i want to paint a big skull and crossbones on my black sails ,so i will need white paint but cant see any paint that will work on my nylon or dacron sails i dont want it to flake off or look a mess

Ask at a chandler's.

Wont that joke get quite 'old' quite quickly?! lol plus isn't it a bit like the yachting equivalent of cheap carbon fibre wrap on the bonnet of your Corsa and a straight though exhaust...... ?

Don't waste your time talking to a chandlery, speak to a sailmaker, someone like north sails they should be able to help you

Look in a chandlery for 'inflatable boat' paint. I think it is called polyflex or something like that. It is manufactured for painting inflatables which are either nylon or pvc fabric and the paint is flexible to allow for the boat to be inflated and deflated and rolled up.

I've checked on the tin in my workshop. its called 'superflex' made by polymarine ltd.

We have made graphics for sails using a vinyl sign making machine and the same adhesive backed fabric used for sail numbers. that would be the proper way of doing it but it is expensive when the graphic coveras a large area.

[Edited on 13/5/12 by plentywahalla]

Mask off the pattern and bleach the colour out. Try it on a test area first though!!