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!