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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

Waterproofing the Sail Cover

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Alan Clark
Captain

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406 Posts

Initially Posted - 11/19/2004 : 09:55:32

Aside from going to West Marine, any suggestions on what product to use to waterproof our sail cover on "Leprechaun" ..As you can imagine it is green and it is time to get it restitched,we are putting on Catalina 25 logos from sailboatlogos.com and we need to waterproof it. Suggestions would be appreciated. Alan & Eileen..
With "Leprechaun" on the hard...

Alan & Eileen
2001 Catalina 310 Hull #155
"Anam Cara"
ex-1987 C25 TR/SK #5612
"LEPRECHAUN"
Troy Ohio USA / Lake Erie-Catawba Island
ASA 101 103 104

"The clink of an anchor - chain, the 'Yo-Ho!' of a well time crew, the flapping of huge sails - I love all these sounds."

John 'Rob Roy' MacGregor

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Edited by - on

dave holtgrave
Captain

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USA
427 Posts

Response Posted - 11/19/2004 : 10:34:42

i use the old cheap stuff at wal mart.
i forget the name but, you find it in the camping section.
it has abit of an oily fim that you need to let dry for a day, before it soaks in.keeps everything dry.

i do this about at mid season just to keep it dry.
a can runs about $5.00.
one can is more than enough for the sail cover.

i would be interested to here if others that use the west marine products if they have as good or better performance.

always open to new opinions
dave holtgrave
5722 sk/tr
is storage near carlyle lake in southern illinoistt

Edited by - on

henfling
1st Mate

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USA
26 Posts

Response Posted - 11/19/2004 : 11:13:43

At the April 2004 Alameda CA boat show, I attended a lecture on boat repair and maintenance sponsored by DYI (do-it-yourself) magazine. They recommended using 303 High Tech Fabric Guard on sail covers, etc. They said that when Sunbrella material gets pliable and soft, it is wearing out and that a UV and water protectant is required. So I cleaned all my Sunbrella material (sail, winch, wheel, and hatch covers) and sprayed a quart of the 303 stuff on. Water beads up and everything underneath seems protected, but I performed this operation only 6 months ago. West Marine sell this product on page 465 of their latest catalog. It isn't cheap at $25 per quart but its cheaper than a new mainsail.
Don Henfling
2001 Catalina WK
La Dolce Vita

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lcharlot
Master Marine Consultant

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Antigua and Barbuda
1301 Posts

Response Posted - 11/19/2004 : 12:59:32

Are you sure you want the mainsail cover to be waterproofed? I would think that it wouldn't be able to "breathe" then, and any moisture trapped below would promote mildew growth.

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aeckhart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1709 Posts

Response Posted - 11/19/2004 : 14:01:36

I agree Larry. The sail cover is supposed to protect from harmful UV rays and airborne dirt and grime. Your dacron sails are relatively impervious to water. If the cover doesn't allow air to circulate over the sail however, mildew will be the result.

Al
GALLIVANT #5801

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Alan Clark
Captain

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406 Posts

Response Posted - 11/19/2004 : 15:29:23

Larry, Our current cover is sunbrella..I THOUGHT WE WOULD WANT IT WATERPROOFED TO PREVENT THE RAIN FROM GETTING ONTO THE SAIL TO PREVENT IT FROM GETTING MILDEWY? AM I CONFUSED? Alan & Eileen..
With "Leprechaun" on the hard...

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Buzz Maring
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1775 Posts

Response Posted - 11/19/2004 : 16:06:56

I'm confused, too. New Sunbrella fabric is waterproof ... it seems to me that, IF you didn't want the material to be waterproof, Sunbrella wouldn't be the choice for a new sail cover to begin with ...

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Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3324 Posts

Response Posted - 11/19/2004 : 16:11:37

Long ago someone told me that the reason sail covers come in darker colors is to ensure that in the sunshine they heat up and evaporate any moisture in the sail if it has to be put away wet. Now if the sunbrella is waterproof...
Derek

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Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5937 Posts

Response Posted - 11/19/2004 : 16:13:12

I've never felt a need to waterproof my sunbrella, and it has kept my mainsail dry, even when the fabric was starting to deteriorate. I agree that it's good to allow a little air circulation. Sometimes, when it rains, I have to put the sailcover on over wet sails, and the air circulation allows the sails to dry within a day or so.

On another forum I heard that 303 adds a little water resistance, but that it's main value is that it protects the sunbrella from UV rays, so that the fabric lasts longer.

Edited by - on

ronrryan
Admiral

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USA
561 Posts

Response Posted - 11/19/2004 : 20:10:49

My old Albin 27 had a rather elaborate canvas enclosure for the cockpit and aftercabin. In an effort to improve things I cleaned the whole works and then scotchgarded it. Sure kept the water out. The mildew started immediately on the bottom surface where the sun dont shine. Shot meself in the foot, I did. Fair winds, ron Orion srsk #2343 in SW FL

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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 11/19/2004 : 21:02:55

Is your mains'l cover air tight?? Mine certainly isn't--there's plenty of space for air to move through from the bottom. I haven't waterproofed my cover since I bought the boat, and it was old then. I have some mildew problems, but not on the sail.

