have old dacron sail with numbers sewn onto sail,numbers are stiff and cracked,going to remove thread to get numbers off,but when the thread is removed it leaves holes where the thread was,should i do something to cover the holes?
sail
- Thread starter tgrayson
- Start date
Holes from a row or two of stitching won’t weaken the cloth to any meaningful degree. Just leave the cloth alone after you remove the old numbers. You can clean any old adhesive off Dacron sailcloth with acetone and a clean white cloth.
Judy B
Sailmaker
Judy B
Sailmaker
Last edited:
What do you plan on doing with the sail?
Eventually sails wear out. Some of us continue to use them till they Disintegrate in a strong breeze. Others chose to look at sails as we would a motor. When I gets tired we either scrap it or we sell it.
Usually old sails are not worth much. There are entrepenuaers who will grab just about anything and repurpose it. So is the case with sails. Google Old sails and you might find a repurpose person who will take your sail and give you a bag made out of sail cloth.
A new sail will make your boat look good and sail quicker. They are very rewarding, like putting a new outboard on a skiff. You'll buzz about the lake or harbor with new found speed.
It is up to you. You can also find sail tape. You can use it to put a patch over the area where the holes are. It will hold the sail together a little longer... You will be able to see the ghost of the old numbers you remove.
They may look a bit like this.. It is an acquired taste.
Eventually sails wear out. Some of us continue to use them till they Disintegrate in a strong breeze. Others chose to look at sails as we would a motor. When I gets tired we either scrap it or we sell it.
Usually old sails are not worth much. There are entrepenuaers who will grab just about anything and repurpose it. So is the case with sails. Google Old sails and you might find a repurpose person who will take your sail and give you a bag made out of sail cloth.
A new sail will make your boat look good and sail quicker. They are very rewarding, like putting a new outboard on a skiff. You'll buzz about the lake or harbor with new found speed.
It is up to you. You can also find sail tape. You can use it to put a patch over the area where the holes are. It will hold the sail together a little longer... You will be able to see the ghost of the old numbers you remove.
They may look a bit like this.. It is an acquired taste.
Trace the numbers, then remove them then paint the numbers. It would fill in the holes in the process. In Annapolis downtown there is a shop that says they recycle sails into bags and such, but having seen the bags, they look more like they were made with brand-new sail scraps of fabric.
I had an aged sail that when I looked up at it withe the sun behind there were a thousand beams of light.
Last year I bit the bullet and released the moths from my wallet, buying a new main sail. Wow. Not only did it look good, I sailed faster in lighter air. Some one told me “it’s only money “. But it is hard to let go of it. Sometimes when you do it is a true reward.
Last year I bit the bullet and released the moths from my wallet, buying a new main sail. Wow. Not only did it look good, I sailed faster in lighter air. Some one told me “it’s only money “. But it is hard to let go of it. Sometimes when you do it is a true reward.