Thu, Oct 9th 2014, 08:22
At present, the demand for ‘Dacron Sails’ has gone much higher not only among the sailmakers of Hong Kong but also the other parts of the world.
At present, the demand for ‘Dacron Sails’ has gone much higher not only among the sailmakers of Hong Kong but also the other parts of the world. It is because most of the woven sailcloth is constructed out of Dacron, although other fibers such as Kevlar, Spectra and Pentex see a limited use. It is said to be the most common real sail material that most of the sail factory uses while manufacturing sailboats.
Dacron sails being a great material does not stretch easily and can last for a longer time. It is almost 40 years ago that Dacron has replaced cotton as the primary sail material for fore and behind sails and it is a bit difficult to explain all the subtleties of this fabric. Dacron sail fabric has continued to develop since it was introduced in the mid fifties. Unfortunately, the difference between top quality Dacron fabrics will perform well for many years as compared to the other fabric that will quickly break down and distort is not discernible by casual examination. In order to make a full judgment on the specific fibers they must be employed and the production history of the fabric must be known. Even then, extensive testing is required to ensure that each roll of fabric is of satisfactory quality.
However, Dacron sails are now available with wide range of different colours in the market. There are four primary factors that affect the quality and cost of Dacron sails.
1. Yarn Quality: Yarn quality varies in terms of breaking strength, resistance to stretch, long term stretch and weaving quality. A high drive and high resistance yarn produced specifically for weaving is the most desirable and also most expensive.
2. Yarn Content: Yarn content relates to the aspect ratio of the particular sail. Lower aspect sails require a more balanced weave, with fibers of similar denier and count in the warp and fill. Higher aspect ratio sails such as blade jibs require heavier fibers along the load lines and fewer across the sail.
3. Tightness of the Weave: The tightness of the weave varies for a number of reasons they include the size of the yarns employed in it. The smaller the yarn denier, the tighter will be the weave. Whereas, the higher shrink yarns will produce a tighter weave than lower shrink yarns.
4. Type of Finish: The type of finish used on the sail greatly affects the feel of the material. The highly resonated materials often rely on the resin for stability and when, after extended use, the resin begins to break down and then the sail begins to change shape. Resin quality and quantity greatly affect the overall quality and cost of the sailcloth.
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