Cruising Chute

[stevensuf]

yeah i know they are hard work, a roller furling option with extra stay would be ideal, but the 5k+ price tag not ideal!

[bobconnie]

Your buying your sails at the wrong places !! I think I would do a little more looking !! LOL Thats a outrageous price for either sail set up ! I know its been 3 yrs since I bought any new sails, but thats a BIG change in that time span !! and right now theres not all that many sails being bought at least in the states !at least thats what my sail maker tells me ?? He's way to far away to help ya but Im sure you can do better than the prices your quoteing!! Just my 2 cents Bob and Connie

[Nicholson58]

There are a lot of used sails on the market. Racers tend to retire them well before the life is used up. Some of these may have a sock and some places may offer a used sock. You can also shadow the local racing clubs and find an owner who has inventory socked away. On the boat I used to race, the skipper ownd at least 6 retired kites stored in his attic. You might also find one of these guys happy to help you set up to rig it. Our AS is so heavy we hoist through a forward hatch in its sock. The bag is too much to lift on deck. We douse the same way. Roller furl would be the best way and it allows you to easily gibe. Agree on the cost. I saw it at the sail show in Chicago this winter. I'm waiting for some Chinese company to mass produce it for 1/4 the cost. There is just not that much to them. I consider making one over weekends in the machine shop.

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Atlantic Sail Traders - Used sails, New sails, Sail Broker

[AiniA]

That price seems very high to me. Ours for a 45', 36,000 lb boat, from North, was something like $3200 with the sock. I would also look for a used sail. Does not have to be in perfect shape since you are not racing and not using it in really strong winds.

I don't mind the sock, although when it works properly the furler would be great. We had friends with a furled one on a 44' catamaran and they were always having problems with it.

One thing to consider, we found that we did not use ours all that much while crossing the Pacific. First off, with just two of us I am not going to use it at night. So picture first light light - we have the genoa out on a pole (in our case it is an 18' aluminum spinnaker pole. We would have to take in the sail, take down the pole (say 20 minutes), get the spinnaker set-up (at least 20 minutes) and then reverse before dark (getting the pole up and the various guys set takes longer than taking it down). So altogether it takes something over an hour - during which we are going quite slow. With the spinn up we do sail faster than with the genoa (say 1 1/2 knots) so the net would be perhaps 12 miles further a day. Perhaps we are just lazy (will plead guilty) but it just seemed to make sense to keep plugging away with the genoa. BTW, we rarely motor so the choice is between sails. our boat is quite good in light airs for a heavy boat, but yours is likely better.

Curious as to why you are going through the Med? Are you going to ship to Sri Lanka or wherever the freighters go?

[Adelie]

Originally Posted by stevensuf

well my plan is to sail from the UK via the med to australia, im just wondering if it is worth the money for the limited use it will get along the way

Two thoughts:

A) Are you sure about passing thru the Red sea and all its pirate issues?

B) Have you considered a drifter which would not give you quite as much drive but would be a lot easier to handle single-handed. It would likely be a lot cheaper and being easier to handle would get used more and in a wider range of winds.

[cfarrar]

"I'm seriously thinking it may be much cheaper just buying extra jerry cans and fuel for the doldrum moments..."

I suspect you're correct. If I take the cash for a new set of sails - main, jib, and asymmetrical - and spend it on diesel fuel, I could motor for about 27,500 miles at current U.S. prices. However, I prefer to sail.

[Nicholson58]

Have you considered a Solent rig? This would be easy with a 180 or 200 drifter. If you, as we, never take the #1 jib off the headstay then a lighter, solent rig. gives you the ability to double head downwind or reach in light air with a big light air sail. You can run the light sail hanked on and stored on deck in the bag like a trisail. When the thing is in the way you just stow it against the mast. This is likely in our future as I weigh the same questions raised above.

Solent Rig | Cruising World

[Bash]

That's an outrageous price for a new chute. You might want to take off your shirt and check to see if someone pinned a target on your back.

Do people actually sail because it's cheaper than diesel? That's an entirely new rubric for me. A Scottish perspective? I've always assumed that cruisers sail because it's such a glorious way to get around, and so much more peaceful that motoring.

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by AiniA

with just two of us I am not going to use it at night.

Why? It seems conventional wisdom but runs counter to my experience. The wind comes up as often during the day as the night.

I've had the chute up for as long as three days at a clip.

[janders]

Originally Posted by Auspicious

Why? It seems conventional wisdom but runs counter to my experience. The wind comes up as often during the day as the night.

I've had the chute up for as long as three days at a clip.

We take ours down at dusk, too. You can (often, not always) see a squall coming during the day. I also don't like someone dousing up on the foredeck at night in windy conditions surrounded by all the lines that our asym requires. During the day you can keep better track of what's going on.

We might change our minds if we were more proficient at setting and dousing that sail but we don't use it enough to be good at it so we tuck it away at night.

[atoll]

Originally Posted by Auspicious

Why? It seems conventional wisdom but runs counter to my experience. The wind comes up as often during the day as the night.

I've had the chute up for as long as three days at a clip.

i think it is more to do with experince levels and confidence getting it down in a hurry at night ,than to do with not seeing the squall untill too late.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Auspicious

Why? It seems conventional wisdom but runs counter to my experience. The wind comes up as often during the day as the night.

I've had the chute up for as long as three days at a clip.

At least here in the NW Carib squall activity increases at night. Especially in the summer months.

[Highland Fling]

Originally Posted by atoll

i think it is more to do with experince levels and confidence getting it down in a hurry at night ,than to do with not seeing the squall untill too late.

which is where a furler wins hands down once you have too much wind for your chute a sock is a RPITA and you have to get onto the foredeck asymmetric furlers are now well sorted as well as cutting asymmetric sails for a furler with or without a tag line.

[mikereed100]

Steve,

Ask these folks for a quote:

Fareastsails, Hong Kong Sailmakers for Performance Cruising Sails

Rolly Tasker Sails, International Sailmakers, Cruising Sails, Racing Sails, Mast and Rigging, Sailing Accessories

Lee Sails: Sailmaker to the world

You should be able to get a sail delivered to your door for less than $1500. It will be made by the same people that will make the sail your local guy wants to charge you $5000 for.

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by janders

We might change our minds if we were more proficient at setting and dousing that sail but we don't use it enough to be good at it so we tuck it away at night.

That could be it. 30 years racing foredeck must be good for something. *grin*

Originally Posted by belizesailor

At least here in the NW Carib squall activity increases at night. Especially in the summer months.

Hi Bill -- Nice to meet you last month in Rio Dulce. Did you get your boat back in the water?

I take you at your word. Eastern Caribbean and US East Coast the squalls seem to be greatest on summer afternoons. I found that pattern consistent across the Atlantic. The thunderstorms on the other hand just go on and on.