Hobie Cat Forums

I've seen this term used several times in this forum. Can someone please define this? As a newbie, how would I know if my used sails were blown out?

thanks,

Mark

I was told that if the leach edge flutters while sailing, the sails are spent.

_________________
Eric Weller
2006 F18 Capricorn
1980 H16
Keep the pointy side up!

New sails are made to assume a very specific shape. Over time, they stretch, seams creep and they lose that shape. It's not that important on a recreational boat since you're not trying to eek out every bit of performance.

What's more indicative of "being blown out" is the loss of resin over time in the sail cloth. In new sails, the cloth is stiff with resin - to the point it's almost like a sheet of plastic. This is what people mean when they say, "The sails are crispy." You really don't know what crispy is until you've handled new sails.

When sailcloth loses this resin, it becomes porous and much less effective. It's also more susceptible to tearing. Then the sails are "blown out."

Photo example of "blown out sails":

Compare to relatively new sails: