Sport Today

How often? Is it worth the effort?
--
Atanas E. Entchev

http://www.cnj.digex.net/~atanas/

Never washed it - but I mostly sail in fresh water - but I wouldn't even
if I sailed in salt water - don't waste sailing time washing your gear!

Tom O'Brien - Chicago
AHD, HiPer-Tech, MultiSail, etc.

I've had great success with rinsing gear.  I sail with a group of people
consistently, and many of us have the same gear.  The "rinsers" have our
booms, sails, harnesses and footstraps last significantly longer.  I sail
in salt water.  

the effects of the sun are usually more of a problem than the
  salt.  It doesn't make sense to be overly worried about rinsing
  if you don't take great care to keep the sail in the shade or
   you frequently leave it baking in the sun.

I generally will rinse a sail if it has a lot of sand on it.
If you rinse one with fresh water make sure it is COMPLETELY
dry before you roll it up.  Sails damp with fresh water will
mildew and stink in short order.   Sails damp with salt water
just concentrate the brine to a point no bugs can live in it;
so leaving it damp with salt water is generally safe in terms
of smells.

--
Jack Faller

says...

I'd add wetsuits to the list of equipment to rinse - this will greatly increase
longevity.  I replaced the rivets at the end of my NP Easytrim boom with push
pins so that the pieces dismantle to allow the salt water (which always
collected inside) to be rinsed out.

Cheers, Bob

Occasionally, if a mast is especially dirty/sandy, I'll rinse it
off, but not that often. Usually, I wipe off the mast with my gloved
hand when I pull it out of the sail to keep from grinding the inside
of the sail and/or boom.

Is it worth it ?

For personal gear, absolutely. I wash everything I put next to my body,
and neoprene is no exception. The guys who carry around a wetsuit
that hasn't been rinsed out a whole season have some *interesting*
smells in their cars.

For me, the convenience of not having parts bind and stick due to
sand (i.e. mast bases and booms ends) is a big plus. I hate that
grinding sound of sand inside a mast or boom when I put it together.
It also makes it faster and easier to put together. No time wasted
with parts that are stuck together with sand either (except after
sailing at the coast).

I never rinse out my sails, although I used to. I replace sails when
the newer sails are enough better to warrant paying for the improved
performance. I've never actually physically worn out a sail, (well,
maybe one... in 8 years of shortboarding). If you hold onto your sails
until they rot, then you might have a different perspective on this one.

I rarely rinse off a board. Only when it's obviously ***, such as
dropping it in the ultra fine mud of low tide. Otherwise it just goes
back in the back, after pulling off any pieces of grass, or leaves.

Hope that helps,

Jaime

--
Jaime Cordera
LogicVision, Inc.
jaime AT lvision.com

Jack Faller Wrote:

I beg to differ - I have been sailing in fresh water for 10 years and
never have any time to completely dry my sails - no mildew to date.  I do
stand them up on end in the ba***t so the water can trickle down to the
bottom.

BTW, I keep my sails for a minimum of 5 years and have never spent any
time rinsing or drying them.

Tom O'Brien - Chicago
AHD, HiPer-Tech, MultiSail, etc.

I stand them up on end after rinsing (if there wasn't time to let them
dry) and I've never had mildew either.

Use it Up! Wear it Out! Have some fun! Windsurfing is not an IRA to be
managed, it's wind and water and good times.

Cheers, indeed,

Bob Jacobson

TO'B

<<After you rinse the gear
with fresh water, you got to wipe it down, or it mildews. >>

You must have some funky water...I'm rinsing my gear for six years and
I've never had mildew.