I sail exclusively in the ocean. 'Been doing it for 25 years.

I do not wash my sails except possibly once every year or two. I shoot them with a stream nozzle on a garden hose, while hoisted. I let them drip dry on the rig before I roll them up damp and put them in the sail box. Next time out, they finish drying and get a nice new layer of salt air on them.

If I need to dry a spinnaker, I drape it over a few trash cans in my garage or I hoist it up-side-down on the rig.

I live at the coast where it is humid (by CA standards) and cannot remember ever seeing mold on any of my sails.

I find it nearly impossible to get a piece of fabric with some salt content in it to fully dry. (see: "Hygroscopicity") I also don't have enough time to allow washed sails to fully dry. Therefore, I always put away sails when they are damp. Why fight it?!

GARY