A Stitch in Time

Despite your best efforts, there will inevitably be times when your sail gets damaged while at sea and needs to be repaired. First, no matter what the job, you will need to do a quick damage assessment, a task that requires a flat wooden surface, sharp scissors and a helping hand. If the rip is in a high-load area of the sail, you will repair it differently than if it is in a low-load area. The edges, for example, especially the leech and foot of the sail, will need quick and careful attention, while a rip in the middle of the sail can be slapped closed with a piece of stickyback Dacron or Dacron sail-repair tape and left that way until you have time to do a proper job.

For sail repair at sea, stickyback Dacron is your best