SAIL CARE
Your sails are an investment—and with proper care, you can easily extend their life and get the most out of them.
MAINTENANCE
Diligent care and maintenance will ensure that your Doyle sails last as long as possible. Doyle offers maintenance and repair service in every corner of the world. Our staff is trained to identify common sail problems before they turn into expensive and inconvenient disasters and like with most things on a boat, we recommend regular inspection once a year.
When repairs are needed, Doyle Sails will evaluate each job by determining: the extent of the damage, the anticipated lifespan of the sail and the future use of the boat. After this assessment we can give the customer the most appropriate service recommendation and estimate. Personal and professional service ensures that the customer knows what they're getting and what they are paying for.
Quick Tips:
- Avoid using the sails outside of their designed wind range
- Sails should only be reefed to designated reef points
- Flogging on the sails should be kept to a minimum
- Store sails when they are clean and dry – check that your storage location is well ventilated.
- Ensure sail covers and bags are used at every opportunity – this will minimise the effects of UV damage.
FLOGGING OF SAILS
Sail care starts with learning how to properly set and trim your sails. If you let your sails flog and flap in the breeze the sail cloth will break down faster and become prone to tearing. Understanding where to correctly position your genoa leads and how to maintain proper halyard and sheet tension will help to set your sail properly and increase performance. Be sure to keep the leech line adjusted so that the leech does not flutter.
UV PROTECTION
Ultraviolet rays are the number one enemy of your sails. If sails are left exposed to the sun when not in use, they will deteriorate rapidly. All mainsails, mizzens and staysails should have the leech and foot covers to protect the sail fabric from the sun when the sail is furled.
WASHING SAILS
Depending on the frequency of use and number of miles, it will become necessary to wash your sails. Washing your sails can serve two purposes: First, it rids the sails of salt, dirt and other contaminants. Salt encrusted sails are harder to handle and because salt is a crystal it will shorten the life of your sails. Secondly, washing the sails (including all hardware including but not limited to batten boxes, rings and headboads) helps remove unsightly oil, grease, rust and mildew stains.