Bruce's scenario is more likely for newer sails. If the material
which came loose is a "soft" fabric, then it would be the protective
material the manufacturer used to protect the stitching from abrasion
by the mast. If this "soft" material is removed, the mast will start
to wear on the load carrying stitching and over time the stitching
will fail as the mast wears against and thru it. I have seen this on
occasion but it is usually a secondary problem. When someone brings me
a sail with a worn or broken mast strap, I sometimes see the
protective "soft" fabric coming loose which could lead to a jamming in
the mast sleeve.
If the material which jammed the mast sleeve is "crinkley" noisy then
it is more likely an older sail and is experiencing a delam problem or
an "unstitching" problem. If laminated material has been used,the glue
between the fabric and film can break down over time and the material
can come apart under stress, catching on the mast tip (as it is
inserted), jamming the top of the mast sleeve. The film part of the
laminate gives off a "crinkley" sound. That's one possibility. The
other possibility is the mast has abraded the threads on the materials
which transfer the stresses to the sail body and the materials have
started to come loose, caught on the mast tip and jammed. Some
manufacturers used layers of light weight monofilm to transfer the
stresses and this monofilm can give off a "crinkley" sound. For the
"crinkley" problem, cutting away the material will be a very short
term solution. The problem will get worse.
In either case, getting your sail to a professional for the
appropriate repairs will correct the problem, extending the life of
the sail.
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