Making a sun shade out of old dacron windsurf sail. How to?

dllee · Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 5329 Location: East Bay

Is it possible that anyone is dumb enough to use a windsurf sail to shade a sunny house where the wind is blowing 15-30 mph?
I think not.
The NOISE alone would be prohibitivie. You mention dacron sail. Those have little loose leech, so would be the most quiet. How to keep it from flapping in the wind and self destructing? RIG IT.
A tiny bit of common sense sometimes is applicable to some situations.

evfrak · Joined: 20 May 2014 Posts: 1

In theory you should put the sail between the sun and what you want to shade. I am guessing that would work. That will probably almost block some wind. Am I understanding your question? Where is that pressure gradient guy? He knows everything.

biffmalibu · Joined: 30 May 2008 Posts: 556

More guessing and theorizing. Sorry! Not allowed.

Still looking forward to hearing from somebody who has actually DONE this (and perhaps even failed!). I'm definitely going to TRY this. I just don't want to go through a big learning curve. I want to hear from somebody who has tried it already.

Thanks.

noshuzbluz · Joined: 18 May 2000 Posts: 791

I just stapled the mast sleeve to the 2 x 6 board on my patio cover. You might be able to do the same under the eve of your roof. To prevent it swinging up against the house maybe try weighted lines or stakes below. Every situation is different so hard to give a definitive answer. I kept the battens in on this so it doesn't flap around.

windbetty · Joined: 14 May 1998 Posts: 325

we have an old windsurf sail (rigged onto a heavy old mast). we used 2 bike hooks on the building to hold the mast. we used a second half mast to tie the clew. we then secured the half mast to our grill.

if you were in a windy environment, you will need more than a grill to hold that sail! maybe a few holes in the sail, and a nice cement block to sink the mast into to prop up the sail shade.

i love our sail shade. there are so many old sails and masts out there. keep em out of the land fills! i especially like the CRYSTAL LIGHT sail we have, so 80s!

So this is the Boardsports Shack in Alameda. Funnily, we have had a good handful of 30 mph wind days this Spring! But i do confess, we don't hang the sail then, we go windsurfing or kiting!

Jane
--
Boardsports School & Shop
Alameda - San Mateo - SF
Voted "Best of the Bay"
http://www.BoardsportsSchool.com
415.385.1224

coachg · Joined: 10 Sep 2000 Posts: 3550

A large windsurf sail to act as a shade in Gorge winds? Let me tell you a story about the Three Little Pigs.

You may have better luck finding a solution here.

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/rocket-city-rednecks/videos/monkeying-around/

Coachg Laughing

biffmalibu · Joined: 30 May 2008 Posts: 556

Yes! Some people with actual DATA and not just THEORY (except for one Chicken Little).
Smile

Thank you for the true knowledge from people who GET it (reduce, reuse, recycle IN THAT ORDER).

More actual knowledge welcome. Keep 'em comin'!

P.S. I really like the grill anchor. Very artistic. If I had to live in the Bay Area, I would seriously consider the Alameda marina a la "sneak-aboard".

dabull1 · Joined: 19 Mar 1997 Posts: 556

Hey Buff. With your attitude toward people who are trying to help you with your futile request, why don"t you put on your little thinking cap and come up with some brilliant design that will send me rushing to my garage to copy your genius with my 35 plus years of acquired sails. By the way, have you considered the UV issue and the heat generated as the sun bakes the sail material? The lifespan of your creation would send you to your local canopy maker to construct a durable, practical sunshade. But hey, be creative and remember, no theories, wild-ass conjectures, or dumbass ideas... Bull OUT

biffmalibu · Joined: 30 May 2008 Posts: 556

nw30 · Posted: Sat May 24, 2014 12:26 pm Post subject:

I made one quite awhile ago, sorry no pics, and it's gone now.
It wasn't attached to the house, but strung somewhat flat between 3 big pine trees. I left a little sag to it so that the mast sleeve would hang smoothly along with the rest of the sail, one rope at each of the 3 corners going to the trees that were in a sort of triangle, far enough apart so that the sail fit in between them just fine.
Then came the final touch, the sail was hung pretty high, so I rigged a hammock underneath it. Not only did the sail shade the hammock, but it also caught the pine needles, which would slide off the sail and keep the hammock clean.
Spent many hours in that relaxing, and the wind never really bothered it.