Even if you try to avoid any sail damage to your sailboat, there will be a time, unfortunately, when they get damaged at sea. So, what happens in the event of sail damage? Of course, the fact is that you’ll have to repair them while at sea and then quickly do a damage assessment. For that, you will probably need someone to lend you a hand and a flat surface to place the sail open. But before we get to the details on how to DIY repair a sail tear on your sailboat remember to be prepared for any unexpected scenario. In other words, having the right tools and supplies onboard gives you a huge advantage in dealing with the problem. Some of the basic tools include a waxed twine, a selection of sail needles, sharp scissors, spare webbing, and a sticky-back Dacron. Let’s move on and see the details!

Stitching your Sails

It is of great importance for a sailor to be able to stitch a sail by hand. If you know how to do this, it’s really practical in case of a chafe or of any other torn seams. The process is really simple. Firstly, make one pass to stitch on one set of diagonals as well as to the opposite direction and then fill in the other set. This can be applied in case you are following an existing zigzag stitch. Moreover, the sailor’s palm will facilitate you in order to force the needle through the fabric, and pliers will help you pull the needle through it. Remember to melt the ends of each knot with a lighter to prevent any loosening, as well as try to make tight stitches to ensure a strong repair. Buy a Sail Repair Kit From Amazon

Patch Repairs

For repairs that are not on a seam, a patch fix is necessary. You can use a Dacron patch for almost everything except spinnakers. Dacron can even stick to many laminate sails on the film side, but not on some resin-based and silicone-covered sails. In addition, dacron tapes come in different forms of thickness rolls and you can also buy larger sheets. Naturally, sails are not flat and they’re made up of panels that create depth. However, due to its design, when the surface you lay it on is flat it might pose you a problem. So do some temporary tucks and folds in the cloth, but away from the rip, and try to keep it flat. So, be patient and follow the below-mentioned procedure:

1. The space you’re going to “work” is essential. Find a dry and safe place with a flat surface like below the saloon table or even on a chopping board.
2. Always clean your fabric of salt with a freshwater rinse. Then allow a few moments for the fabric to dry. Continue by removing any residues with rubbing alcohol. This tip facilitates the drying process, as the alcohol evaporates.
3. Most of the time, some sails (mostly white), tear in lines. For that reason, they shouldn’t be pulled too close together or overlap each other. Otherwise, their shape will change, and thus loading will be created. In case the tear has gone off in different directions repair the longest first.

>>Also Read: Best Sail Repair Tape

Seam Repairs

In order to make sure that no seams are starting to appear, try to check your sails daily. It’s not particularly hard for a seam to be unstitched, right in the middle of your voyage. So, if you see any loose stitching, put the sail down immediately, if possible, in order to get it fixed. Stitching a seam back together is a task that requires some time and attention. However, it’s much easier than dealing with ripped fabric. When you stitch seam you just work your way methodically back through all the holes. Try finding a comfy place on deck to work because it might be difficult to move a large sail down below. And remember that “a stitch in time saves nine”!

Patch and Glue

Sail damage can be also caused by a tear to the sun protection on roller-furling headsails. If that happens don’t put new holes in your sail in order to stitch up the tear. This will be really time consuming. Use instead some sticky-back which definitely is an efficient and fast solution. Although you have to take the sail down and put it back up to do that, sticky-back is the answer to this problem.

The first step is to cut the corners of the patch round in order to keep them from peeling off the sail. Then clean the whole area from the repair with acetone, and once the patch is ready, rub from the center to the edge with a scissor handle in order to make sure that it’s totally adhered. Furthermore, sticky-back patches work efficiently for small holes in the actual fabric of the sail. If any holes appear in the fabric then use patches on both sides of the sail, an inch or two larger than the rip in all directions. Keep in mind to slightly counterbalance the two patches so that the load won’t spread out around the repair. Also, take with you ripstop sticky-back to match the colors on any downwind sails, as well as small, pre-cut round patches, which can be practical for small holes in nylon sails.

Spinnakers

A lot of spinnakers are no longer stitched and are put together just with tape, so if you need to make a repair it’s a particularly easy task. For most repairs a sticky back spinnaker repair tape is fine. Try not to change the panel’s shape and don’t use too much cloth for the patch. This way you’ll avoid generating unnecessary loads and stress lines. Instead, use the same amount of cloth for the patch so it moves and stretches simultaneously. Also, in case that a tear passes through the panels, repair one panel at a time and not all together. This way each panel is going to move and stretch as it was designed to.

Hardware

One of the things that need occasional repairs on your sails is fabric. Fabric is one of the most vulnerable parts of your sails. Most of the time, when a sailboat uses its slab reefing it will subsequently wear out the webbing attachments to the tack rings. Therefore a failure of the webbing connection to the mainsail luff slides will be caused. As I’ve mentioned before, the most practical and easy solution to this is to be equipped with twine, a webbing, a needle, and a sailor’s palm. In case you don’t have the correct size of webbing, then Spectra cord can attach a slide fairly well.

These repairs are permanent and won’t take you more than an hour. Another sail damage for many sailboats with full-length battens might be caused by the connection point between the batten and the luff track on the mast. The best thing to do if that happens is to apply West System epoxy along with 3M adhesive sealant 5200 fast cure. This will untie your hands and is also an easy task to perform.

Common Damage Areas

• Spinnakers: Anything sharp can damage the spinnakers. Especially near the boom, so check that everything is taped up. Also, spinnakers tend to get caught between the shrouds and above the spreaders so consider closing off this gap with a bungee.
• Spreader and Rig Chafe: When you’re sailing downwind the mainsail spends a lot of time relaxing on the rig. Keep in mind to fill your spreaders with pipe insulation. Moreover, consider having extra reinforcement patches for the spreaders on the batten pockets and at each reef point.
• Spreader Ends: Always reinforce the sail and put smooth cages around protrusions. In addition, wrap foam around your spreader caps on long voyages.
• Bottom of the Headsail: Try to lower the halyard enough in order to reach the damaged section. Then reinforce with a sail repair tape. In case the conditions don’t favor you to do so, keep a wrap in the sail to take the pressure off the damage.

Summary – How to Repair the Sails

All this is much easier if your sails aren’t damaged in the first place. But, I know for a fact that sometimes you can’t prevent it from happening. In any case, always be alert to what is going on with the rags. Moreover, always carry a sail repair kit (link to Amazon) on board especially for long-distance cruising. Before leaving for any long trip have also a sailmaker service to check your sails for any weak points. Last but not least, in case that your sails are damaged at sea reinforce any loose stitching immediately and tape both sides of repairs to ensure extra strength.