Submitted
on October 25, 2005 by Alan Langmuir
Question: I've
heard about using paint as a UV protector for roller furler sails. What
do you think?
Thanks,
Alan Langmuir
Answer: Hi Alan,
We have experimented with several types of commercially available paint and some specially formulated paints from Sherman Williams and one of our adhesive suppliers. The best results were using Latex house paint from the hardware store and applying it in two thin coats with a regular paint roller. The UV protection is nearly the equal to sunbrella fabric- plenty good enough. The only problem is that the paint does crack and flake off where the sail impacts the rig when hoisting, dousing and tacking. The flaking is not a big deal except that the flakes tend to stick to the deck and then to the soles of boat shoes and eventually to the cabin sole. We have not made the process a standard product because we think many of our customers would object to having tiny white flecks of paint on their teak decks or varnished interior surfaces.
The flaking is minor if the paint is well applied to a new sail. The results are not as acceptable on used sails because it it too hard to get the cloth completely clean. The paint will stick to any clean, woven polyester fabric.
Regards,
Dan Neri
North Sails
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