Stored sails

[Mr B]

How long do stored sails live for before they break down or rot or just fall apart,
My boat has been on the hard for over 5 years for repairs,
My sails were properly dried out and packed up in their bags for storage,
Kept in a bedroom in a house,
Yes, I know, How long is a peice of string,
They last many years hanging off a boat,
But some idea on the life of the sail itself, ???????

[UNCIVILIZED]

Laminates, sewn dacron, or other?

[JPA Cate]

If they were fresh water washed and then dried before stowing in a dry environment, they should be in close to the same condition. If they were UV damaged at the time, they will still have that damage. If they're full of mold (mildew) spots, you didn't get all the salt out first. Good luck with them, they're b----y expensive.

Ann

[Mr B]

Originally Posted by UNCIVILIZED

Laminates, sewn dacron, or other?

How does, No Idea, sound,

They came with the boat, The Genoa was an option from original OEM, ,
I assume they are what came with the Gemini new, The PO bought the boat Brand new, and lived on it permanently for 8 years,
He didnt sail very often, Stuck on a swing mooring,
I found a brand new Jib in the forward locker, In a bag, What the Genoa replaced,

[Mr B]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

If they were fresh water washed and then dried before stowing in a dry environment, they should be in close to the same condition. If they were UV damaged at the time, they will still have that damage. If they're full of mold (mildew) spots, you didn't get all the salt out first. Good luck with them, they're b----y expensive.

Ann

Thanks Anne,
I washed them with fresh water, then totally dryed them in the sun, then packed them in their bags,
So I dont think they will get mould, But hopefully I got all the salt off,
Pretty constant temp in my back bedroom, Not very cold,
I only have a main and a Genoa to worry about, Next owner can play with the sails as they see fit,

[UNCIVILIZED]

Plain dacron ones will have some life left in them pretty much regardless. But many laminates age whether in storage, or if they're used.

[TJ D]

I'm sure we're talking about Dacron sails here.

Here's a question for the group, though. I'm not sure I agree with the fresh water thing. I make no effort to get salt off of my sails, finding that it actually inhibits mildew. I think that doing the fresh water rinse, particularly if they're not COMPLETELY dry before stowing, will lead to more growth than leaving them salty.

Do you guys think I have this wrong?

Uncivilized, you've succeeded in bumming me out this morning, thinking that my laminates are deteriorating sitting stowed in the aft cabin for the winter. Sigh.

TJ

[UNCIVILIZED]

The thing with laminates isn't universal. It varies from brand to brand, as well as when they were made. Some of it due to how advanced laminate technology was when the sails were made. This along with the state of "fabrics" at the time. Including that various fabrics & reinforcements can age, & or shrink, at differing rates over time. Which if the film & the reinforcing bits age/shrink differently... Ditto on adhesives.

For example some of the laminates used to make sails for the 12m's were utterly horrid. At times you could pull off bits of Mylar the size of bed sheets. This on sails which weren't particularly old or thrashed. Then again we could destroy a suit of sails in a day's practice. Some of it simply because mylar, kevlar, etc. were pretty new at the time, & it took quite a while to figure out how to build durable sails using it.
Note that they were still paneled sails. But paneled sails built using laminated materials for those panels.

[Pete7]

The problem with salt is its hydroscopic and attracts then retains moisture. Washing clothes in sea water on an ocean passage gets them clean but they never really dry and are sticky to touch.

If salt is left behind on a sail and it is stored anywhere that might get damp then there is a risk. Washed, completely dried and vacuum packed would be ideal, but a cool dry loft and checked regularly probably enough. Hanging them up removes the mouse problem because dacron makes nice nesting material in the Autumn when they come into the house for warmth.