Any advice on removing sun protection on genoa

Y

yelkenli

.
Jul 7, 2024
44
Catalina 27 Lake Keowee
I sail on a lake with low winds, and the sun protection strip on my genoa has a length along the leech that is coming off.

The sail has a wide band of sun material at the foot, and a band of sun material along the leech.

I am thinking of removing all of the sacrificial sun protection material and replacing with a genoa sleave.

I am thinking it is a matter of cutting the stitches to remove the sun material.

Anything to look out for when doing this?
 
BigEasy

BigEasy

.
Jun 21, 2004
2,695
Beneteau 343 Slidell, LA
Did that several years ago. To save $, I ripped off the old Dacron sacrificial strip and took it to he sail loft for a sunbrella sacrificial cover. Worse part was pulling the threads from the sail, once the old cove was removed.
 
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Y

yelkenli

.
Jul 7, 2024
44
Catalina 27 Lake Keowee
Project_Mayhem said:
Do you have a roller furler?
Click to expand
Yes. It is on roller furler.
Our light winds and the weight of the extra material don't mix well. I am thinking a genoa sleeve would be better. I have to take it off and put it on, and it is an additional expense.
If I want to defer the additional expense, I suppose I could sew the portion that is coming off.
 
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garymalmgren

garymalmgren

.
May 29, 2018
537
Canel 25 foot Shiogama, japan
RE: Our light winds and the weight of the extra material don't mix well.

Removing the UV protection strip will not make the wind stronger.
Realistically, we are looking at a few ponds of sail weight.
Have you thought of getting hold of a (secondhand) asymmetrical spinnaker/gennaker?

gary
 
Davidasailor26

Davidasailor26

.
May 17, 2004
5,502
Beneteau Oceanis 37 Havre de Grace
garymalmgren said:
RE: Our light winds and the weight of the extra material don't mix well.

Removing the UV protection strip will not make the wind stronger.
Realistically, we are looking at a few ponds of sail weight.
Have you thought of getting hold of a (secondhand) asymmetrical spinnaker/gennaker?

gary
Click to expand
In very light air it’s not as much the weight as the stiffness the sunbrella adds to the sail that disturbs its shape. In order to qualify for a roller furling credit PHRF Chesapeake requires boats to have at least a 4oz woven UV cover on both the leech and foot, so at least in their estimation it makes a difference.
 
Captain Larry-DH

Captain Larry-DH

.
Jun 14, 2010
2,259
Robertson & Caine 2017 Leopard 40 CT
You’ll need a spinnaker halyard to raise the sleave/sock. I have one and it’s a PITA. I don't use it. I suggest you sew it or bring it to a sailmaker. Also, the labor will be less costly than a sleave AND likely your sails already are in desperate need of maintenance even beyond that strip. (The reason the strip is coming off is probably UV-“rot“ of the stitching. I’d bet a dinner that the rest of your seams are also very weak. If I’m right you’ll see a self-destruction event in heavy winds sometime soon.).
 
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jssailem

jssailem

SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
Oct 22, 2014
22,555
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
The boat is a 1985. Is the "heavy" sail original?
Get a new sail made with the new lightweight material. You'll be happier and faster on the water. It can be a Jib, Genoa, or Code 0. Use it for light wind days. I had a friend buy a used Tape Drive sail. He raced his boat with it and loved the sail.
 
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Davidasailor26

Davidasailor26

.
May 17, 2004
5,502
Beneteau Oceanis 37 Havre de Grace
As a data point - I had UV cover stitching start to come undone on a jib that was only 4 season old. We were waiting for a race to start on a particularly windy day when we noticed it. Our sailmaker redid the stitching, and we have not had a problem since. That was 6 years ago and the sail was still serviceable, though a bit blown out, this season.
 
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Tally Ho

Tally Ho

.
Jan 7, 2011
5,365
Oday 322 East Chicago, IN
I took the sacrificial UV cover off my Genoa to save some money…but I chickened out on trying to sew the new one on…so I took the sail to a local loft. Old sail was pretty bad (about 10 years old I think). Ended up having a new sail made.

