Our tester got a serious workout running an old double braid sheet tied to a 50-pound log back and forth across the tapes (see Rhumb Lines “Thanks to the Crew,” Crude yes? A cardiologists nightmare? You betcha. But such are the lengths we’ll go to in order to get good data for Practical Sailor.

1. Duct tape from 3M is a lousy chafe protector. It chafed through in 3 to 4 strokes.



2. Reinforced mylar sail repair tape chafed through in 30 strokes.



3. The Wear and Tear pad had deep dents after impact testing (less strenuous protocol that let gravity do most of the work), but none penetrated to the substrate below.



4. After 150 strokes, the mylar window tape showed now visible signs of wear.