The UK Sailing Season Is Coming to an End – Is It Time to Service Your Sails and Covers?
As another busy UK sailing season begins to draw to a close, now is the perfect time to start thinking about sail servicing, repairs, cleaning and winter maintenance.
After months of racing, cruising and general use, your sails and canvas will have worked hard. Salt, dirt, UV exposure, chafe and general wear can all take their toll, and small problems left over the winter can often turn into bigger and more expensive repairs by the time the next season arrives.
At GP Sails, we offer a complete range of sail repairs, sail servicing, sail laundry and marine canvas repairs to help keep your equipment in the best possible condition.
Don't Wait Until Next Spring
It is easy to put sail maintenance off until the beginning of the new season. The problem is that by then, you may discover a damaged seam, worn batten pocket or failing UV strip just when you want to get back on the water.
Winter is the ideal opportunity to get ahead.
By bringing your sails and covers in at the end of the season, we can inspect their condition, identify areas of wear and carry out any necessary repairs while there is plenty of time before your first event or cruise of the new season.
That means when spring arrives, you can simply rig your boat and go sailing.
Sail Servicing – Catch Small Problems Early
Regular servicing is one of the best ways to extend the working life of your sails.
During a sail service, GP Sails can inspect key areas for signs of wear and damage, including:
- Corners and reinforcement patches
- Seams and stitching
- Batten pockets
- Luff and leech tapes
- UV damage
- Chafe areas
- Sail hardware
- Webbing and attachment points
Small issues can often be repaired before they develop into a major failure.
Whether you sail a dinghy, catamaran, keelboat or yacht, a professional inspection can help you get more life from your existing sails and keep them performing at their best.
Sail Repairs for All Types of Boats
Sails work in a tough environment. Flogging, chafe, UV exposure and general use can all cause damage over time.
GP Sails carries out a wide range of repairs, from small tears and patches through to more substantial structural work.
We regularly work on:
- Dinghy sails
- Catamaran sails
- Yacht sails
- Keelboat sails
- Cruising sails
- Racing sails
- Spinnakers and gennakers
If you are unsure whether a sail is worth repairing, it is always worth getting it assessed. In many cases, a well-timed repair can significantly extend the useful life of a sail.
Sail Cleaning and Laundry
A season on the water can leave sails and covers covered in salt, dirt, mildew and general grime.
Cleaning your sails before winter storage is a great way to freshen them up and remove accumulated dirt and salt where possible.
Sail laundry is particularly useful at the end of the season, before your boat is laid up for an extended period.
It is also a good opportunity to inspect the sail properly. Once the sail is off the boat and being handled in the loft, areas of wear that may have gone unnoticed during the season can often be identified.
Don't Forget Your Covers and Marine Canvas
Your sails aren't the only equipment that needs attention.
Spray hoods, sail covers, boat covers and other marine canvas products spend much of their lives exposed to the elements. Over time, stitching can deteriorate, zips can fail and fabric can suffer from dirt, UV and general wear.
GP Sails can help with a wide range of cover and canvas repairs, including:
- Tear and patch repairs
- Restitching
- Zip repairs and replacement
- Webbing repairs
- Strap and buckle replacement
- Eyelet replacement
- Reinforcement patches
- Chafe protection
If your cover is generally in good condition, repairing it can often be a far more cost-effective option than replacing it completely.
Clean, Repair and Reproof Your Canvas
For marine canvas and covers, winter maintenance is the ideal time for a thorough clean.
GP Sails offers cleaning services for sails and covers, with options including cover washing and reproofing. Keeping your canvas clean and properly maintained can help improve its appearance and extend its working life.
Of course, some heavy staining, mildew marks and UV discolouration may be permanent, but professional cleaning can make a significant difference to equipment that has spent a long season exposed to the elements.
Our Winter Sail Care Checklist
Before putting your boat away for the winter, we recommend:
- Remove your sails from the boat.
- Allow them to dry properly before storage.
- Check for obvious damage or areas of wear.
- Book your sails in for an inspection and service.
- Clean sails and covers where required.
- Repair any small problems before they get worse.
- Store everything somewhere dry and protected from UV.
A little maintenance now can save time, money and stress when the new sailing season arrives.
Get Ready for Next Season with GP Sails
The end of the season is the perfect time to give your sailing equipment the attention it deserves.
Whether you need a small sail repair, a full sail service, professional sail cleaning, cover repairs or marine canvas laundry, the GP Sails team can help.
Don't wait until a small problem becomes a major repair.
Check out our Sail Repairs, Servicing & Laundry services at GP Sails
Bring your sails and covers in this winter and make sure you're ready to hit the water when the next sailing season begins.