I have recently purchased my first boat, a 93 Catalina 22. My question concerns the 150 Genoa. I have the 150 on a CDI Roller Furler. The previous owner told me that the Genoa has a UV cover built into the sail. I do not see any cover on the sail, when it is rolled up it looks like sail cloth. My question is, should I be able to see the cover? Is it a different type of material? Would it look the same as the sail itself? Any help for the newbie would be appreciated!
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Here's a link describing...
...how to INSTALL UV protection on your headsail. It gives a description of the main types, and what it looks like. There is a lightweight type of protection that is white. Maybe that's what you have.
...how to INSTALL UV protection on your headsail. It gives a description of the main types, and what it looks like. There is a lightweight type of protection that is white. Maybe that's what you have.
Leech & foot
There should be a strip of fabric, oh about 6-10" wide, that goes all along the leech and foot of the sail. It'll only be on one side of the sail. It could be white, blue, green... whatever. I'm not sure what material is used, but the stuff on my sail (North Sails) looks something like Sunbrella fabric. I'm not sure if an extra layer of plain old Dacron is ever used for this purpose -- it wouldn't hold up to the UV. How old is the sail? Does it show deterioration along the leech and luff?
There should be a strip of fabric, oh about 6-10" wide, that goes all along the leech and foot of the sail. It'll only be on one side of the sail. It could be white, blue, green... whatever. I'm not sure what material is used, but the stuff on my sail (North Sails) looks something like Sunbrella fabric. I'm not sure if an extra layer of plain old Dacron is ever used for this purpose -- it wouldn't hold up to the UV. How old is the sail? Does it show deterioration along the leech and luff?
UV cover
Thu UV cover could be sail cloth, some sailmakers give the option of sail cloth which is lighter than Sunbrella which is another option. Look for a continuous seam about 8"-12" or so from the edges of foot and leech of the sail. The cover will be on one side only. It is also possible that the previous owner used a sock which was hoisted up over the furled jib with a spinnaker halyard. If it doesn't have one, get one. Good luck.
Thu UV cover could be sail cloth, some sailmakers give the option of sail cloth which is lighter than Sunbrella which is another option. Look for a continuous seam about 8"-12" or so from the edges of foot and leech of the sail. The cover will be on one side only. It is also possible that the previous owner used a sock which was hoisted up over the furled jib with a spinnaker halyard. If it doesn't have one, get one. Good luck.
Rolled inside-out?
As someone stated the UV cover is sewn on just one side of the leech of the sail. If you furl the sail the wrong way the UV cover will be on the inside and offer no protection. But you should be able to unfurl a few feet of jib and see the cover, that 12" or 18" strip on the leech. In the attached picture the jib UV is on the port side. So the sail would have to be furled clockwise(looking down on the furling drum).
As someone stated the UV cover is sewn on just one side of the leech of the sail. If you furl the sail the wrong way the UV cover will be on the inside and offer no protection. But you should be able to unfurl a few feet of jib and see the cover, that 12" or 18" strip on the leech. In the attached picture the jib UV is on the port side. So the sail would have to be furled clockwise(looking down on the furling drum).
Attachments
UV Sail Cover Color
On our first Hunter I decided to use a white UV strip on the jib and genoa. The thought was white will reflect solar energy rather than absorb it and therefore the sail inside will remain cooler. I assumed that excess heat would be bad for the sail. This may be an incorrect assumption. About three years ago, I read an article about the subject on the web and contacted the author. I have since forgotten the source. However, this author suggested that heat is good for sails, and the darkest material is best for UV protection. His data was only anecdotal, but he pointed out that heat is used to make modern sail cloth and that heat will reduce the growth of mildew in the furled up sail. I switched to dark blue UV stripes.
On our first Hunter I decided to use a white UV strip on the jib and genoa. The thought was white will reflect solar energy rather than absorb it and therefore the sail inside will remain cooler. I assumed that excess heat would be bad for the sail. This may be an incorrect assumption. About three years ago, I read an article about the subject on the web and contacted the author. I have since forgotten the source. However, this author suggested that heat is good for sails, and the darkest material is best for UV protection. His data was only anecdotal, but he pointed out that heat is used to make modern sail cloth and that heat will reduce the growth of mildew in the furled up sail. I switched to dark blue UV stripes.
Not all UV Stripes Have to be Blue Canvas
While the vast majority of UV stripes are made out of a Sunbrella like material, they don't have to be. Our stripes are white, made out of an UV resistant polyester, and glued onto the sail. Sewn on cloth will tend to cancel out the benefits of the taffeta like finishes on performance sails.
While the vast majority of UV stripes are made out of a Sunbrella like material, they don't have to be. Our stripes are white, made out of an UV resistant polyester, and glued onto the sail. Sewn on cloth will tend to cancel out the benefits of the taffeta like finishes on performance sails.
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