Submitted on April 14, 2006 by Clay Youmans

Question: How significant is triple vs. double seam stitching on my 275 sq. ft mainsail (34' boat)? Used for coastal cruising. Is triple stitching important for offshore use? There seems to be a lot of argument about this issue.

Thanks,
Clay Youmans

Answer: Hi Clay, the description of stitching on your mainsail includes the number of rows, the stitch type and the thread weight. If the manufacturer is using a 3-step (often called triple-step) stitch type, you will see 3 needle holes on every leg of the zig zag stitch. A simple zig-zag stitch has one hole at each end of each leg of the stitch. In general, you can replace two rows of zig-zag with one row of triple step and you have a theorectically stronger seam. Either type of construction is fine if it is correctly executed.

Regards,
Dan Neri

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