Sail Ties

No, sail ties, are not novelty men's neck wear!

If you have a sailboat, you are going to need sail ties.  Sometimes sail ties refer to strings or ropes that actually tie the mainsail to the boom, but in this post I am talking about sail ties that are used to secure a sail when it is not in use.  They tie a lowered mainsail to the boom or can be simply tied around a loose jib to keep it from flapping or being blow overboard between uses.  Some sailors tie the jib to the lifeline or fore stay for extra security.   I also use mine to secure the rolled up sail for long term storage.  Sail ties can be useful for securing gear on other boats or in camp too.  1" nylon straps are typically rated at about 4,000 lbs so they are usually more than adequate to fasten loads on deck, in cargo areas, or on packs.   The first couple of outings in my sailboat I used bungee cords for sail ties and soon figured out real sail ties would be a much better option.  Sail ties are easier to use, hold more securely, and put less chaffing on the sail fabric than ropes or bungee cords.

A second possible use for sail ties is to secure the mainsail when reefing.  When the wind picks up you need less sail area.  Reefing consists of lowering the mainsail partway.  Sails built for reefing will have cringles (grommets) at one or more reefing points.    You can't really reef a sail without reefing points because there is no place to wrap a tie around the stacked sail without cringles.  You usually have a line already attached to the cringle nearest the mast that is used to pull the sail down for reefing but may need to thread sail ties through other cringles along the sail to secure it to the boom so it isn't flapping in the breeze or hanging down blocking your view or getting in your way.  Some reefing ties are permanently attached to the sail so they are always there when you need them but sometimes you may have to thread a tie through each cringle to secure the reef.  NOTE:  if you have to thread the ties through the cringles you may want to use an appropriate size rope that will be faster and easier to get through the small holes.  Nylon straps could be used for permanently attached reefing ties.

There are several options for what you can use for sail ties.  Some guys like to use bungee cords.  Some just use pieces of rope or paracord.  But one of the easiest I've used are nylon straps.  They have a loop sewn in one end so you can get a good hold on them to yank them tight.   The loop is usually sewn with a twist in the strap so it is easier to open to get your hand into it.  Bungee cords elasticity makes them useful in that they can be stretched around different parts of the sail and contract to hold it tight.  The only downside might be the hook chafing on the sail or gouging your hand or other parts of your body if they slip while you are trying to fasten or unfasten them.  They also tend to take off into the water when they unexpectedly come loose or you lose your grip on them when taking them off.  Nylon straps are easy to install and tighten, easy to tie, hold securely, and are easy to remove when the time comes.  And they don't put deep creases in the sail that might lead to chafing.

                                       

In the photo note the  box stitch used to form the loops and that the loops are twisted so they are easier to open when you use them.  Nylons straps are not usually used for reefing as they don't fit as well through the cringles as a light weight rope but you might use them in a pinch by folding or rolling them lengthwise to fit them through the cringle.  If you do  a lot of reefing you are going to want dedicated reefing ties to make the job easier. Nylon straps are amazingly strong.  1"wide nylon straps can usually hold up to 4,000 lbs, way more than you need to tie up a loose sail.

How many sail ties do you need?  I have seen recommendations ranging from using a tie every 2 ' to every 4' for the mainsail.  Personally I prefer using at least 1 sail tie every 2 feet.  On a mainsail with a 10' base or foot that would be about 6 sail ties, one at each end and one every 2' in between-- at 0, 2,4,6, 8, and 10 feet.  You might get away with just  using 5 sail ties -- tie one at each end, on in the middle, and the other two centered between the end and middle ties.  I use about the same number on my jib, which also has about a 9.5' base or foot.  The number of ties you need for reefing will depend upon the number of cringles in your sail.  If you have multiple reefing points (at different levels on the sail) you might want to have a set of reefing ties for each reefing point.  The ties needed for more than one reefing point will need to be successively longer for each level since there will be more sail to be tied off.  You might get away with having just one set but it would mean untying and retying previous reefs each time you reef again.  I like the idea of keeping the previous reefs tied off so I don't risk losing control of the already reefed portion of sail while retying more reefs.  Since reefing is used to reduce sail as wind increases, the last thing I want to have to deal with is extra sail flapping in the wind when trying to do the next reef.

How to tie a sail tie.  There isn't really any wrong way to tie sail ties as long as they hold in place and do their job -- and you can untie them when you need to.  However, there are some techniques that work better than others.  You want them to hold securely yet be easy to undo when you are ready to use the sail again so don't use permanent knots!   I like to use long ties so I can take a couple of loops around the sail to spread the load.  Then I grab the tail (end opposite the loop) and pull the end of  tail through the loop  so I can cinch it down tight, then tie off the loose end.  When I tie off the loose end I use another loop under the strap already around the sail, then put a second loop through the loop and cinch it down so I can get the whole thing loose by just pulling on the loose end.  Pull one loop under the tie next to the sail and then pull another loop through that loop, then cinch the whole knot down tightly.  That way I only need pull the loose end when it is time to undo the tie.  Here is a simple Youtube showing how to use a sail tie.  Sometimes time is critical and you will want to be able to get the sail back in service quickly.  Try avoid making small, tight knots as it they will difficult to untie and repeated use can weaken the strap.  You definitely don't want to tie knots so tight you have to cut them to get them off!  Such knots are sometimes called "knife knots", because you need a knife to undo them!  Knots will significantly weaken nylon straps so you don't want to tie knots in the loaded part of the strap.  You also want to avoid having to cut the knots since doing so you may risk cutting the sail!

