Batten pockets - Battens and the pockets that hold them provide an important role in shaping your mainsail. As you change direction with the boat, the mainsail moves from one side of the boat to the other. This causes the batten to flex and bend the cloth at the end of the pocket. Over time the cloth can become weak and even tear. If not caught in time the damage can be catastrophic, tearing out the whole pocket back to the leech edge and causing major damage to the sail. This is a problem that's all but impossible to address on your own, but it's a reasonably simple procedure for a sail restoration professional to repair. While making a repair of this kind it would be a good time to replace the elastic in the end of the pocket to keep proper tension on the batten to help maintain good sail shape. However it is important to catch wear in this area as soon as possible, so be sure to inspect your sails regularly for this kind of wear.
Bolt rope has shrunk or drawn up making it hard to raise or lower the main and to get a nice set on the sail - This is a common problem and one that many sailors are told cannot be fixed or adjusted. However the truth is that a good sail restoration professional may very well be able to fix it. In addition, the cost for this type of sail repair is relatively low and it takes very little time to do.
Different sail makers use various types of line or rope in the bolt rope. Nylon is popular because it has stretch, but it also will shrink. If you begin to notice the boom seems to be hanging lower at the clew or back edge of the sail than the tack or front edge of the sail, or if the bottom of the sail seems to have a noticeable bag or extra cloth, the problem could be the bolt rope.
Bag in the lower body of the sail - Another common problem that is almost always due to the sail being stretched by the wind. Sail restoration professionals have a number of ways to make repairs or adjustments that will solve this problem.
