Best Sail Repair Tape?

danothemano · Joined: 25 Jul 2007 Posts: 77

I fixed a top to bottom center panel rip on an old 8.5 with "RV AWNING REPAIR TAPE" ( look on ebay ) and it lasted as long as I had the sail. I got rid of the sail 3 years later only when the head cap broke. Just clean the surface first and you have to cut the stuff with scissors. GHETTO!

spennie · Joined: 13 Oct 1995 Posts: 975 Location: Thousand Oaks, CA

Uh, guys, hate to spoil the party, but you shouldn't "fix" your sails with tape, except to save a session. You're stretching the original panels out of whack, making it impossible to repair properly. The BEST thing to do is de-rig immediately and get it repaired properly by a pro.

Of course, if it's an old sail or one you don't care about, or you're a wave sailor and aren't that worried about performance or handling, have at it. Also could probably get away with taping the top panels, as they aren't under very much strain. But danothemano says he "fixed" a top-to-bottom tear in a center panel of an 8.5, this is not a good idea.

victor · Joined: 03 Aug 1998 Posts: 581

every time i've had a sail "professionally"repaired has been a waste of money.

maybe i used the wrong professionals (always a well known sail loft) but the sails never preformed as well as before the tear. they can never seem to get their original shape back.

tape it up and save your $100 to go towards a new sail. unless you actually poked something through a new sail the reason it tore in the first place is because it was getting old and brittle.

carl · Joined: 25 Feb 1997 Posts: 2674 Location: SF bay area

keycocker · Joined: 10 Jul 2005 Posts: 3598

Tape stretch is not an issue. On the part of the tape that is on the sail the area is doubled and the stretch of the top layer is meaningless if the bottom wont stretch.
The tiny area between the two sides of the split should be nearly zero or your sail will lay oddly. It is too narrow to stretch.
The high dollar tape sold by Chinook and others is stretchy compared to mailing tape. It works best for me.

It is usual for a panel to continue to blow out in the untaped area, or for the other panels to go soon after you have one changed.
Sunlight trashes the whole sail equally.

spennie · Joined: 13 Oct 1995 Posts: 975 Location: Thousand Oaks, CA

VICTOR: From my posting: You're stretching the original panels out of whack, making it impossible to repair properly.

Send your sails (any brand) up to Sailworks for top-quality repairs.

gregorvass · Joined: 21 Nov 1996 Posts: 1113 Location: Behind You

Sails Can be patched for the DAY not for the season Just get a NEW SAIL>

$400 for brand NEW Sail.

http://www.neilprydemaui.com/home?page=shop.browse&category_id=59

KevinDo · Joined: 02 Jul 2012 Posts: 426 Location: Cabrillo Inside

Was reading through this thread thinking I'd never need to repair my sail....well my head went through my sail today Very Happy

Patched it up with some sail repair tape a local had and seemed to work well. The tear was about a few inches above where the boom is. Used packing tape before on some other tears and that seems to work well.

carl · Joined: 25 Feb 1997 Posts: 2674 Location: SF bay area

PAmuddog · Joined: 29 Apr 2007 Posts: 144

[quote="carl]A roll of packing tape is only $3 and it easily lasts a season
if you do it right.[/quote]

My roll is going on three seasons and it's only half used Laughing