After 15 years and many thousands of miles, all of our sails are starting to show signs of wear. While our jib is just starting to sag and lose its shape, the fabric on our mainsail is actually getting a bit brittle from a combination of wind force and UV degradation.
Angie hard at work sewing the mainsail luff just after first light
Partway from Galapagos to Easter Island, we suffered a small rip. After a hand-stitched repair, the following night we tore a 5 foot long gash just behind the luff where the sail attaches to the mast track.
That one was too big for a hand repair, so after arriving at Easter Island we pulled out the trusty Sailrite sewing machine. It’s not possible to work on the sails when it’s windy, and the wind usually starts to blow around 9am here. So, we woke up a few days in a row at 6am, pulled the sail down and worked frantically until we couldn’t control the sail in the wind any longer.
Fingers crossed that this repair holds for the 2500 mile passage to the mainland!
