Can this jib be repaired and how?

[williamtl]

I’ve had a Genoa on my Mac 26D furler since I bought it in 2014. IT is really for much heavier air than we usually have in the summer months, so I wanted to swap it for the jib that the P.O. included.

When I opened the jib I found mouse turds and you guessed it, little mouse holes (see pics I extracted from a video of the jib). Don’t know if it was pre purchase or not, that’s not relevant.

Can I just use iron on patches?

Is this repairable? How would you go about it?

 

[Dave Groshong]

Looks pretty easy, here's what we offer for sail repair tape:
https://shop.macgregorowners.com/prod.php?3362
https://shop.macgregorowners.com/prod.php?654

 

[dlochner]

Sail repair tape is probably the best solution. Put a piece on each side of the hole.

The expensive solution involves a sailmaker and replacing a panel. Most likely overkill for your situation.

 

[rgranger]

I've had mouses do the exact same thing to a sail of mine in the past. When I put my sails up in the shed for the winter, I now toss a few mothballs into the sail bag. So far, it has done the trick.

This....

Not this...

 

[rgranger]

on the sail tape. I used that to fix my old sail and when I sold the boat three season's later, it was still holding up.

 

[jssailem]

When I had my sail serviced, the loft used sail tape both sides of a small tear and then stitched the patch with a zig/zag stitch all the way around the patch edges.

 

[dlochner]

When I had my sail serviced, the loft used sail tape both sides of a small tear and then stitched the patch with a zig/zag stitch all the way around the patch edges.

If you have access to a sewing machine that will handle the material and can do zig zag then this is a better way to go. The glue on the patch holds it in place, the stitching keeps the edges from peeling up. Because the material will stretch under load, a zig zag stitch will hold better than a straight stitch.

 

[thinwater]

Rub the tape down HARD with a epoxy spreader, seam rubber, or similar tool. HARD.

I've tested a lot of methods. Tape on both sides makes good sense for this. A heavier sail would need cloth, and perhaps the best method is to glue with Dr. Sails (stitches in a used sail can create a tear point). Really impressive stuff for both polyester and laminate sails.

 

[Will Gilmore]

If the taped area isn't large and you want to reinforce with stitching, don't bother with a machine. On something the size of a sail, even a small job is a project. You should have a hand stitching sail repair kit onboard anyhow, now's the time to practice.
https://www.cruisingworld.com/stitch-time
A needle, thread and sewing palm plus technique.

- Will (Dragonfly)

 

[dscribner]

If Mama has a Singer with metal gizzards, get a yard of sail cloth and 4 ozs of thread from Sailrite. A home machine won't even be bothered by a couple of layers of Dacron. We used my wife's graduation present, a Kenmore sewing machine circa 1980, and made a mainsail for our Lancer 25 (up to 10 layers of Dacron), a sail pack and new cushions out of Sunbrella and a whole number of mods for the boats. You DON'T need a Sailrite LZ1000 or industrial machine to do much of the sewing required for a boat. If you can afford it . . . dude (or dudette) go for it! Home Depot sells one for about $400.

 

[FDL S2]

If Mama has a Singer with metal gizzards, get a yard of sail cloth and 4 ozs of thread from Sailrite. A home machine won't even be bothered by a couple of layers of Dacron. We used my wife's graduation present, a Kenmore sewing machine circa 1980, and made a mainsail for our Lancer 25 (up to 10 layers of Dacron), a sail pack and new cushions out of Sunbrella and a whole number of mods for the boats. You DON'T need a Sailrite LZ1000 or industrial machine to do much of the sewing required for a boat. If you can afford it . . . dude (or dudette) go for it! Home Depot sells one for about $400. View attachment 153799 View attachment 153800 View attachment 153801

I second that you don't need a Sailrite sewing machine to do anything you need. I sewed a new zipper on my sail cover with the 1930's vintage Singer pictured. I really don't know how to sew, so I got some over the phone coaching from a friend and after a few tries I got it.