For best results, apply SailKote by spraying on your sails rather than wiping it on using a cloth rag or sponge. We recommend using a HVLP (high volume, low pressure) paint sprayer.

Sail Application Guidelines:

  • Sails should be laid out on a clean, flat surface (for example, a sail loft floor) in an area with little or no wind; make sure there is lots of ventilation
  • Wear a mask whenever paint sprayers are in use
  • Sails / spinnakers must be clean and dry in order for SailKote to adhere properly
  • Spinnakers – apply a very light coating on each side
  • Multi-layered corners require more coverage—try 3–4 coats on each side.
  • Apply light coating over any inked on numbers or logos because a heavy coat may cause them to run slightly or bleed
  • Keep spray nozzle approximately 1.5 to 2 feet from the cloth
  • Sail should only appear wet for about 5–15 seconds. If the sail never actually appears wet, then you may not have used enough SailKote, or it may be drying prior to contact and fail to adhere properly. If the sail stays wet for more than 15 seconds or takes on a slightly opaque coating, the coating is being applied too heavily. Coating should never be applied so heavily that it might drip or run
  • Using the guidelines above, a Mumm-36 spinnaker takes about 10 minutes per side to spray and uses approximately 2 quarts of SailKote
  • After spraying is complete, clean the sprayer’s nozzle by spraying acetone through it for 30 seconds or more
  • If properly applied, SailKote may last more than 100 spinnaker sets—generally, that is more than an entire season

Spinnakers—Benefits of Coating with SailKote:

  • Minimize water absorption—keeps spinnaker as light as possible
  • Minimize friction when hoisting and dousing spinnakers, and gybing asymmetrical spinnakers
  • Helps prevent tearing cloth on sharp objects
  • Minimize mildew growth

Headsails—Benefits of Coating with SailKote:

  • Minimize friction when tacking—friction caused by overlapped headsail rubbing against mast and shrouds is the main cause of the breakdown the sailcloth and laminates
  • Minimize water absorption—keeps headsails as light as possible
  • Reduce friction when hoisting headsail by coating luff tape or hanks of sail; for maximum benefit, coat both sides of headsail entirely during peel changes
  • Helps prevent tearing cloth or laminate on spreader tips and sharp objects
  • Keeps telltales sensitive and flying in wet conditions