Editor's Note: For more information about cruising on America, Click Here. Richard Benscoter is a long time avid sailor. He's a member of the Silver Gate Yacht Club and owner of the Mariners Woodshop. If you have a sailing question for Richard, send e-mail to richard@BlueSkyNews.com.

Care and Maintenance of Your Sails
- By Brad Poulos
Recently I covered two areas to minimize damage to your sails: preparation of the boat and rig, and the proper treatment of the sails on board. This month I'll cover some FAQs on the care and maintenance of sails.

Sails that have been used frequently, or in heavy weather should be washed at the end of each season, preferably by your local sailmaker. If that's not possible, soak the sails in a warm soap solution for a couple of hours, then hose them off thoroughly.

Make sure they are completely dry before folding. If the sails are particularly dirty, add a small amount of bleach to the water before soaking. Dirty spots can be lightly scrubbed. Laminate sails should be hosed off, dried and folded. Try not to soak or scrub them.

Stain Removal
Blood and Mildew: Soak the stained area in a mild bleach solution for two hours; scrub lightly.

Rust: Rust removers are offered under many commercial names and are available at just about any hardware store. Just make sure you rinse the cleaned area thoroughly.

Oil, Grease, and Tar: Dab the stained area with acetone or lighter fluid and then rub the stain with clean rags. Once the stain is lightened, scrub the area with a detergent and water solution. Rinse all the acetone out of the material.

Storing Your Sails
All sails should be folded or rolled in a manner that avoids sharp creases. Sails should be stored under well-ventilated, clean conditions. Dampness, which may encourage mildew, should be avoided. While mildew growth does not affect the strength of sails, it can cause unsightly stains that are not easily removed.

Back to the Loft
It is very important to the life and strength of your sails that you return them to your sailmaker's loft once a year for inspection, any necessary refurbishing, and washing. This practice can add years to the life of your sails and help you to get the most out of them in terms of speed and appearance. See you on the water!

Brad Poulos is the General Manager at UK Sails and holds a US Coast Guard 50-ton masters license. Brad is also an ASA certified sailing instructor. If you have a question regarding the use or care of sails, send an e-mail to brad@uksocal.com.

Coast Guard Auxiliary Tip of the Month -
Which Flares Do I Really Need?
-By Bob Simons
Technically and legally you need to have three current day/night flares on board your vessel if you are a pleasure boat of less than 75 feet. These can be pyrotechnic, or hand held. The flares have an expiration date printed on the side that indicates the month/year they go out of date, usually three years after you buy them.

Now in reality, what should you have for boating in Southern California? If you are strictly a bay cruiser, the minimum standards are probably OK. But if you go offshore fishing or ocean cruising you should consider going beyond the minimum legal standard. This might be your last hope of rescue, so "minimum" really is a direct reflection on what you feel about you, your family and your boat?

When I do Vessel Safety Checks, I recommend a couple of Orange Smoke flares be added to your emergency kit. The orange smoke is visible for miles during daylight, as opposed to the regular flares that do not put out smoke and are more suitable for night.

For larger vessels, I recommend at least one parachute flare. They are incredibly bright and can be seen for miles at night.

Many of the flare kits have the small flare gun with three shells. It is very important to remember that these flares go up about 100 feet and come right down. Unless you are looking directly in their direction, you probably wouldn't notice them. Use them when you have your rescue vessel in sight and they are facing you.

SOLAS emergency equipment is what is required for larger and commercial vessels. These flares are of the superior quality and brightness and are considered the highest benchmark for safety internationally. They are more expensive than the safety equipment usually used on pleasure boats. If you are venturing far offshore you should consider this upgrade.

Out of date flares are always a question. Should I keep them on board? I recommend that flares are probably OK for three years after their expiration date but should then be disposed of at your local fire station. We have had a problem with some out of date flares suddenly burning from both ends or splitting which are obviously very dangerous situations.

Bob Simons has been in the Coast Guard Auxiliary for thirty years and owns a small sailboat as well as a small powerboat. He teaches classes in Boating Safety & Seamanship as well as Basic and Advanced Coastal Navigation. Bob is also the co-owner of Seabreeze Books and Charts in Point Loma.