When a sail repair needs a sewing machine, not a needle and thread
Hand-stitching heavy sail cloth and luff tape with a needle and thread is possible for very minor work, but some repairs simply require a sewing machine to hold properly. Lauren Landers Sailing attempted a hand-sew fix at anchor and found the job was beyond what hand-stitching could reliably achieve. The pragmatic cruiser's solution: leave the damaged sail in its current state, continue sailing normally, and schedule a professional repair at the next port with the right equipment. Trying to force an under-resourced repair on structural sail cloth risks making the damage worse.
Go deeper with Lauren Landers Sailing
Ask anything about this, and Lauren Landers Sailing answers from everything they've shared.
More to learn
See everything in Learn
How a genoa sail luff tape can pull out of a furling foil
When there is not enough wind and the boat is sailing downwind, the sail flops around with no steady pressure to keep it set. That flopping motion can work the luff tape loose from the furling foil extrusion, allowing the edge of the sail c
Sometimes replacing the whole toilet assembly is faster than chasing seal failures
Lauren's aft head had seals replaced a couple of times and still was not working properly. Rather than continuing to chase individual seal failures, she decided to replace the entire assembly. The result: two out of three heads on the boat
Heavy calcium buildup in hoses can defeat even a new toilet pump
On the master head, Lauren replaced the pump assembly but the toilet still was not working correctly. Her suspicion is that the hose itself has too much calcium buildup inside it, meaning the new pump is fighting against a restricted line.