As winter takes full hold across the northern hemisphere, it’s important to note that it’s not just your boat that needs to be stored in over those colder months. Equally important is to store sails under the right conditions.

In order to avoid attracting those ugly mould stains on your sails, Lars Bo, owner and manager of Ullman Sails Denmark, provides 5 tips for storing sails.

1. Keep your sails dry

No matter where the sails are stored, just ensure they are dry. Moisture increases the risk of mould stains on the sail, which are hard to get rid of. So keep the sail dry. The place where the sails are stored doesn’t need to be hot, just free of humidity and any damp.

2. No access for mice and rats

Make sure that mice and rats cannot get to the sails. They may bite holes in the sail. To avoid access for mice and rates suspend your sails under the ceiling, so pests do not have access to them.

3. Store in a sail bag

The most important thing is that the sails should be able to breathe, so do not store the sails in plastic bags. Store the sail in a sail bag, it protects against dust and the like.

4. Clean the sail

Before storing your sail, ensure that there is no salt on the sail. If there is a need to wash the sail, it can be washed in a bowl of lukewarm water and with Biotex (not in the washing machine). Rinse with clean water and add vinegar to remove lime residues on the sail.

5. Roll sails together

It is ok to roll multiple sails together. However, before rolling, it is a good idea to take the battens and any loose hardware of the sails to avoid unnecessary wear, breakages and rust.

Article originally published on Minbaad.dk