Very dirty job, time consuming and easy to rip the sail.

Greg
 
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P

Project_Mayhem

.
Sep 24, 2018
3,205
Catalina 30 MKIII Chicago
To have my whole sunbrella stitching removed and redone cost $300 and that included maintenance to the rest of the sail as well. Most years I paid about $200 to have both cleaned with minor repairs
 
shemandr

shemandr

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Jan 1, 2006
7,436
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
I think the OP's issue is performance. I think the sail will perform better without the cover. I crewed on a boat on which a protective sleeve was used so the jib could be left up (Furled). It was a bit of a PITA to raise the sleeve because of the friction of the sleeve on the sail. If it had been my boat I probably would opt to drop the sail and fold or roll it like many racing boats do.
 
J

JBP-PA

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Apr 29, 2022
542
Jeanneau Tonic 23 Erie, PA
yelkenli said:
Yes. It is on roller furler.
Our light winds and the weight of the extra material don't mix well. I am thinking a genoa sleeve would be better. I have to take it off and put it on, and it is an additional expense.
If I want to defer the additional expense, I suppose I could sew the portion that is coming off.
Click to expand
I have the same problem with a light air Genoa I acquired. They had it custom made and used Sunbrella for the UV strip. The Sunbrella is so much heavier it distorts the sail.
I'm going to replace it with a light weight UV protection. Maybe Odyssey or SailRite has a 4oz UV protected Dacron, or Insignia adhesive backed.
 
Last edited:
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justsomeguy

justsomeguy

.
Feb 20, 2011
8,040
Island Packet 35 Tucson, AZ/San Carlos, MX
Find a friend or friendly dockmate with a Sailrite or similar, and have a spool of contrasting thread on hand.
Oh, and a case of beer/favorite beverage too.
 
S

sdommer

.
May 28, 2014
6
Oday 25 Long Island
Captain Larry-DH said:
You’ll need a spinnaker halyard to raise the sleave/sock. I have one and it’s a PITA. I don't use it. I suggest you sew it or bring it to a sailmaker. Also, the labor will be less costly than a sleave AND likely your sails already are in desperate need of maintenance even beyond that strip. (The reason the strip is coming off is probably UV-“rot“ of the stitching. I’d bet a dinner that the rest of your seams are also very weak. If I’m right you’ll see a self-destruction event in heavy winds sometime soon.)
Click to expand
Why do you consider it a PITA? My sacrificial material has shredded in a few places. Called a local sailmaker, and their over-the-phone estimate to replace was $700. I can get a new sail for 2x that price, or an ATN genoa sleeve for about $350, so I was leaning towards the sleeve. The videos make is seem like a fairly simple process, and I have an extra jib halyard that could be used.
 
jssailem

jssailem

SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
Oct 22, 2014
22,555
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Project_Mayhem said:
My main concern is that the sleeve might interfere with the furler
Click to expand
Not a problem. It is like you going to the closet and getting an overcoat.

The sleeve goes on when the sail is furled. It is pulled up by its own halyard and zipped around the furled sail as the sleeve is raised. Upon arriving at the boat to head out sailing, you go to the bow, remove, and stow below the genoa sleeve (overcoat) before you untie the docklines.
 
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shemandr

shemandr

.
Jan 1, 2006
7,436
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
I think it was the zipper that was a problem. It took 2 people - one to raise the halyard and one to zip.
 
BigEasy

BigEasy

.
Jun 21, 2004
2,695
Beneteau 343 Slidell, LA
JBP-PA said:
I have the same problem with a light air Genoa I acquired. They had it custom made and used Sunbrella for the UV strip. The Sunbrella is so much heavier it distorts the sail.
I'm going to replace it with a light weight UV protection. Maybe Odyssey or SailRite has a 4oz UV protected Dacron, or Insignia adhesive backed.
Click to expand
Just realize that the light weight Dacron isn't going to last nearly as long as the sunbrella.
 
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