Roller furling jib cleaning info

[beeryboats]

Hi all,

It's almost that time of year. Clean and launch. My roller furled jib is looking the worse for wear. It's getting greenish and grungy. What's the best way to clean this without having to unfurl and remove?

Thanks,
Jay

 

[Joe]

.

 

[Joe]

You're asking the impossible. How in the heck are you going to clean the sail without unfurling it?

 

[justsomeguy]

You're asking the impossible. How in the heck are you going to clean the sail without unfurling it?

He could hire someone else to do it for him, or her...:bang:

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

take jib off and clean. IF you are reluctant to use a dish cleaning detergent with a little cholox, then buy Davis Sail Bath to clean the sails with. When taking the sail down, use a messenger line tied to the down haul so you can pull the sail back up or vice versa with a messenger line.

dave condon

 

[watercolors II]

I use windex & baking soda

Plug scuppers in cockpit, fill with 5 gallon fresh water, dump in large bottle of Windex and box of baking soda. Use bare feet on sail, use seat to scrub heavy areas and rinse with another 10 gallon of fresh water.

Clean sail, clean feet, clean boat and use mast as clothesline.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

I would not suggest bare feet in window cleaner even diluted as some folks are allergic to that. However, that will work as well.

crazy dave condon

 

[beeryboats]

All that needs cleaning is the protective cover stitched to the jib when it's rolled up. The sail itself looks great. I usually wash the boat with a pretty strong carwash/bleach mix, but I don't think that would be too nice to the sail.
Jay

 

[Joe]

All that needs cleaning is the protective cover stitched to the jib when it's rolled up. The sail itself looks great. I usually wash the boat with a pretty strong carwash/bleach mix, but I don't think that would be too nice to the sail.
Jay

How tall are you? Wouldn't that place some kind of limitation on your effort? Take the sail off and do it right.

 

[beeryboats]

The mast is unstepped with the rolled up sail laying next to it across the cabin top. Reaching it is easy, just don't know what kind of cleaner is safe to use.

Although there is a couple inches of snow on everything at the moment. And more coming down as I speak.

 

[Joe]

The mast is unstepped with the rolled up sail laying next to it across the cabin top. Reaching it is easy, just don't know what kind of cleaner is safe to use.

Although there is a couple inches of snow on everything at the moment. And more coming down as I speak.

Geez, your original question was

What's the best way to clean this (the furled sail) without having to unfurl and remove?

No mention that the mast was unstepped, not even what kind of boat.... or that you just wanted to clean the sun cover not the sail....

Use dish soap...and you can scrub it with a soft bristle brush as long as you are only cleaning the cover........ but here's the deal.... you still need to unfurl it... because the cover overlaps itself.

Here's a piece of advice......... take care of your sails. Remove them from the boat and stow out of the weather....

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Joe hit it on the nailhead. When folks do not give us all the information, then it hard to give good advice and in some cases, too many emails due to supposition as to what the issue is. So please folks, take the time and tell us what all the facts are. We respond because we want to help but give us all the information. Thanks Joe for pointing that out.

crazy dave condon

 

[beeryboats]

Sorry, I thought "trailer sailer" said it all. But what may seem painfully obvious to someone in the snowy midwest may not necessarily be so to someone below the snow belt. Up here all boats come down for the winter. The lucky ones have barns to hide them in. I saw one poor chap a few years ago not get his boat out in time. He was very lucky it was a mild winter and the ice didn't crush the boat and sink it at the slip.

I'll drop the sail after I launch. Why is it that when ever you want to do work on the boat with the sails up, it's blowing like stink? And then when you really want to go sailing, you can't find a breath of air?