How bad for my 3DL jib to live in a jib sock?

Aug 2, 2010
502
J-Boat J/88 Cobourg
New boat and I have a 3DL jib with no UV protection so my initial plan was to keep it in the sausage bag and put it up and down on race day. However I do day sail fairly often and sometimes with guests who have no sailing experience so I am wondering if a sock could be easier. I do have two spin halyards so that is covered.
Is it bad for the sail?

Dan
 
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
Joel Ronning (J70 world champ) does not like socks due to potential wear, but 99% of others are ok. I use one. Make sure it has elastic to keep it from flapping.
 
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Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
keep it flapping
Do you mean keep it from flapping?

I have a couple of friends who sail/race weekly 9 months out of the year. They use a sock they says to reduce the weight resulting from a suncover and improve the luff leading edge of the sail.

I do not know about the elastic, their socks have small lines running up the outside of the sock. They pull down on the lines and it cinches the sock around the furled sail to reduce wind damage. The sock has a plastic zipper with an interior flap, like a sleeping bag. As you haul the sock to the top you draw the zipper down. Zip up, open the sock, haul the sock down. While it is possible that such repetitive action could put some wear on the sail, I doubt it would be much. I suspect a good flogging in a stiff breeze does more to damage the sail then 10 seasons of covering it with a sock.

Recognize the sock is a compromise. You want to keep the sail as pristine as possible you remove it from the boat, carefully roll or fold it, and store it in a cool dry place. Only used for racing.
 
Aug 1, 2011
3,972
Catalina 270 255 Wabamun. Welcome to the marina
Why not put the sail away and get a Dacron unit for cruising. You said it yourself, they wouldn't know a 3dl from a tuna sandwich. Theyre not going to notice the difference.
 

Ted

.
Jan 26, 2005
1,254
C&C 110 Bay Shore, Long Island, NY
I use an ATN genoa sleeve (sock) to keep the weight of the sail to a minimum by not having a suncover sewn onto the leech and foot. Removing and putting the sleeve on at the end of the day requires some work but it is easier than flaking a headsail on the deck and putting it in a long bag. A genoa sleeve can more easily be raised and lowered by one person as compared to flaking it. The larger the boat the more it makes sense to use a sleeve. The ATN sleeve uses external lines to snug the sleeve around the rolled sail which eliminates the flapping.
 
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Jun 25, 2004
1,108
Corsair F24 Mk1 003 San Francisco Bay, CA
I have a laminate jib on a furler. I use a zippered sleeve cover that has external lacing to prevent flapping. It’s made of acrylic, which is water proofed and it breathes well. I haven’t noticed any wear on the sail from the cover.

It would be better for the sail to remove it, roll it up after every use, and stow it at home. but that takes too long and I’m too lazy.

The other alternative is a sacrificial sewn onto cover on the edges. I think the sleeve protects the sail from rain better than a Uv cover on the foot and leech. With a UV edge cover, Rain gets in between the layers of the sail and promotes mildew, because laminates don’t breathe.

My jib isn’t made of 3di composite, so maybe my experience isn’t relevant. Have you asked your north representative for their opinion?

Judy
 
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Aug 2, 2010
502
J-Boat J/88 Cobourg
Why not put the sail away and get a Dacron unit for cruising. You said it yourself, they wouldn't know a 3dl from a tuna sandwich. Theyre not going to notice the difference.
Meriachee, it is the work of putting the jib on and off that is the issue when I daysail. On race day it is ok to ask the crew to bring the job up from below and put it up but it is a pain to do when you just want to go out and cruise around for an hour before dinner.

Dan
 
Aug 1, 2011
3,972
Catalina 270 255 Wabamun. Welcome to the marina
Meriachee, it is the work of putting the jib on and off that is the issue when I daysail. On race day it is ok to ask the crew to bring the job up from below and put it up but it is a pain to do when you just want to go out and cruise around for an hour before dinner.

Dan
Seriously? You are kidding, right?
 
Jun 25, 2004
1,108
Corsair F24 Mk1 003 San Francisco Bay, CA
Seriously? You are kidding, right?
I agree with Dan. I’m dont want to remove my furling aramid laminate after every daysail. It’s a 10 minute job to hoist and 20 minute job to store a furling Racing jib properly. You can’t flake and brick them like a soft(er) and more flexible (polyester) cruising sailcloth.

