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Old 02-12-2009, 11:25   #1
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Sail Repair Kit

I am trying to put together a sail repair kit for extended passages. Rather than reinvent the wheel I was wondering if anyone had a list of the things they have in their kits.
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Old 02-12-2009, 12:12   #2
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why don't you contact SAilrite. they shuld be able to set you up
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Old 02-12-2009, 12:30   #3
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I looked there and wasn't very impressed with what they had to offer.
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Old 02-12-2009, 13:30   #4
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Waxed thread, assorted needles, sailmaker's palm, webbing, sticky-back fabric, a hot knife and (most important of all) a list of sailmakers for the areas you'll be visiting!
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Old 02-12-2009, 14:05   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Intrepid View Post
Waxed thread, assorted needles, sailmaker's palm, webbing, sticky-back fabric, a hot knife and (most important of all) a list of sailmakers for the areas you'll be visiting!
What he said.
I would be happy with spare Dacron & sail Ripair(TM) tape in lieu of sticky-back fabric, and I could live without the hot knife but they sure make life easy. On a long voyage you might find use for some scrap leather and the largest size grommet you can install. I once repaired a blown out jib clew by folding over the edges of the sail and sewing the original grommet onto the sail, then cut out the hole for the sheets. Lasted from Ft. Myers to the Keys.
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Old 02-12-2009, 14:23   #6
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Don't forget duct tape. You should've seen the look on the face of the owner of Pineapple Sails. It was priceless, but I got home with it.......i2f
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Old 02-12-2009, 14:54   #7
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I think that I would add D rings, acetone ( to clean the sails before applying sticky back), 1" tubular webbing to attach D-Rings, one of those handlend stitching machines.
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Old 02-12-2009, 17:12   #8
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Our mainsail in being replaced next month!

It has serious UV damage and gets hols and rips all the time...

We have a can of normal Contact Cement and we glue on either sticky dacron repair tape or bits of sail cloth, whatever we have. When the glue is dry we sow it, but not real well. Just enough to hold the edges, really.

No repair has failed! Touch wood!


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Old 15-04-2010, 21:18   #9
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Speaking of wood... best sail repair i've seen was on the Catamaran "Ishka". The foot torn out of his jib. With two pieces of 2x4, a few folds in the remains of the jib foot, a few long wood screws to hold the "patch" together... it was damned ugly, but got them where to the next port! Brings new meaning to keeping your head down during a tack when your out on the trampoline!

Ditto on the things listed above, but don't forget your "MacGyver" things on your boat when it really hits the fan!

Contact cement is also great for canvass tears or rips!

One thing not mentioned yet is a "Speedy Stitcher Sewing Awl Kit" or something similar... lets you sew through very thick, multilayer canvass and leather... we used it a ton to bar-tack sail repair tape on high stress areas of the main and jib this year. Didn't think it would be needed but SOOO glad we bought one! $20 on Latts and Atts. Speedy Stitcher Sewing Awl Kit [2359] - $19.95 : Seafaring Ship's Store, Latitudes & Attitudes

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Old 15-04-2010, 23:41   #10
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Sailrite have a complete sail repair kit - it contains all the needles/palm/thread/sticky/tape etc that you need. The only thing I would add to it is one of those special awls that also contain the thread, as that would make singlehanded repairs so much easier.
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Old 15-04-2010, 23:44   #11
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Here's us doing some routine mainsail repairs, and the equipment we use:

Rebel Heart - The boat and her crew - Charlotte's Blog - Repairing the Main*Sail
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Old 18-04-2010, 09:58   #12
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Carol Hasse has an article on an offshore sail repair kit at the bottom of this page:

Port Townsend Sails
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Old 18-04-2010, 10:15   #13
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I really enjoyed botching a few minor rips in sails with this toy:

-> Speedy Stitcher Sewing Awl | Sewing Tool - Hand Tool - Stitch Repairs
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Old 18-04-2010, 14:46   #14
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G'Day All,

Somehow, no one has mentioned carrying a few feet of sail cloth (not the very light weight stickyback stuff, but something like 6 oz Dacron). Stickyback is ok for minor repairs, but isn't nearly as strong as the real stuff. If you have a problem far from civilization, you'll need to do something a bit more permanent.

And unless you already have the repair skills, Sailrite used to publish a little pamphlet on DIY repairs. It covered all the basic techniques and has been pretty useful to us over the years. Don't know if it is still available...

Cheers, and we hope you never need all this advice!

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Old 18-04-2010, 16:13   #15
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I'll add a book on sail repair, like "The Sailmakers Aprentice."

Read a book, then you will know what you need. Actually, "The Care and repair of Sails" is shorter and may be a better choice.

Don't read a book, you may not know how the tools work or may skip something vital. For example, sail makers needles without a palm and some feel for the rhythm are rather worthless. A palm that isn't broken in promises blisters. A moving boat is not the easiest place to learn.

As for the materials, well, what your sails are made of, same weights.

All of the posted suggestions were good. Add a set of sail slugs and the webbing to attach them - I've had them fail in groups before.


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