Don't leave sail ties on the jib when you stow it away.  Open it up and flake it right so it lays flat then fold or roll it up for storage.  You can leave sail ties around the mainsail when it is left stowed on the boom in a sail cover but it too should be properly flaked when removed for storage.  You might use sail ties to keep properly rolled sails of any type from unrolling during storage and transport.  Sail bags are the preferred method of controlling loose sails, protecting them from sunlight, dirt, dust, and other elements during transport and storage but sail ties can keep them from becoming unruly during shorter spells not in active use and keep them snug in their bags.  What you don't want to do is use sail ties to gather up a loose sail and put it in storage without properly flaking it.

You may find other uses for our sail ties, like securing the extra coil of a halyard to the mast to keep it out of the way while underway.  No doubt you will find lots of other places a sail tie will come in handy.

You might want to have bunch of sail ties all the same color to coordinate with colors on your boat, but it is sometimes useful to have different colored sail ties of different lengths to make it easier to find the length you want for each position on the sail.  All ties a particular length should be the same color.  You might even use color mixing to help identify different sizes, for example, use red for 3' ties, orange for 4' ties, and yellow for 5' ties (orange is a mix of red and yellow so it belongs between them).  Continuing the pattern use green for 6' ties and blue for 7' or 8' ties since green is a mix of yellow and blue.  Then make any really long ones black or purple.  Color coded sail ties will make it easier to grab the one you want for each position on the sail.  Not long ago I replaced my all blue sail ties with colored ones and it really did make selecting the right one for easy position faster and easier.  It worked better whether I was pulling them out myself or asking my first mate to grab them for me.

Where to get sail ties?  You can buy sail ties at any marine supply store that caters to sailboats and online, including amazon.com.  They usually come in sets of 4 or 6.  You can usually choose a color to match your sail covers or coordinate with other colors on your boat.  I like to have a variety of lengths since I only need short ties near the clew of the sail and longer ones as I work up toward the mast and the amount of fabric increases.  Nylon strap ties can be easily cut to length using a hot knife, other sharp knife, or scissors.  If you don't have an electric hot knife to cut them you can use a lighter to melt the frizzy end to keep it from unraveling.  You might even find other uses for the cutoff ends.  We are replacing a worn out strap on a mainsail cover with one of ours.

You can make your own sail ties too.  You can purchase nylon strap on-line or at many fabric stores.    1" nylon strap is more than adequate for sail ties.  It usually is rated up to 4000 #  tensile strength.  Figure out how many ties you need of each length and add a foot extra for each tie.  The extra foot will be used to sew the loop.  When forming the loop, put a single twist in the strap instead of just laying it flat over on itself.  That will make opening the loop easier when you need to use it.  Use a box stitch about 1" long to fasten the end back on the strap using about 1' of strap to form a loop about 6" long.  Be sure to use thread that is designed for outdoor use and sun exposure.  Match the color of the thread to the color of each strap for the most professional looking results.  If you have multiple colored straps and want to save a couple of bucks (and time changing thread), you might sew them all with the same neutral color.  Dark thread on light straps or light thread on dark straps will be the most noticeable but with the small amount of stitching it probably won't make much difference.  All the ties in the commercial sample photo above used white thread.  You can find instructions along with kits for making sail ties at Sailrite.com.  Remember, be sure to use UV resistant outdoor rated thread.

I can custom make custom sail ties for you for $.40 per foot plus shipping.  Add 1' to your desired finished length for the loop.  Choose Pacific blue, red, green, yellow, or black.  Email your requirements (# of ties, color, and lengths) to lemonts@ix.netcom.com.  I prefer payment viaPaypal.  I will also accept personal checks, but it will delay your order while I wait for your check to arrive and clear.  Include your shipping address in your order email.   Upon receipt of your email order I will reply with a total including shipping and an estimated shipping date.  I try to complete orders as quickly as possible but may experience delays if my supplier is out of colors I need for your order.

Sail ties should be stored where they don't get tangled are are easily accessible when you need them.  You also don't want to leave them hanging in the sun where UV light could damage them.  Of course they will be exposed to UV while in use on your sails, but why expose them to additional deterioration while they are not in use?   You might store them in a plastic bag, but I found they got tangled when bagged.   I rigged a hook on the magazine rack just inside the companionway hatch on my sailboat.  They hang straight down, are generally out of the way, out of direct sunlight, and yet I or any crew member can easily grab them when I need to secure my sails.  They are out of the way and don't look too bad hanging there.

Ran into an anomaly making colored sail ties.  I found the red webbing was lighter weight and prone to tear, even though I bought it from the same store and he bought it from the same supplier as the other colors.  If you REALLY want red sail ties you might need to double up the webbing and stitch it together but be aware that will make them bulkier, stiffer, and more difficult to use.  Or search around for a more consistent supplier!  Check any material you purchase to make sure it is of consistent thickness and strength.

Tie one on!