[Rhodes22-list] Sails and sacrificial cloth

[Mary Lou Troy]

Ed,
You are such a conservative!

Actually those are good questions. I have 
reservations which is why I asked the question in 
the first place. I may ask it again when I have 
more information about the material. I'm 
primarily interested becasue it is something 
lighter weight than Sunbrella. The weight of that 
kills that sail in light air. Another point is 
that this is a 9 year-old sail. It will be due 
for replacement in another 5 - 10 years. Right 
now the sail is not in bad shape - a little blown 
out maybe but there are several spots where the 
Sunbrella is in bad shape due to abrasion 
(Sunbrella's known weak point) from tarping and trailering.

Question - all things being equal, does blue 
sunbrella last longer than white sunbrella? I 
know that in older cotton materials black and red 
cloth do not stand up as well. I don't know if 
that is a function of UV or of the dyes. We have 
an antique quilt where every red piece is gone 
but the rest of the quilt is in good shape.

So far this is all speculation. I'll post more 
once I've talked to Sailcare and done a bit of research.

Mary Lou



At 07:08 AM 11/15/2007, you wrote:
>Mary Lou, New sacrificial cloth for sails said 
>to be white in color and lighter weight brings 
>questions that need to be fairly and accurately 
>stated. Historically, color and what makes it 
>that color have proven to be best tools against 
>UV damage to cloth, rope and anything else 
>subject to UV deterioration.  In cloth and rope 
>the most common ingredient is carbon black 
>dye.  It has a proven record.  They use carbon 
>black in darker blues and black and the record 
>speaks for itself. New fabric, says high 
>tech.  While technology is constantly changing 
>the way sails are made in both shape and 
>content, time and use demonstrate those changes 
>efficacy.  Just look back at the recent 
>America’s Cup Races.  I saw high tech sails 
>and I saw high tech sails blow out and tear 
>up.  While the old fabrics may be replaced in 
>time, I would consider my use and how long I 
>wanted the sail to last.  There are still sails 
>made of the old tan bark color and style for 
>world cruisers.  For Sunbrella, the track record 
>of black and darker blues is there for us to see 
>and feel.  For the few dollars more, I would 
>stick to the proven fabric, unless you have a 
>desire for sacrificial sails. Ed K Greenville, 
>SC, USA "Little by little one walks 
>far"  Peruvian Proverb -- View this message in 
>context: 
>http://www.nabble.com/Sails-tf4774457.html#a13766083 
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