How to repair spinnaker tarps?

Am doing some on-line research and came up with the following options:

1) Spinnaker repair tape – adhesive backed ripstop nylon. It appears to be more of a field repair option. Maybe a better answer than duct tape for that purpose?

2) Spinnaker cloth patch attached with Silnet. Perhaps a more permanent solution? How durable?

3) Sewn-in spinnaker cloth patch. Maybe the best answer, assuming you have the right sewing skills. One site recommended that you sew on an oversized circular patch, and then cut away the damaged fabric, with a 0.5in overlap remaining.

All the info I found out there is on sailing or kite affiliated web sites. UL backpacking not yet a mainstream use for these fabrics yet I guess. LOL. I am concerned about the effect the repair will have on the ability to set a tight pitch, if not done correctly. Plus, on a more superficial level I'd like the repair to be somewhat aesthetically pleasing. :) Am I better off sending to a professional for repair, or? I would imagine there are a lot of DIY'ers here who have a bit more confidence than myself and can guide me in the right direction.

See the Oware (http://www.owareusa.com/) tips and tricks page – I believe that spinnaker cloth is silicon sealed. Another option MAY be "3M Extreme application Packing Tape". The stuff is amazingly sticky and strong – I did a quick 'how well does it stick to silnylon test' and was pleasantly surprised.

I believe that sail repair tape will provide a quite permanent repair. Clean the fabric and lay it on a flat smooth surface. Cut the patch so the corners are well rounded. Apply tape to both sides of the material. Lay a piece of smooth, thin plastic over the repair and burnish the repair tape with vigor. I have used this system on packs, tents, and clothing. IMHO it works well. Sail repair tape comes in a multitude of colors and you may be able to find a color that either matches (sort of) or is complementary.

Howdy Andrew,
OR failing the above suggestions send it back to us and we'll take care of it.

send to
Gossamer Gear inc
4801 W Frances PL
Austin TX 78731

Happy Trails,
Grant

First: What type of Spinnaker?
Silicone or PU coated? (there are others too but they act like PU)

MLD, GG, BMW, Oware, thru-hiker.com and a few others use various Silicone type spinnakers. Most Spinnkers used for sail making are of the PU/Melamine coated variety. Cuben fiber spinnaker is not Silicone.

The pre-made cut to size store bought Sail Repair patches mentioned will not work on the Silicone.

Using Silnet and a some matching Spinnaker fabric makes a very nice, permanent and cosmetically unobtrusive patch. Gnarly rips can be patched from both sides. At MLD, we ship a swatch of matching fabric with evey spinnaker and silnylon tarp, bivy and pack in case of flying porcupine attack.

This ability to easily repair spinnaker is a plus for a long service life with SUL gear.

I would of course contact the mfg first.

Wow thanks everyone for all the great feedback. I've learned a lot on this subject. I think the most important lesson I learned is to contact the manufacturer first. BPL is awesome – where else can you get the manufacturers of leading edge UL gear to chime in and help you out? Ron – thanks, it sounds like spare fabric with silnet is the way to go. I'll try to get hold of some spare fabric for future mishaps.

Grant, you and GG are the best! Thanks very much for the generous repair offer, I'll follow up by PM and get it in the mail to you ASAP. If I wasn't already, I'm definitely a customer for life.

Andy