything else which will set the mood. Like say, a "unique" smelling cloud of smoke emanating from your boat...

And I'll usurp zeehag's place in line to give it a home, by offering to split the freight with you if you ship it to me

[JPA Cate]

Do you know for sure what fabric it is made of? I've not personally ever seen spinnaker cloth colors run, maybe someone else here has. Anyhow, I would not dye it black. A boat I sailed on a very long time ago had a black drifter, and it looked not very good at all.

Ann