Chafe resistant sail cover inner liner choices?

[evm1024]

When I finish up my current "big" project (rebuild ice box) I will be sewing a stack pack for the boat.

The current Sailrite sailcover is long on the tooth at 8 years. And the winter winds really take their toll in terms of chafe as the cover vibrates.

I'll be adding lazy jacks and building a stack pack (perhaps based on the sailrite kit) but I wanted to add an internal liner that is less prone to chafe than Sunbrella and it not likely to chafe the sail.

I've been doing some googling on the internet as well as here in CF. Now it is time to ask you all what you think would be great for this use.

We were going to hit the Ha-Ha this year but that has been placed a year out. We expect 5 years in the tropics. The boom is 19' long so this is a fairly big project.

I also expect to add in some "compression" straps. So that we can cinch the cover tight when the winds are up and we do not want any "fluttering" of the cover. Could be built in or could be as simple as external sail ties.

Thanks!

[mrybas]

I recently made a lazy bag/stack pack for my main. I used WeatherMax lined with 4oz Dacron.

[mlydon]

I just modified my cover, as it no longer fit after harken sliders/track were added to the mast and sail. I needed to add about 3’ height to the mast end....

Anyway, it was a very nicely made cover with sailcloth liner from zipper to about 2’ back - just enough to prevent chafe from the dropped sail’s luff folds....

Matt

[evm1024]

4 oz sailcloth does appear to be more of the standard.

Thanks!

[Jim Cate]

We built our new boom bag from Weathermax with high hopes. Reality has us disappointed in that the Burgandy color has faded very badly, and now is a kinda muddy brownish red. Physically it has held up fairly well, with no chafe evidenced. The Tenara stitching has been great. One small failure in a high stress area (poorly designed/executed), but zero sun damage noted. The fabric has become a bit stiffer than when new, but otherwise seems to be maintaining well.

Ours is not lined at all. We have no problems resulting from this (that we can see) after about four years usage (full time cruisers). Sun exposure has varied from tropical to the allegedly high UV in Tasmania... no real data on that, just local opinion! It is possible that there has been some UV leakage into the flaked sail... no way to measure or estimate that.

We also made dinghy chaps from Weathermax, light grey in color about five years ago. It hasn't faded noticeably, but has had some tears from snags, and recently, one chafed spot where a mooring line rubbed on it during a bit of strong wind. Not particularly happy with it's performance and likely won't use it in that application again.

I'm sad about this, for I like working with the WeatherMax, it is lighter and less expensive than Sunbrella and folds up smaller... and of course, has better chafe resistance.

Reality is often different than what the glossy brochures promise!

Jim

[JPA Cate]

Hi, Evm1024,

Somewhere on CF, there's a good article about the relative UV absorptive properties of the various colors, with dark ones offering the best protection. For the inside of your boom bag, if you stay with Sunbrella for the main fabric, anything light weight and slippery will do. Use a dark color, for both, if possible. If you are showing chafe on your present mainsail cover, you can cover that area generously (above 4" top, bot and sides) with a single sticky-backed light weight sail cloth patch. It will be slippery enough, for sure. and it will protect the acrylic.

The acrylic canvases are woven from very short staple filaments, which is why they are so chafe prone. Depends on your design whether or not you have to line the whole forward part (where the flaked bundle is largest). I think you could get by with the sticky-back sail mending cloth, and replace, if needed.

Ann

[evm1024]

Thanks for the input Jim, Ann and all.

I'm not worried at present with color fade. I'll likely select pacific blue for the color. I've patched the existing cover time and again. Patches on patches as it were. Given the age of the current cover (white sunbrella) I end up pulling out the Salimaker sewing machine in the fall and spring.

Bombproof and low maintenance are my goals. Tenara of course is on the list.

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by evm1024

Thanks for the input Jim, Ann and all.

I'm not worried at present with color fade. I'll likely select pacific blue for the color. I've patched the existing cover time and again. Patches on patches as it were. Given the age of the current cover (white sunbrella) I end up pulling out the Salimaker sewing machine in the fall and spring.

Bombproof and low maintenance are my goals. Tenara of course is on the list.

With those goals, use the 4 oz. dacron for the liner. You really only need it for about the first 4 feet, mast going aft. Our boom's 19 ft. as well.

Ann

[evm1024]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

With those goals, use the 4 oz. dacron for the liner. You really only need it for about the first 4 feet, mast going aft. Our boom's 19 ft. as well.

Ann

Thanks - sounds good.

[guyrj33]

The sail rite stack pack cover kit uses dacron sailcloth to line the forward part of the sail cover. I don't see any reason not to line the entire cover if you're worried about chafe.

[bcboomer]

For what it's worth, our very old (15 years) sail cover shows no chafe.

The first half is lined with fibreglass screen material.

[Cliffhanger]

It is important to have a gap under the sail to allow for airflow and so most stack packs I have seen are made in two halves joined with webbing straps that run through sliders attached to the boom. I have modified this arrangement by having side-release buckles instead of fixed webbing. This lets me quickly and easily take the stack pack off if I need to. But also lets me adjust the fit around the sail. So, now I have a nice snug fit around the sail that doesn't flap even in the strongest winds. No flap = no chafe. The stack pack is made from Sunbrella and is not lined. Seems to work well.

[slowpoker]

You could line the sailcover with any soft, dark colored cloth that is thick as to add UV and chafe protection for the mainsail. I got remnants of upholstery materials from shop nearby and stitched to the inner seams.
Good idea to ventilate from the bottom of the boom with adjustable straps!.

[Breaking Waves]

North told me to use a lightweight taffeta as sail cover liner.

This was more due to UV than to chafe.

After about 18 months to 2 years the umbrella type fabrics have become quite transparent to UV. The interior taffeta (with tight weave) block that and don't weather (at least not anywhere near as much).

It is a nice smooth fabric, and so good for chafe also. And it is lightweight so does not add much weight or bulk to the cover.

[Kestrahl]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

We built our new boom bag from Weathermax with high hopes. Reality has us disappointed in that the Burgandy color has faded very badly, and now is a kinda muddy brownish red. Physically it has held up fairly well, with no chafe evidenced. The Tenara stitching has been great. One small failure in a high stress area (poorly designed/executed), but zero sun damage noted. The fabric has become a bit stiffer than when new, but otherwise seems to be maintaining well.

Ours is not lined at all. We have no problems resulting from this (that we can see) after about four years usage (full time cruisers). Sun exposure has varied from tropical to the allegedly high UV in Tasmania... no real data on that, just local opinion! It is possible that there has been some UV leakage into the flaked sail... no way to measure or estimate that.

We also made dinghy chaps from Weathermax, light grey in color about five years ago. It hasn't faded noticeably, but has had some tears from snags, and recently, one chafed spot where a mooring line rubbed on it during a bit of strong wind. Not particularly happy with it's performance and likely won't use it in that application again.

I'm sad about this, for I like working with the WeatherMax, it is lighter and less expensive than Sunbrella and folds up smaller... and of course, has better chafe resistance.

Reality is often different than what the glossy brochures promise!

Jim

The weathermax80 is lasting about 5 years here in Malaysia before its easily torn, which is pretty poor considering it has/had a 10 year warranty. Some friends who own a chandlery shop here tried to claim on this warranty, and weathermax US didn't want to know about it.
We use PVC lining in our lazy bags, PVC varies a lot in quality so you need to use a good one. You could also line the inside of Sunbrella with Weathermax as it does have a lot better chafe resistance, it is a polyester like sailcloth.