Agree with Boardsurfr. I always derig in the salt water. I live at Sandy Pt after all - lots of sand and no grass! Sand in the sails does heaps of scratching damage, especially while the sail vibrates during transport.

I let the sails drain out vertically before going back in the trailer, always still damp. Never had any signs of deterioration at all.

On the other hand, I had sails rot and go mouldy in the early days of windsurfing when I was told they should be washed on fresh water after sailing. Wrong! But they were also woven thread sails.

Todays film based sail materials should not suffer from salt crystals or particles cutting the fibres as there are no, or very few fibres to trap them. There probably are fibres in those woven parachute materials and lines.

Sail life for some race sails before expensive repairs - around 2-3 years for the big one.

Around 4-5 years for most others.

Loft and Maui seem to last 10 years.

My Maui 6.6 2012 has been used heaps,around 60 - 70 times and short of the mast popping out the top has not had a repair. Should be right for another few years.

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Sparky said..

petermac33 said..
Nearly always a price to pay for lighter weight.

Thinner monofilm is a problem on many sails.

1.5mm is the thinnest any sail maker should go,though 1.75mm is the strongest.

The more battens a sail has,the less likely the monofilm will blow out or tear.

In the winter after sailing I leave my sail in the car overnight,it helps it dry.

Storing a wet sail is the best way to reduce sail life.

That would be a very heavy sail. Isn't it 0.15mm and 0.175mm? 150 and 175 microns?
AKA a bees dick?

A human hair is 100-150 microns thick. Not too sure about sails these days, but really?

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Scrondies said..

Sparky said..

petermac33 said..
Nearly always a price to pay for lighter weight.

Thinner monofilm is a problem on many sails.

1.5mm is the thinnest any sail maker should go,though 1.75mm is the strongest.

The more battens a sail has,the less likely the monofilm will blow out or tear.

In the winter after sailing I leave my sail in the car overnight,it helps it dry.

Storing a wet sail is the best way to reduce sail life.

That would be a very heavy sail. Isn't it 0.15mm and 0.175mm? 150 and 175 microns?
AKA a bees dick?

A human hair is 100-150 microns thick. Not too sure about sails these days, but really?

Mono film only sails, probably not the that thin. I'd dare to say under a mm though.

I wouldn't be surprised if some of the fibre laminates were less than 200 microns. I'll have to check at work one day when I get the chance...