Sailcloth Categories

Woven Polyester (Dacron); Fabric "Hand"

Laminated Fabrics
Laminated Sailcloth Building Blocks; Scrim Sails; Taffeta Fabrics; Identifying Scrim Layer Fiber Type; Identifying Woven Taffeta Fiber Types; Spinnaker Fabrics

Sail Layout
Laid Fiber Construction; Cross-Cut; Radial-Cut; Spinnakers; Specialty Downwind Sails; Miter-Cut

How Sails Are Built
Panel Shaping; Edge Shaping; Panel Assembly; Plies and Reinforcements; Local Reinforcing; Corner Reinforcing; Edge Tabling; Sail Finishing Style and Hardware Installation; Hardware Selection

Flex Fatigue

Fiber Compression
Likely Causes; Reef Considerations

Flogging
Mainsail Flogging; Headsail Flogging; Roller Furling

Flutter

Delamination

Chafe
Chafe Patches; Full Batten Pocket Chafe; Minimizing Spreader Chafe

Sail Hardware Failures
Batten Pockets; Leech Battens; Keys to Cruising Batten Pockets; Full Length Battens; Luff Slides; Slide Attachment; Machine-Sewn Webbing; Slide Shackles; Hand-Sewn Webbing Slides; Jib Hanks; Grommet and Press Ring Failures; Wire Ring Failure

Natural Causes
How Fabric Reacts to U.V.; Sun Covers; Sun Cover Choices; Stitching; Seam Coatings; Webbing Wear and Tear; Plastic; GodÕs Creatures; Mildew; Profile of a Typical Mildew Problem; How to Avoid Mildew; If Mildew Occurs

Operator Error
Spinnaker Problems; Spinnaker Break-In Period; Hardware Snags; Spreader Ends/Batten Ends; Spinnaker Overboard; Spinnaker Poles; Dousing Sleeve Problems; Headsail Luff Tapes; Luff Rope Mainsails; Furling Mainsails: In-Boom Furlers; In-Mast Furlers; Reef Intermediate Tie-In Points

Selecting a Sail Repair Loft
Dirt; Floor Space; Franchise vs. Independent Loft; Production Loft vs. Repair Loft; Staff

Working with the Loft
Bring a Work List; Clean and Dry the Sails; Remove Hardware and Personal Items; Bring Your Spares; The Work Order; Long-Distance Relationships

Handtools
Shears; Sharpening; Cutting Single Layers; Cutting Multiple Layers; Razor Knife and Aluminum Ruler; Seam Ripper; Pushpins; Steel Awl; Battery-Powered Drill Motor and Small Drill Bits; Waxed Hand-Sewing Thread; Wax; Hand-Sewing Needles; Hand-Sewing Palm; Small Vise-Grips or Pliers; Hot Knife; Torch; Fid and Marlinspike; Tupperware Containers

Supplies
Acetone; Webbing; Spectra and Dacron Cord; Dacron Tape; Sailcloth; Adhesives; Adhesive Application: Glue First, Cut Later; Adhesive Choices; 5200 Fast Cure; 3M 950 Seamstick, Common Seamstick; Hot Glue; Contact Cement; Spray Glue; Insignia Cloth; Applying Insignia Fabric

Hand-Stitching Techniques
Threading the Needle; Stitching with a Palm; Sewing through Thick Sections; Hand-Sewing Stitch Patterns; Knotting the Thread

Working with Fabric
Window Patches; Band-Aid Patches

Selecting Fabrics
Repairing Reasonably New Sails; Repairing Very Used Sails; Flattening Out the Sail

Getting the Sail under the Machine

Commercial Sewing Machines
Flattening Out the Sail; Dacron/Laminate Seaming; Dacron/Laminate Tabling; Corner Reinforcing; Hardware Attachment; Mega-Sewing

Onboard Sewing Machines

Machine Sewing Techniques
Sewing Machine Adjustments; Thread Guides; Top Thread Tension; Bobbin Tension; Machine Timing; Needle Bar Height; Bobbin Hook Timing; Thread Selection

Sail Cleaning
General Cleaning and Rinsing; Mildew; Rust; Blood; Oil and Grease; Food and Drink

Onboard Repair Kits
Keep It Dry!

Repair Basics
Cleanliness; Matching Materials; Tapering Loads; Avoiding Stress Creation; Gluing to Correct Side; How Large Should the Fix Be?; ItÕs Not Rocket Science

Band-Aid Patch

Spinnaker Fabric "Window" Patches

Working Sail Window Patch

Big Spinnaker Blowouts

Repairing Very Old Sails
Reef Area Repair; When Is a Sail Not Worth Repairing?; Vertical Rips

Luff Slide and Jib Hank Repairs

Reinforcing of Corner Hardware
Hand-Sewing Hardware Reinforcements

Batten Pocket Inboard End Replacement
Batten Pocket Recap

Batten Finishing

Batten Splints

Head Foil Tape Repair

Mainsail Systems
Luff Tracks; Lazy Jacks; Dutchman; Stackpack; Stowmasts; Furling Booms

Headsail Systems
Hanks; Headfoil Furlers; Downwind Sail Systems; Free-Flying Furlers; Spinnaker Socks

Index