Sail Bag Repair

The draw string on my Main Sail Bag had gotten so short that you could not open the bag enough to easily stow the Mains'l.  I don't know how this happens but the draw string got shorter and shorter.  There is the hard way to replace the cord and there is the easy way.  I finally just threw the cord away.

The Easy Way

Purchase a bodkin.  One will cost you about $3.  A bodkin looks like a small pair of tweezers with the jaws bent inward.  There is a small ring that slips down toward the jaws and clamps them shut.

Follow the pictures below to see how easy it is to rethread a new draw string using a bodkin.

To prep the cord, wrap the ends in masking tape and make a fresh cut.  Then melt the end with the masking tape still on.  Finally remove the masking tape making sure it is not still burning when you discard the tape.

The bodkin is very easy to snake through the draw string pocket.  Once the new cord is in place you can either tie the ends together or tie a stop knot in each end.