As happens from time to time, it was needful to have our jib restitched and wanting to get maximum bang for the buck decided it would be a great opportunity to get some draft tape and new telltales as long as the sail was going to be worked on...
I mentioned Glowfast some time ago in a previous post and have been waiting for just such an opportunity to try out their glow in the dark products as we do more than our fair share of sailing at night and I always feel a little more information regarding sail shape in the dark would be no bad thing! The added bonus of making the boat that much more visible makes it something of a slam dunk.
So while we were at the loft I asked if they had any of the Glowfast tape in stock and was met not just with a "No, but we'd be happy to get some in for you!" but instead "No, it does not really work and won't last in tropical conditions here in the Caribbean" instead.
I then asked if they had experience with the product and got a "no".
Now as far as I recollect, folks downunder have a whole lot more UV than we do here in the tropics and it seemed to me that a product from downunder just might have factored UV wear and tear into the equation... Well, I know I would.
So Email being a wonderful thing, I dropped Jason at Glowfast Marine a note and got this back lickity split...
It's a problem when people talk about things they don't know about, they should just say they don't know. In regards to our products, the actual glow material we use has no life expectancy it loves the UV and has been tested in labs for over 50 years. We have had it on sails for 6 years and still and they are still as bright as the day they were put on.
The only thing that limits the life expectancy is the material we put it into, in this case it is an insignia cloth similar to standard draft stripes used at the moment. So presuming they are installed correctly they should last the life of your sails.
So there you have it... Someone who actually has some experience with the product (albeit that he wants to sell you the product) and someone who does not have a clue (who I should also point out would make a profit in selling/installing the product).
So it goes... For the record I am still very pumped about installing the Glowfast draft tape and telltales!
I'll be honest and say I hate when folks who don't know stuff just make it up on the fly. In this case, the loft in question won't be making the new Genoa I had them quote for me. Trust is a somewhat elusive bugger and it flew out the window the minute the BS came in.
