Worn Hobie 16 main sail catches at 2nd mast section

My Hobie 16 main sail has wear on the top of edge of the part that connects to the mast. I think it's called the luff that contains the bolt rope. It's starting to separate a bit for the first 1/2". When I raise the sail the wear in the sail luff gets caught on the 2nd mast section luff track. Any suggestions on how to remedy the issue?

I was thinking of 3 approaches and learning towards starting with option 2a:

1- Inspecting the mast joint and seeing if I can file anything it's catching on or file a round edge into the start of the 2nd section of mast track so there is not a 90 degree angle for it to catch on. I'm planning to wait until end of season when I take the mast down. Given the issue is new and seems to be linked to wear on the main sail luff, I'm not super confident this will solve the issue. Also not sure if I can get a file in there.

2a- In near term, I was thinking of getting a small piece of fabric, ironing it into a v- shape, installing it over the top edge of the sail luff, and sewing it in place. Not sure what kind of fabric to use as it seems I'd want it to be thin and durable.

2b- I thought of using sail tape instead of fabric per option 2a and maybe also sewing it. However, I have used dry Teflon lube on whole sail luff already so I'm not sure how well it will stick and whether sail tape will be durable enough. Also if it does stick and later fails, I'd think that sticky residue on the sail luff may create issues.

Thanks much for any advice here! I understand at some point I will need a new sail.

Keith

Sounds like you’re on the right track.

Make sure the joint between the aluminum section and the comptip is smooth. You can use a flat file or some 80 grit sand paper to put a nice radius on both sections of track where they meet.

And yes, you should fix the tear in thr bolt rope so it doesn’t snag. I would suggest using some 2-3” wide sail repair tape backed up with stitching. The repair tape is good because it is self-adhesive so it will stay in place while you do the repair. Fold the tape in half and wrap around the bolt rope covering the tear. The adhesive on the tape will not withstand repeated raising and lowering the sail unless you also stitch it in place. You can simply hand stitch using a a straight stitch about 1/8-1/4” between stitches right against the edge of the bolt rope. This will keep the patch tight to the bolt rope. You might also need to put some stitches around the outside edge of the patch. Nylon sail thread is best, but you can use dental floss in a pinch. You may need to use plyers to help push/pull the needle through the layers of fabric.

sm

Thanks much. Makes sense. Any thoughts on polyester thread which I have on hand?

Common problem, and as always, SRM has a good solution.

The problem with polyester thread is that is will not last under the effect of U/V.
You can make your own decision as to how long the sail is 'in the sun' etc.

If you have a sail maker near you, they can fix this easily - it should not be too expensive.

Happy sailing

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