UV affects to sails.

[cpt_757]

Originally Posted by qwert

When I have used Kevlar it comes from the manufacturer wrapped in black polythene to keep the light out. It is a very light straw colour when unwrapped. If you leave it out in daylight it takes about three weeks to turn to a beige colour. This indicates that it has lost up to half its original tensile strength. After this it is reasonably stable.

As for laminates they have never really overcome the problem faced by a double column of soldiers marching round a corner. The inner column marks time while the outer has to take giant strides. When you apply this to fabric you stretch the outer fold or delaminate and cause a bubble on the inner. Plastic has a memory and thus every fold becomes a weak point.This is probably more of a problem than UV

Great for racers but its hard to go past dacron for long term cruising

My two bobs worth.

Take it down and put in the bag is protecting from UV but folding point will be always almost same.
So Genoa sock maybe the best choice?
I should go with sock since I sail more often.

[Rorzech]

Originally Posted by robert sailor

While Dacron is quite UV resistant the thread or stiching not so much, that's where your failures will be when using Dacron sails. When I raced we never left a laminated sail furled, race over the sail was back in the bag.

I just purchased Lifetime thread that's UV proof for life $69.00 US for 4 oz. Pretty pricy, but does the job nicely.

[Capt Gill]

Has anyone tried 303 protectant <http://www.goldeagle.com/product/303-marine-recreation-aerospace-protectant> for UV protection on sails,e.g., Dacron, Mylar,Carbon fiber,etc. ? I emailed them some time ago and they were non-committal.

[robert sailor]

Originally Posted by Capt Gill

Has anyone tried 303 protectant <http://www.goldeagle.com/product/303-marine-recreation-aerospace-protectant> for UV protection on sails,e.g., Dacron, Mylar,Carbon fiber,etc. ? I emailed them some time ago and they were non-committal.

As we both know that product is used on sunbrella however it might make sense to spray the stiched areas.