In any case, here're a few words from Don Casey on waterproofing canvas: http://www.boatus.com/boattech/casey/22.htm

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ssteakley
Captain

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USA
467 Posts

Response Posted - 11/19/2004 : 21:09:49

Hey Y'all,
Well when I bought my C30 all the sunbrella needed cleaning. If you put it in the washing machine all the waterproffing is washed out. The Folks in Kehmah TX use:
Aqua Tight 90421 $50.99 Beacon Fabric & Notions
I just put this in a garden type sprayer, spread out the sunbrella on the driveway on a sunnyday and sprayed just the top side. Works Great. The gallon covered 1 Large Bimini, 1 Sail cover, 1 Hatch cover, 2 Genoa Sunbrella covers, 1-130% and 1- 150%. I do not know if it breaths but the water just rolls off and there is absolutly no problems with mildew problems on the sails etc.
I highly reccomend it.

Steve Steakley
#4455 C30 SRFK
Hey You!

Edited by - ssteakley on 11/19/2004 21:10:39

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 11/20/2004 : 08:03:39

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by ssteakley
 Hey Y'all,
...spread out the sunbrella on the driveway on a sunnyday and sprayed just the top side.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
And now water beads up on the driveway!

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Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 11/20/2004 : 09:08:30

The mildew problem that some are trying to address sounds like a regional issue to me. That would lead me to think that different goals are appropriate for different locales. Between the wind and heat in Kansas I cannot imagine mildew being a problem in any but the most "abandoned" of situations. As to Sunbrella being ether water repellant or breathable, I assume it has some Goretex properties. At least with the price this stuff costs one would certainly hope it is high tech. Does Goretex degrade or maintain its properties to the end?

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tinob
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1883 Posts

Response Posted - 11/20/2004 : 10:00:52

AQUA-TITE, it says on the spray bottle and it kept my old dodger and sailcover water tite far longer than I should have let it. It says it's a silicone formula that sheds water and lets the material breath. I can't speak to its breathability but it sure did shed water. However it did nothing for the color. Might be a good idea if Sunbrella marketed a product that restored color as well as uv and water resistance.

This year I went for a new dodger and sailcover and genny cover. That's what I was trying to do with the Aqua-Tite. All I got was water proofing.

Val on the hard DAGNABIT

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henfling
1st Mate

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USA
26 Posts

Response Posted - 11/20/2004 : 22:10:01

Anyone who does aerobic outdoor activity such as skiing, backpacking, or hiking knows that there are materials that are waterproof and also breathable. They keep the rain or snow out but allow perspiration to dissipate. Gortex is a benchmark example. Sunbrella also claims to be such a material. On their website, they say, "All our fabrics are woven which makes Sunbrella breathable so it doesn't trap heat and moisture like vinyl." As for my post earlier where I said that I used 303 on the Sunbrella, they claim that their product is reccomended by and for Sunbrella. The container says it "repels dirt, grease, water and oil-based stains, but won't change the breathability of the Sunbrella".
Don Henfling
Catalina WK 521

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Alan Clark
Captain

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406 Posts

Response Posted - 11/23/2004 : 09:59:16

Larry,Steve, Al & Others, I potentially have the answer and I appreciate your great opinions..I was able to fine a manufacturers name: Golden Fleece Designs Inc., South Victory Blvd, Burbank, Calif., I called them yesterday and spoke with them. They advised that I should NOT have to re-waterproof the cover. They offered to re-stitch it for $50-60.00 plus shipping. Interesting.. I willhave that done locally to avoid shipping ETC.
I wish ALL of you a safe and Happy Holiday. Too bad We can not take "Leprechaun" out for a Thanksgiving Sail. Fair Winds. Alan & Eileen
With "Leprechaun" on the hard.

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Jeff McK
Captain

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USA
389 Posts

Response Posted - 11/23/2004 : 12:01:55

I think there is a bit of confusion with the differences between Gore-tex & Sunbrella. (If anyone knows more than I do about this please feel free to correct me)
---
The breathable membranes like Gore-Tex are not as thick as a sheet of paper and tear quite easily. That's why there is always an outer durable layer protecting it. The secret here is the zillions of invisible pores (like your skin) that allow moisture through when driven by a higher vapor pressure created by body heat. Liquid water is "too big" to get through so you stay dry.

Waterproof tent fabric often has a plastic coating on the underside. Keeps you dry, but does not breath.

Sunbrella-type fabrics take advantage of the water repellent treatment in the thread and a tight weave. Unfortunately the UV & weather eventually degrade the fabric & fade the dye.

That Aqua-tight stuff sound like the way to go.

Edited by - on

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