Sails are put under a lot of stress when used. The wind tears at them, the sun fries them with UV radiation and rain drenches them. No wonder sails rip now and then. If you are close to home, you probably have your own sailmaker available for repairs, but what if you are on a trip? Here are a few tips on emergency sail repair and preventive maintenance to help you fix problems under way but also avoid them altogether.
The expert on the videos is Jyri Varhe, sailmaker at Doyle Sail Finland. The videos are in Finnish with English subtitles. In the first video Jyri shows how you can quickly repair a ripped sail. For spinnakers and similar, the repair can even be permanent if carefully done. Taping does not last very long on Dacron sails, therefore you should take a Dacron sail to a sailmaker quickly after an emergency repair.
You can avoid ripping your sail by using it in the right way. In the second video, Jyri discusses the three main reasons for ripped sails. Jyri also talks about the services available from Doyle to repair sails during the holiday season in Finland. Even if you rip your sail, your holiday need not be ruined!
If you encounter a problem with your sails, you can use this Sail in Finland page to find a sailmaker close to you. If you are further afield from one of the sailmakers, use this Sail in Finland info page on public transport to find suitable way to get your sail to and from the sailmaker. The Finnish busses have parcel delivery services that can be used for easily sending stuff like a sail to and from a sailmaker.