SailCare service

Feb 11, 2015
212
Catalina 22 Lake Jacomo
I know many of you here also belong to the Catalina22 facebook group, but I'm sure there's plenty here who do not. I recently posted there about wanting to send my sails off to SailCare for their cleaning process. Although the intent of my post was to learn about the turn around time, I received a few responses advising me to avoid them. The issues brought up seemed valid enough to warrant doing some more research before rolling the dice with my own sails. Someone suggested that I spend my money on new sails instead. I get the whole "lipstick on a pig" argument, but my sail are far from being ready for retirement, I just want to keep them in as good a condition as possible for as long as possible, I'm not trying to salvage blown out rags. I did a bit of Googling and found mixed opinions, but my gut just tells me that most of the negatives stemmed from hoping a restoration process was gonna squeeze a few more seasons out of sails that should have been replace long before.

If you've used SailCare, please let me know if you would or wouldn't use them again, and why or why not. Did you notice any change in your sail's performance (positive or negative) afterward. If you already replied to the facebook post, please know that I appreciated your opinion and I'm not discounting any of it, I'm just looking for more insight from others before I either pull the trigger or push my tiller hard a'lee.
 
Dec 1, 1999
2,391
Hunter 28.5 Chesapeake Bay
Over the years, I've used SailCare a number of times and generally found it to be worthwhile. I found that they did a very good job of cleaning my sails and putting some stiffness/resin back in them. I did not see any performance improvement in the sails; they just looked better. I thought SailCare was on the expensive side in that, in addition to their costs for services, you have to pack and ship your sails both ways (unless you live near Ford City, PA). You may be better off having a local sail loft clean your sails instead.
 
Jul 5, 2005
217
Beneteau 361 Sandusky Harbor Marina
I had the main and 135 headsail of my Beneteau 361 reconditioned at Sailcare. My headsail, in particular, was very dirty and mildewed at the luff pad. The sails came back crisp and clean. One thing I didn't appreciate is that Sailcare shortened my batten pockets (four of them) by about five inches each. So I had to cut down my battens. No bid deal, but a pain in the neck. the next year I decided to just order new sails because my blown out sails were still blown out after Sailcare, and I tried to get quotes from use sail lofts to purchase my still clean and crisp used sails. As soon as I mentioned they had been reconditioned at Sailcare, the used sail loft said thanks, but no thanks. They evidently didn't find Sailcare's service as a positive.
 
Jun 8, 2004
2,841
Catalina 320 Dana Point
Last winter I took my main to the local sail cleaner that was used by all the local lofts, he'd closed because the drought meant he would be required to install about 1 million in recycling equipment. So now NO ONE in the southwest US cleans sails, I'd advise checking a local loft but after googling Lake Jocomo probably not a good option. We used to clean small boat sails on the lawn, you might be able to clean yours yourself, maybe soak in a stock tank or hot tub. I keep putting off doing mine because I'm reduced to doing it on the boat and it's going to make a mess.
 
Sep 30, 2013
3,538
1988 Catalina 22 North Florida
I tried to get quotes from use sail lofts to purchase my still clean and crisp used sails. As soon as I mentioned they had been reconditioned at Sailcare, the used sail loft said thanks, but no thanks. They evidently didn't find Sailcare's service as a positive.
That's interesting. I'd love to know the inside scoop on it.
 
Feb 11, 2015
212
Catalina 22 Lake Jacomo
We used to clean small boat sails on the lawn, you might be able to clean yours yourself, maybe soak in a stock tank or hot tub. I keep putting off doing mine because I'm reduced to doing it on the boat and it's going to make a mess.
I've done mine on the lawn for years, just a pain in the butt and never got what I would consider professional looking results. Over the years I have used DIY products like SailBath, SailWash, SailBite, Woolite, and Oxy Clean. I've done both long soaks, and hand scrubs with a brush. All did a reasonable job of cleaning, but none were satisfactory at removing stains, mildew or brightening up dinginess. My overall best results have come from plain ole Clorox diluted about 50%, but that is really hard on the fabric and stitching and I would rather avoid that my current sails.
 
Feb 11, 2015
212
Catalina 22 Lake Jacomo
That's interesting. I'd love to know the inside scoop on it.
Yeah, me too. Two of the people who replied to the FB thread are sail makers, and both did not recommend it. One mentioned that all of the cloth manufactures advise not to use it as well. Now the skeptic in me says "of course a sailmaker would steer you away from a product that keeps you from buying a new sail for a longer period of time", but if the cloth manufactures and used sail buyers don't like it, there has to be a reason. Right now I think I'm gonna hold off for this winter until I find out more. There has to be something to this or they wouldn't have stayed in business as long as they have, and people wouldn't be sending their sails back year after year.
 
Sep 15, 2013
707
Catalina 270 Baltimore
The Irwin 23 I bought in 1995 had the main done at Sailcare. It was very nice and crisp but it seemed brittle and tore often. It was patched a lot by a local guy with a zig zag machine and spare dacron.. I was not looking for performance so it was not a big deal for me. The main and genoa were of similar vintage and did not go to sail care. They were not as clean and crisp looking but never ripped and generally held up better. They also felt more robust than the main that went to Sail Care. From my experience the Sail Care sail looked really good but I think much of its strength was lost. Hope that helps.
 
Dec 23, 2008
771
Catalina 22 Central Penna.
Catalina 22, plug scuppers in cockpit. Fill floor with 5 gallons of fresh water, pour in one bottle of Windex glass cleaner and one or two boxes of baking soda. Use bare feet to agitate wash, use bunk tops with brush to work heavy areas. Unplug scuppers, pour in another 5 to 10 gallons fresh water to rinse. Find some place close by to hang sails to dry.

Clean sails, clean cockpit and clean feet!
 
Feb 11, 2015
212
Catalina 22 Lake Jacomo
Windex and baking soda huh? Never heard of that one. Never really thought about using the cockpit as a tub, but don't see why it wouldn't work just fine. Now if only there were a handy place to hang them up to dry afterward......LOL
 
Jul 5, 2005
217
Beneteau 361 Sandusky Harbor Marina
I'm sorry I can't remember why the used sail guy wouldn't take a used sail that had been through the Sail Care process. Since it was a dead end for me, I didn't bother locking that particular piece of information in my already overcrowded memory. :(