Sail Cleaning & Inspection & Repair

[LittleWingCA]

Hi Guys:

How often should you take the sails off the boat and get them cleaned and inspected? Here in southern California the boat is in the water the entire year, and I was wondering how often this needs to be done? Is this a do it yourself task where you just take them home and lay them out in the yard and go at it with a brush, soap, and let them air dry? If so, what is the best practice and materials to use? Is it better to have them done professionally? Anyone know of any sail lofts in the San Diego area that can do the inspection / repair if needed? This is my first time at this, and I am a little unsure what is the best way to go. The company doing a lot of my refit work will take them down, wash them, and mark the problem areas, but it comes with a significant labor rate attached. Any ideas here?

[stormsailer1]

Find a good (will charge a reasonable amount for their services and you know other people who have used them; are willing to teach you what you need to know; will answer your questions; and sounds as if, will help you ask the right questions) local sail loft in the area--there are many in the San Diego area that I saw when "googled". I'm sure there are people who take their sails out in the back yard and "wash" them. I don't consider that cleaning. Also, have the loft check for needed and recommended repairs.

[centaursailor]

Read an article on getting good sails professionally cleaned and repaired when they look shabby. Theres at least one company over here that specializes in rejuvenating sail cloth and even applys a special finish into the bargain. Must be something similar in the States.
Article I read on it suggested soaking the sails in a bath of lukewarm water with a very weak solution of bleach between times.
I tried it, the bath, year before last and was pleasantly surprised, Left them up this year and will have to repeat again due to nice green stripes evenly along the UV strip.
Safe sailing

[catamount]

Originally Posted by centaursailor

... Theres at least one company over here that specializes in rejuvenating sail cloth and even applys a special finish into the bargain. Must be something similar in the State...

Yep -- http://www.sailcare.com/

And here's what one of my sailmaker's has to say about cleaning and caring for sails: http://www.popesails.com/sailcare.html

[Minnewaska]

I find that most lofts actually send them to someone else, so do some research and find them directly. I do all that kind of research at the bars in sailing towns and find a bartender that is a boat manager or captain as well. Works every time. Learn lots of secrets that way.

For my boat, going direct (New England) was between $800 and $1000 depending on manual or vacu-washing. I have about 1,600 sf between the two sails, so you'll need to extrapolate. Applying sailkote is optionally another $1,500. All included pick up and delivery at the boat.

[capttb]

North Sails has a cleaning facility in Long Beach, most local lofts will perform repairs and probably send here. I've used Baxter and Cicero (some affilliation with North) in Newport Beach~ $800 for a main & 150 for Catalina 270 cleaned, inspected and new sunbrella sunband on jib, the sunband was most (600 I think).
I've also used the Ullman loft in Newport, had a bunch of work, new main and new dacron sunband on genny, ~2000 but 1200 or more was the main.
Recently learned Arrow Covers also has new cleaning service Aquamarine, they are about 100 feet from the boat so I may try them this month. Their advertised rate is 50 cents a square foot and 70 cents more for Mclube treatment. I'm not familiar with this or other sail treatments, never tried them. After cleaning if you hose them off at the dock occasionally it helps alot, Sailmaker once chided me for not doing so, like the hygenist bitching you out for not flossing enough.
Aquamarine Sail Cleaners - Home

[zz4gta]

Once or twice a year depending on how dirty they are. But that's the "hose" method. Not the pro method. And I don't send my sails in, b/c there's not much they can do for aramid laminates. Dacron, either wash em yourself, or, ship em to sail care. Any local loft should be able to take care of you for a very small investment. $3-4 per pound I think.