Furling Main with Vertical Battens - Does it Fit ?

[sapster77]

Hi,

I am considering changing my furling main (battenless) into a new one with vertical battens, as the old sail is getting quite old and "baggy"...
What I am wondering is whether a new main with battens will fit in the mast without jamming?
I don't know if the mast has to be manufactured with battened sails in mind or if it is something you normally can fit in there...
I have a Selden rig from 1997 on a 34' boat.

All help very much appreciated?

Peter

[Talbot]

Not a simple question, as it will depend on sailcloth type and weight, size of main, size of battens and mast cross-section size. Personally I would be talking directly to selden and taking their advice.

A vertically battened sail will set significantly better than the old one, but will also be more susceptible to jams, unless you ensure that the batten remains parallel to the slot

[duncan_ellison]

Sapster77,

Some more recent Selden furling masts (like my 2006 model) have an extra wide slot in the mast to take the vertical battens without jamming.

You'd be wise to check with Selden before going ahead if yours has this or you may be in for a world of pain.

Duncan

[sapster77]

Thanks,

Yeah, I'm going to have to contact them directly and ask about my specific mast. Problem is that they can probably give me the dimensions on the mast but don't know the exact width of a furled sail with vertical battens. It probably comes down to finding a sailmaker, that's confident he can make a sail that will fit....
On the Selden website (manuals - > sailmakers instructions) it says:

"The main batten types used in furling main
sails are: full-length vertical battens, short ver-
tical battens and horizontal (foldable) battens.
Experience has shown that vertical battens work
very well whereas horizontal battens have a
tendency to snag in the sail slot when the sail
is furled out. Short vertical battens should be located so that
they do not overlap each other vertically. The
lowest batten should not overlap the clew rein-
forcement."

I'm interested in the short vertical battens (take up the least amount of space), so it sounds promising....but you'll never know