Jib Snorkel Cover

I am lucky to be able to keep my boat mast up on a beach and I have a roller furling jib. I was thinking of getting or making a Jib "Snorkel" Cover in order to be able to leave the jib on. A snorkel is a long cloth tube that zips up over the rolled jib, raised by a halyard.
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<br>Question 1) Will the cover protect the jib well from UV and rain or will I be buying a new jib someday?
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<br>Question 2) Murrays has few in their catalog. Any alternatives out there, either pre-made or ideas for do-it-yourself?
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<br>PS. Love the new forum.
<br><br><br>Patrick Ragen
<br>Nacra 5.5SL #310
<br>CRAC web maintainer
<br>www.sailCRAC.com
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Long zippers are hard to find and expensive. If you know someone with a commercial sewing machine you can make one easily by using velcro to hold it together instead of a zipper. Just about any upolstery shop could make it for you from UV resistant material. As for having to buy a new jib that depends on what kind of a Cat Sailing Fanatic you are. Some guys barely get one season done and it's time for new sails. Then there are the flying dutchman types that have more patches than actual sail material. Gladly most of us fall between these extremes but it is still personal preference that is the final word.<br><br>

sailrite.com will either send you a kit or sell you one outright. Their sunbrella fabric really works.<br><br>

Not sure how you're going to velcro it shut once you hoist it over the jib. As I understand this, you're zipping it shut as you're hoisting it, and you're hoisting it with the main halyard line. I do admit to not using one, but I wonder about that.
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<br>Fair winds,
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<br>Tim Johnson
<br>Hobie 20 #541
<br>Bald Eagle Yacht Club, Fleet 52
<br>White Bear Lake, MN<br><br>

All of the I20's at Mission Bay in San Diego keep the jib furled with a Sunbrella jib snorkle (we have mast-up storage here). We use the spinnaker halyard to hoist it up (a jib or main halyard should also work). The snorkle top is open, so the sail gets wet when it rains, but we ignore it. The snorkle should be hoisted a foot or so above the top of the jib fabric, so the sun can't get in and ruin the top of the sail.
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<br>This is the 1st boat I've used Sunbrella fabric for a cover, and it is first class stuff. We also use it to cover the tramp as well as the spinnaker pole/sock. It's worked well on all of the boats here.
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<br>We got ours from the local dealer (Fast Lane Sailing http://www.fastlanesailing.com/ ). You can call him with any questions or to order one for your boat.
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<br>Sail fast and have fun,
<br>Alan Thompson
<br>I20 - San Diego
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The snorkle goes on with a zipper. I don't think velcro would work at all and would probably let the sun ruin your jib sooner or later (as well as being a pain in the A** to use).
<br>Alan<br><br>