Sail Care
Protect performance. Extend life. Your sails work hard. Treat them to a little TLC and they’ll thank you with fewer dramas and more boat lengths. From woven polyester to double-taffeta laminates and modern membranes, every sail faces the same villains: UV, chafe, flogging and mildew. With a dash of prevention and timely maintenance, you’ll add years of service and keep things easy on the helm. At Sanders we provide inspection, valeting, repairs, upgrades, winter storage and an upcycling route for end-of-life cloth. Think of it as the Sanders Spa for sails.
The usual suspects (and how to dodge them)
Sunlight (UV)
UV doesn’t care how expensive your cloth is; it cooks everything equally. Fit and maintain UV sunstrips on furling headsails or use a genoa sock when moored. Check sunstrips yearly for chalking or cracks and replace before the base cloth pays the price. Painted UV needs extra vigilance: once the paint is breached, the rays are clocking overtime.
Chafe
Spreader tips, stanchions and shrouds love a cuddle with your sail. Add or renew anti-chafe patches wherever cloth touches metal, especially on fully-battened mains and when running deep. A small roll of sticky-back aboard is the sailor’s duct tape; we’ll make the permanent version look tidy back at the loft.
Flogging and over-loading
Nothing unpicks stitching faster than a good flap. Minimise flogging during hoists, reefs and drops; ease halyards and sheets smoothly and reef sooner rather than later. Persistent leech flutter? A quick leech-line service or minor recut can bring back the hush.
Mildew and salt
Salt slows drying and invites mildew to the party. Rinse after breezy, briny days. Store dry and ventilated—never sealed damp in a bag. Nylon downwind sails appreciate the occasional day in the fresh air if they’ve been hibernating.
Sanders Valeting and Winter Service
Give your sails a break at the ‘Sanders Spa’
- Inspection and report – We check seams, batten pockets, corners, webbing, UV covers and hardware, then send clear recommendations (photos on request).
- Wash and dry – Gentle cleaning suited to the cloth (no bleach on nylon), then a full, dry finish.
- Repairs and recut – Prioritised fixes to restore shape and strength; small recuts to recover leech tension and draft.
- Heated loft storage – Safe, dry wintering with labelled bags; easy spring collection or courier return.
Local collection/delivery available. Need it yesterday? Ask about express turnarounds before a cruise or regatta.
Practical tips from the loft:
- After sailing: ease halyards slightly to relax static loads; release leech/foot lines.
- Furling headsails: roll with sensible luff tension so leech tapes sit cleanly; leave a few wraps of UV showing.
- Stowage: roll laminates; fold wovens; keep everything dry and ventilated.
- Class marks and numbers: replace before they craze—fewer flakes, better photos.
- Annual check-in: a winter visit costs less than a midsummer emergency.
Sustainability
When a sail genuinely reaches the end, we route cloth through our dedicated ‘Upcycling Sail Drop-Off’ here at the Sail Loft. Working with companies & organisations to keep these materials out of landfill.
Want to find out more about our extensive range of services? Get in touch with the Sanders team, we’d love to hear from you!
SAIL
REPAIRS
An extensive range of sail repair & sail upgrades
WASHING, OVERHAUL
& STORAGE
Offering a professional service of sail care treatments & storage