I was thinking of taking Hanalei's sails in to the local laundromat where they have a few LARGE tumble wash (no agitator) washing machines and washing at least the jib and stays'l. I would use a quality sail soap or maybe some Tide with oxygen bleech. I would not put the sails in the dryer, but take them home and hang them out to dry.
What think you all? Will this work without damaging the sails? How does a sail loft do it? I can't imagine that they would do all sails by hand in the sail loft. Thanks for your input....
Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
Hanalei
stumpdg@gwsmtp.nu.com
Washing Sails
Moderator: Jim Walsh
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Dennis Truett
Re: Washing Sails
Dave, A knowlegable friend of mine suggested a procedure he uses to dry sails. He gets three 2X4s and places one at each of the 3 corners of the sail. Each 2X4 has a nail in the end if it. He stands the 2x4s upright and puts the nail through the grommet in the sail. Then he takes a strong bungie cord and runs it from the the same nail down to a stake in the grass. (as you would to pitch a tent) He does this for each corner. The 2X4s should be long enough so that the middle of the sails are off the ground. This way the sail is dried under light tension. Hope this helps.
truettdc@frontiernet.net
D. Stump wrote: I was thinking of taking Hanalei's sails in to the local laundromat where they have a few LARGE tumble wash (no agitator) washing machines and washing at least the jib and stays'l. I would use a quality sail soap or maybe some Tide with oxygen bleech. I would not put the sails in the dryer, but take them home and hang them out to dry.
What think you all? Will this work without damaging the sails? How does a sail loft do it? I can't imagine that they would do all sails by hand in the sail loft. Thanks for your input....
Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
Hanalei
truettdc@frontiernet.net
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Steve Alarcon
Re: Washing Sails
Dave,
As best I know, sails are put into a large tub and soaked in a special soap (I don't know what makes it special, except maybe the price). We had the loft do ours last year and the results were very satisfactory. I would be careful about doing anything that would cause a premanent crease (like a spin-type washer) as that will create a weak spot. I believe West Marine sells the special soap.
Steve Alarcon
CD30 Temerity
Seattle
alarcon@internet.mci
As best I know, sails are put into a large tub and soaked in a special soap (I don't know what makes it special, except maybe the price). We had the loft do ours last year and the results were very satisfactory. I would be careful about doing anything that would cause a premanent crease (like a spin-type washer) as that will create a weak spot. I believe West Marine sells the special soap.
Steve Alarcon
CD30 Temerity
Seattle
alarcon@internet.mci
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Bill
Re: Washing Sails
You could also use bungi cord or rope and tie the 2x4 to a chain link fence! That should provide a steardy (sp) dryng platform.
Bill
cd25d@clnk.com
Bill
Dennis Truett wrote: Dave, A knowlegable friend of mine suggested a procedure he uses to dry sails. He gets three 2X4s and places one at each of the 3 corners of the sail. Each 2X4 has a nail in the end if it. He stands the 2x4s upright and puts the nail through the grommet in the sail. Then he takes a strong bungie cord and runs it from the the same nail down to a stake in the grass. (as you would to pitch a tent) He does this for each corner. The 2X4s should be long enough so that the middle of the sails are off the ground. This way the sail is dried under light tension. Hope this helps.
D. Stump wrote: I was thinking of taking Hanalei's sails in to the local laundromat where they have a few LARGE tumble wash (no agitator) washing machines and washing at least the jib and stays'l. I would use a quality sail soap or maybe some Tide with oxygen bleech. I would not put the sails in the dryer, but take them home and hang them out to dry.
What think you all? Will this work without damaging the sails? How does a sail loft do it? I can't imagine that they would do all sails by hand in the sail loft. Thanks for your input....
Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
Hanalei
cd25d@clnk.com
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James Kimbrel
Re: Washing Sails
D. Stump wrote: I was thinking of taking Hanalei's sails in to the local laundromat where they have a few LARGE tumble wash (no agitator) washing machines and washing at least the jib and stays'l. I would use a quality sail soap or maybe some Tide with oxygen bleech. I would not put the sails in the dryer, but take them home and hang them out to dry.
What think you all? Will this work without damaging the sails? How does a sail loft do it? I can't imagine that they would do all sails by hand in the sail loft. Thanks for your input....
Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
Hanalei
JKimbrel@compuserve.com
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AlanNAnne
Re: Washing Sails
s/v Hunky DoryJames Kimbrel wrote: we took all our sails from our CD25 and just laid em out in the driveway, hand scrubbed em with car wash, and threw em over our clothes lines in the back yard. I don't believe you can get em perfectly clean like brand new, but who's in a beauty contest? We used some soft brushes and got down on our little hands and knees.
Hull# 148 alan
James Kimbrel wrote: I was thinking of taking Hanalei's sails in to the local laundromat where they have a few LARGE tumble wash (no agitator) washing machines and washing at least the jib and stays'l. I would use a quality sail soap or maybe some Tide with oxygen bleech. I would not put the sails in the dryer, but take them home and hang them out to dry.
D. Stump wrote: What think you all? Will this work without damaging the sails? How does a sail loft do it? I can't imagine that they would do all sails by hand in the sail loft. Thanks for your input....
Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
Hanalei