Cruisers Forum
 


Reply
  This discussion is proudly sponsored by:
Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on Cruisers Forums. Advertise Here
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Rate Thread Display Modes
Old 28-03-2015, 13:09   #1
Registered User
 
UNCIVILIZED's Avatar

Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Up the mast, looking for clean wind.
Boat: Currently Shopping, & Heavily in LUST!
Posts: 5,629
Sources 4 Sail Design, & Recutting Freeware

Hey guys,
Does anyone have any good sources for downloadable software for sail design? Both for creating new sails (non-laminated) from scratch, as well as software which will help with re-cutting/re-seaming a sail. In order to do things such as:

- Take some of the excess sagginess/bagginess out of a main or jib. And thus extend it's usable life.
- Also to say, let me take a cheap, used, (possibly) oversized jib for the boat in question & turn it into a passable reacher.
A program which will, perhaps with the aid of digitized/download pictures (or a well calibrated eyeball), plus maybe sail, and panel dimensions, assist me in modifying said donor sail into anything from something optimized for say 60 degrees AWA.
- Or using an (optionally) even bigger jib, to help turn it into a sail that's dialed in for some of the Code, & tighter sailing Spinnaker angles. Like say 90 degrees AWA, or even deeper. Flown; free flying from a sprit, or the bow. Or perhaps on a stay (foils too), such as a Solent, using hanks - while the primary jib is rolled up tightly on the furler. Pretty much thereby, creating inexpensive, high'ish performance, cruising sails.

And yes, I know that anything that I plan to set free flying will require some type of built in luff wire/rope/cable. But such isn't a huge problem, knock on wood.

Such things have been done many a time on some of the bigger boats which I've sailed & raced on, by the loft. I'm just wanting to learn to do as much, modification wise, on my own. Ditto on re-seaming working sails. And thus, any tools which will aid me would be a big help.

Thanks

PS: If anyone's got good leads on some inexpensive, user friendly, sail design/modification programs at a reasonable price, that might work too!
__________________

The Uncommon Thing, The Hard Thing, The Important Thing (in Life): Making Promises to Yourself, And Keeping Them.
UNCIVILIZED is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 31-03-2015, 04:35   #2
Marine Service Provider
 
Kestrahl's Avatar

Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Sri Lanka
Boat: Laurie Davidson 35
Posts: 394
Re: Sources 4 Sail Design, & Recutting Freeware

Sorry mate, what you are asking for doesn't really exist. Sailmaking software starts at about $5k USD and goes up to 30k Euro for something that will reverse engineer a digitized photo. There is one free around called sailcut, I used it once but basically had to reshape the seams on the floor, maybe they have improved it by now.
Re-cuting sails is becoming a lost art with the sales reps, centralised production and unskilled repair outfits.
You could also look for a book called "The sailmakers apprentice"


Quote:
Originally Posted by UNCIVILIZED View Post
Hey guys,
Does anyone have any good sources for downloadable software for sail design? Both for creating new sails (non-laminated) from scratch, as well as software which will help with re-cutting/re-seaming a sail. In order to do things such as:

- Take some of the excess sagginess/bagginess out of a main or jib. And thus extend it's usable life.
- Also to say, let me take a cheap, used, (possibly) oversized jib for the boat in question & turn it into a passable reacher.
A program which will, perhaps with the aid of digitized/download pictures (or a well calibrated eyeball), plus maybe sail, and panel dimensions, assist me in modifying said donor sail into anything from something optimized for say 60 degrees AWA.
- Or using an (optionally) even bigger jib, to help turn it into a sail that's dialed in for some of the Code, & tighter sailing Spinnaker angles. Like say 90 degrees AWA, or even deeper. Flown; free flying from a sprit, or the bow. Or perhaps on a stay (foils too), such as a Solent, using hanks - while the primary jib is rolled up tightly on the furler. Pretty much thereby, creating inexpensive, high'ish performance, cruising sails.

And yes, I know that anything that I plan to set free flying will require some type of built in luff wire/rope/cable. But such isn't a huge problem, knock on wood.

Such things have been done many a time on some of the bigger boats which I've sailed & raced on, by the loft. I'm just wanting to learn to do as much, modification wise, on my own. Ditto on re-seaming working sails. And thus, any tools which will aid me would be a big help.

Thanks

PS: If anyone's got good leads on some inexpensive, user friendly, sail design/modification programs at a reasonable price, that might work too!
Kestrahl is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 31-03-2015, 04:55   #3
cruiser

Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Ocean Springs, MS
Posts: 279
Re: Sources 4 Sail Design, & Recutting Freeware

Sailcut CAD software

the Sailmaker's Apprentice, (both above already mentioned)

and: Don Casey, "Canvaswork and Sail Repair"
"Sails: the way they work and how to make them" Derek Harvey
"The Complete Guide to Sail Care & Repair" Dan Neri (the best imo)

should get you started
Contact Sailmaker's Supply (Marine Canvas, Fabrics, Hardware and Supplies | Sailmaker's Supply) which has books and supplies
jaybird1111 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
sail

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Recutting an Old Spinnaker into a Drifter? Orchidius Deck hardware: Rigging, Sails & Hoisting 2 22-09-2014 14:19
Recutting Spinnakers timberboat Deck hardware: Rigging, Sails & Hoisting 2 01-10-2009 16:14
Tidal prediction freeware Hud3 Navigation 7 17-02-2008 07:15

Advertise Here


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 03:41.


Google+
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Social Knowledge Networks
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.

ShowCase vBulletin Plugins by Drive Thru Online, Inc.