Judy
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
I have a laminate jib on a furler. I use a zippered sleeve cover that has external lacing to prevent flapping. It’s made of acrylic, which is water proofed and it breathes well. I haven’t noticed any wear on the sail from the cover.

It would be better for the sail to remove it, roll it up after every use, and stow it at home. but that takes too long and I’m too lazy.
I love your insight, honesty and compromise. Spoken like a true sailor. :dancing:
 
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Mar 26, 2011
3,401
Corsair F-24 MK I Deale, MD
Seriously? You are kidding, right?
Which part did you think was funny? Too much work or a before dinner sail? He made sense to me.

Yes, I have laminate sails, no, I have not raced in many years. Lost interest. But I still sail fast and I remember racing.

I've been trying something else out on an old dog of a laminate sail this season. Paint (but not house paint). 99% UV block, no chipping, hasn't worn on the spreaders, very light. In fact, I had samples in the sun for a year first. So far, the only down side I can see is the lack of mechanical protection a heavy Sunbrella cover gives, but that's not really an option, so it is a false comparison. I'm not knocking sleeves, BTW, just adding something to the thread.

I have heard of some disappointments with paint, but the knucklheads used white, which is only about 75% UV block in most brands. In fact, fabric covered airplanes (they use something much like dacron sailcloth) put a UV blocking silver layer under the color coats to insure 100% UV blocking.

I curious to hear of shortcomings, other than Sunbrella is tougher.
 
Aug 1, 2011
3,972
Catalina 270 255 Wabamun. Welcome to the marina
Ok I stand confused. I read it as too much work. Hoisting sails is a lot of work, but if it's too much work, buy a stink pot.
 
Aug 2, 2010
502
J-Boat J/88 Cobourg
Ok I stand confused. I read it as too much work. Hoisting sails is a lot of work, but if it's too much work, buy a stink pot.
Not sure how you can be confused by this.
If you want testimony on the topic look at how many furling sails are on boats today. I, for one, really enjoyed un-furling both sails in about 60 seconds and furling them in the same time. If I wasn't racing I would probably still have a furling mast just for this reason. As far as telling me to buy a stinkpot, don't be so rude.
Dan
 
Mar 26, 2011
3,401
Corsair F-24 MK I Deale, MD
Ok I stand confused. I read it as too much work. Hoisting sails is a lot of work, but if it's too much work, buy a stink pot.
Not just hoisting.
  • Fetch sausage bag from below.
  • Put on deck and remove bag.
  • Positions just so under the feeder.
  • Rotate the sail as it hoists (remember, it was rolled, not flaked). This will take two or three people, of course, but you may be alone or with guests that don't know how to help, which is about the same thing. Or you may not want to ask for their help.
  • Lowering the sail takes longer, because a neat roll is not that easy.
So a 30 minute round trip just for the jib. Ick. We think that is too much work for casual sailing. That is why furlers were invented. That is kind of the point of the whole thread. Hoisting a hank-on polyester sail is totally different.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Sure it is work. But it is sailing. You can put the boat away wet and head to the club for a beer or you can take the time to remove the Sails and dry them in a loft. The beauty is either way you are participating in sailing. Is rolling the sail on a furler a compromise to shorten work time for play? Sure it is. Good or Bad. Does it really matter? It is your boat and they are your sails. So what if it shortens the sail life a day a week or a year. If you can be happy with the outcome then all is good.
 
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
I agree with Dan. I’m dont want to remove my furling aramid laminate after every daysail. It’s a 10 minute job to hoist and 20 minute job to store a furling Racing jib properly. You can’t flake and brick them like a soft(er) and more flexible (polyester) cruising sailcloth.

Judy
Ditto. My jib is happiest when rolled around the forestay, and so am I. Only folded once a year, it suffers ZERO abuse and creasing. Looks like new.
 

Ted

.
Jan 26, 2005
1,254
C&C 110 Bay Shore, Long Island, NY
Another downside of a sewn on UV cover is that it can contribute to premature material breakdown near the leech. The sewn on UV cover adds stiffness/support to the leech. The area of the sail just forward of where the leech cover ends is more flexible and acts like a hinge that over time will cause the sail material to fail because the sail is constantly flexing at that point every time the sail luffs like when you tack. Here is a photo of my friend's headsail that has failed because of the sewn on UV cover. You can see the area that's been repaired with a black vertical material near the forward edge of the cover.
Screen Shot 2019-11-21 at 5.44.32 PM.png
 
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