USE OF "TEAR MENDER" ON SAILS

[Tom Miller]

The sunbrella on my jib on my Catalina 30 is coming unsewn at the clew and other places. I have seen a product advertised on QVC called Tear Mender to repair tears in fabric, upholstrey etc. Has anyone ever used this product on Dacron sails? Would it work or do I need to take the sail down (no easy task even with the special "tool" required) and send the sail to a sailmaker for repairs?Thanks,Tom Miller

 

[Bob Howie]

Sail Repairs

The strip of Sunbrella on your jib is not called a "sacrificial sunshield" for no reason! It's likely that it's time to replace it if it is coming unsewn because the fabric and/or thread is rotting away. I wouldn't put too much faith in that junk sold on TV that promises unnoticeable repairs on this or that. You'd be better off sealing the unraveling thread with Super Glue, but DON'T put that stuff on the sail itself.It'll cost you about $150-$200 to have a new sailcover sewn on your jib and it's likely your jib could probably use some looking after as well at this point. I'd strongly recommend you just go ahead and pull the sail off the roller and have a loft do your repairs for you. I think you'll be happier with the result.

 

[Pitman]

I did it

My jib had the same problem. Stiching had rotted and come loose. Took it to the sail loft and for $75 they restiched everything.

 

[Jim Maroldo]

Give up!

They're right Tom! IMHO, there's an awful lot of stress on the jib seams even with only 5-10 knot winds. It'd be at least embarrassing if it came apart on you ( and it sounds as though it's about ready to!). If you had a rip somewhre in the center of the sail, it probably wouldn't be so bad, but even then, any sailmaker worth his salt will do 1000% better than ANY glue could. (BTW, if you do glue it, the sailmaker may not want to repair it once it fails again!)Jim Maroldos/v: Lil' Wass Ett

 

[Mickey McHugh]

Tom, It Should Always Be Easy!

You said taking down the jib is no easy task even with the special "tool" required. That's scary. You should always be able to drop the jib quickly in case the roller furling system malfunctions. If you can't just loose the halyard and pull the jib down, then fix the problem.IMHO

 

[Bill]

Thread

Tom, I had this happen. The Southern sun in murder on fabrics, more so on thread. So the stitching thread on your sacrificial sun cover will be the first to go. I agree that a simple restitching job may be all you need.