Submitted on December 5, 2003 by Paul

Question: Hello, I have a Catalina 22 with a new Dacron furling genoa. I protect it while not sailing with a separate custom made sunbrella cover.

Question: I keep my boat on a lake in PA where during the off season the boat goes from my slip to a dry storage on my trailer with the mast remaining up. I have the stiff type of cloth with a window. Consequently it is difficult to remove from my furling system without over bending the window.

Since I have a separate custom made sunbrella cover, is there a serious problem just leaving the sail furled on the boat over winter? I know Dacron is pretty durable. With the stiff Dacron cloth and window I sometimes wonder if I am doing more damage taking it on and off than just leaving it on the boat?

Thank you
Paul

Answer: Hi Paul, If the rig is going to be left standing up, I think you would be better off removing the sail. The sail and cover make a lot of windage. Where I live, in Newport RI, I would worry about the boat actually blowing off the trailer in the winter Northeasterlys we seem to get about every 3 days. Barring that problem, it still seems like a bad idea to leave the sail and cover exposed to a winter of wind, rain and sun.

If, on the other hand, you are planing to drop the rig and leave the headstay and sail lashed on the deck, I would suggest that you roll the sail rather loosely before lowering it and then tape the ends of your cover closed. You are right to be concerned about bending the window. If you take the sail off, you should flake the sail on either side of the window, so the plastic is not folded. Then roll it in the other direction. The window material is especially prone to cracking if you fold it when it is very cold.

Regards,
Dan Neri

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