Damaged sails and sail repairs

Over the winter I purchased a 1980 Hobie 16. It has what I assume to be original sails (sail number 65…). The main is approaching the end of its life and the jib has some substantial storm damage inflicted upon it, two panels have torn along the top and bottom seam in the middle of the sail. I plan to take the jib into a local loft this week and get an estimate on the repairs or find out if it is worth repairing.

As an alternative to repairing the sail I was planning to acquire a “newâ€

A typical replacement cycle for racers is a new jib every 3 years and a new main every 6 (if you keep the boat that long - most racers will just get a new boat).

The sails don't have to be bought / used in sets.

If the main is in decent shape, I'd buy a new jib, or one from a racer that's less than 8 years old.

The shape of the jib has changed a couple of times, most recently in 2000, when it was made longer in the luff and shorter on the foot to facilitate more mast rake.

The 16 likes to sail with a lot of mast rake, but you can't rake it back far enough with an older cut jib. You run out of sheeting room.

Your old sail is probably not worth fixing.

Around Chicago fixing a sail can cost $150 to $200 to repair one or two rips or seams. It has had a long, good life, replace it.

A note about getting old sails fixed- If you have a really old, beat up sail that gets torn and you go ahead and repair the tear with a patch of new material, the new material and stitching creates a 'hard spot' and it wouldn't be uncommon for the sail to tear again right at the patch. A lot of it depends on how and where the sail failed in the first place. If the damage is in the body of the sail, you might be ok. But if the damage is in a heavily loaded part of the sail (along the luff or leech) there's a good chance it'll fail again.

A good (honest) sailmaker would be able to give you advice as to whether or not he thinks the damage is worth repairing. But it would be a bummer to spend $100+ getting a 20 year old sail reparied only to have it fail again.

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If you are going to have them repaired, I recommend Morelli sails in ventura, California, they are simply the best!!!!!!!!!!!

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Bodhisatfa

Thanks for the input guys. Would I have to rake my mast when I get a more recent jib?

You don't have to rake the mast, but the boat will be better behaved if you do.

I took my mainsail to UK Sailmakers in Chicago. They did a nice job, and didn't charge me an arm and a leg. It was a minor repair, and they did it while I waited.