How to Patch a Spinnaker Sail

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A typical spinnaker sail is made of very light ripstop nylon, which is a great fabric for catching the wind. Unfortunately, though, such a light fabric may tear easily if it catches on something sharp. If you have a spinnaker with a hole in it, don't worry! It's quick and easy to patch the hole so you can get back on the water. In this step-by-step video, we'll show you how to repair a tear in a spinnaker sail.

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You may be wondering how a spinnaker could rip. After all, you probably keep your spinnaker covered when it's not in use, and the wind pushes it away from your boat when it's open. So it shouldn't come into contact with anything that could tear it, right? Unfortunately, that's not always the case.

Here's one example: A sudden shift in the wind could blow the spinnaker into your boat's rigging. If the sail catches on something in the rigging, it may rip when the wind fills it again. We highly recommend keeping some of the fabric you used to make your spinnaker in your sail repair kit in case something like this happens on your boat.

This is a repair you can make while on the water — just take your spinnaker down, patch it and put it back up. You could hand-sew it, but there's a much quicker way. The Sailrite® Ultrafeed® LSZ Sewing Machine was designed with sailors in mind. This zigzag-capable machine is conveniently portable so you can take it to the marina and even on your boat. It's a must-have for serious sailors and liveaboards. Click here to learn more about the Ultrafeed LSZ.

Get started on this simple sail repair right now by watching the how-to video below.

Now that you're done, tell us how it went! What was the most difficult part of the repair? Do you have any tips to help your fellow sailors? Use the comments section below to share your experience with this DIY sail fix.

Materials & Tools List: 

  • Ripstop 0.75 oz. Dark Blue 60" Nylon Sailcloth – #954
  • Seamstick 1/2" Basting Tape for Sailmaking & Vinyl (50 yds.) – #20307
  • Tape Dacron® 5 oz. FOLDED White 1-1/2" (Not Adhesive Backed) – #2181
  • Tex 45 (V-46) White UV Bonded Polyester Thread 16 oz. (8,400 yds.) – #20207
  • Gingher® 8" Scissors Right Handed – #19104
  • Sailrite® Ultrafeed® LSZ Walking Foot Sewing Machine (110V) – #311602
  • Groz-Beckert® #14 Sewing Machine Needles 135x17 Round/Sharp Point (10 pack) – #123822
  • Sailrite® Stainless Steel Thread Nippers – #125831

Featured Products

Ripstop 0.75 oz. Dark Blue 60" Nylon Sailcloth

#954

Ripstop 0.75 oz. Dark Blue 60" Nylon Sailcloth

Seamstick 1/2" Basting Tape for Sailmaking & Vinyl (50 yds.)

#20307

Seamstick 1/2" Basting Tape for Sailmaking & Vinyl (50 yds.)

Tape Dacron 5 oz. FOLDED White 1-1/2" (Not Adhesive Backed)

#2181

Tape Dacron® 5 oz. FOLDED White 1-1/2" (Not Adhesive Backed)

Tex 45 (V-46) White UV Bonded Polyester Thread 16 oz. (8,400 yds.)

#20207

Tex 45 (V-46) White UV Bonded Polyester Thread 16 oz. (8,400 yds.)

Gingher 8" Scissors Right Handed

#19104

Gingher® 8" Scissors Right Handed

Sailrite Ultrafeed LSZ Walking Foot Sewing Machine (110V)

#311602

Sailrite® Ultrafeed® LSZ Walking Foot Sewing Machine (110V)

Groz-Beckert #14 Sewing Machine Needles 135x17 Round/Sharp Point (10 pack)

#123822

Groz-Beckert® #14 Sewing Machine Needles 135x17 Round/Sharp Point (10 pack)

Sailrite Stainless Steel Thread Nippers

#125831

Sailrite® Stainless Steel Thread Nippers

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