Things You'll Need:
- Canvas Sail Bags
- Dry Marine Lubricant
- Soft Rags
- Rigging Tape
- Sailboats
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Step 1
Remove your sails from their sail bags only when you are ready to hoist them.
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Step 2
Police your boat for sharp objects that sails are likely to run across and tear. Remove or tape over these objects with a liberal amount of rigging tape.
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Step 3
Use prefeeders on your mast and headstay to prevent luff tears.
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Step 4
Spray your headstay and mast with a dry marine lubricant so that your sails slide up and down easily.
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Step 5
Clean the mast, headstay, backstay, shrouds, spreaders, lifelines and boom often to keep them free of soot and oils that will dirty your sails.
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Step 6
Backwind your sails during tacks and keep your sheets taut to prevent excessive flogging of sails, which places strain on stitching and breaks down fibers.
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Step 7
Wipe down your sails after use with a soft, freshwater cloth and dry them.
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Step 8
Flake or roll your sails in an area free of nails, splinters and dirt.
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Step 9
Store your sails in a sail bag in a dry environment to prevent mold.
