What to Look for in New Cruising Sails

[hoppy]

I cant believe it. Yesterday i noticed that the seam near the clew on the jib was coming apart, so today we motorsailed on just the main to get closer to a maria where i can find a sailmaker to fix it. Then this evening when folding the main to go into it's cover i managed to put my thumb trough the dracon and rip it. I just cant believe how brittle it is now.

I will get both fixed and then limp home to my home marina, cutting my holiday short by a week or two, and then start getting quotes for the new sails. Grrrrrrrrr

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by hoppy

(...) Then this evening when folding the main to go into it's cover i managed to put my thumb trough the dracon and rip it. (...)

Hahaha ;-))) The same thing happened to me one day. I was very unhappy as the sail was 'only' 5 years old.

Happy huntin' for a new main!

b.

[Randyonr3]

Originally Posted by hoppy

I cant believe it. Yesterday i noticed that the seam near the clew on the jib was coming apart, so today we motorsailed on just the main to get closer to a maria where i can find a sailmaker to fix it. Then this evening when folding the main to go into it's cover i managed to put my thumb trough the dracon and rip it. I just cant believe how brittle it is now.

I will get both fixed and then limp home to my home marina, cutting my holiday short by a week or two, and then start getting quotes for the new sails. Grrrrrrrrr

just a note, your rig like mine is a high aspect rig, short boom and tall mast.. The rig tends to come alive with a full batton main BUT when the main is run way out to the sides, the batton pockets rub the rigging and wearing holes in the sail..
I do run a full batton main but if I know I'm going to be running down wind for more than just a couple days, I put up my old main.. when the wind is pushing the boat, the sail shape means very little. its the beem reach or up-wind runs that your boat and a full batton main will really show its colors...

[hoppy]

The sails are patched up now and ready for the sail home. I'll see if i can make it back with them in one piece.

The saikmaker suggested that the headsail has one more season in it. I will still replace it but perhaps keep it. Not sure if i will keep the main.

[hoppy]

Originally Posted by Randyonr3

just a note, your rig like mine is a high aspect rig, short boom and tall mast.. The rig tends to come alive with a full batton main BUT when the main is run way out to the sides, the batton pockets rub the rigging and wearing holes in the sail..
I do run a full batton main but if I know I'm going to be running down wind for more than just a couple days, I put up my old main.. when the wind is pushing the boat, the sail shape means very little. its the beem reach or up-wind runs that your boat and a full batton main will really show its colors...

Do you have a batcar system? If so, does the main drop all the way without assistance.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by hoppy

The sails are patched up now and ready for the sail home. I'll see if i can make it back with them in one piece.

The saikmaker suggested that the headsail has one more season in it. I will still replace it but perhaps keep it. Not sure if i will keep the main.

Often, in a furling jib, most damage is on the very leech - most exposed to the UV, most stretched and most flogged! You can often extend jib's life by another two - three years by cutting back some amount of the leech. Depending on sail's size it makes economical sense or not.

Mainsails too seem to die along the leech first. But cutting back is often more complicated here - there are the battens, the reef points there ... often practically better choice to get a new sail.

b.

[Randyonr3]

Originally Posted by hoppy

Do you have a batcar system? If so, does the main drop all the way without assistance.

not really a batton car system, but as the picture shows and sorry the main is rolled up and in the shop, the full battons are clamped at the end with a sail slug attached.. never had a problem with the sail going up or down.. but then again, we always point the boat to weather when dropping the sail..

[Cheechako]

Triple stitching, and look at the reinforcement plan at all cringles and bottom of batten pockets.

[Katiusha]

Originally Posted by hoppy

My SO40 has the original sails which are 9 yo and ready to be changed. They still have good shape but they are in constant need of repair, partly due to ham fisted handling and partly due to i guess brittle aged thread and draycon.

Originally (before i even had my first sail) i was looking at performance cruising laminates and getting full battons. Now i am thinking of sticking to draycon and standard battons and the same 3 reefs, so basically the same as i have now.

So aside from material weight to suit where i sail, which is in greece and a strong meltemi blowing all summer requiring a heavier material, what else should i consider/ask when getting prices?

When we were getting new sails, it was decided that for us one of the main things was the quality of fabric. Two months of research and we went with Haarstick sailmakers in NY state. We gave them the measurements and they sent us the sails.
They test all rolls of fabric they get (not only the first sample), so they can guarantee a lighter fabric to higher wind speeds. Our genoa and main are dacron 7.3 ounces, but are guaranteed to 30 kn and so far they've held up beautifully (cross fingers) in much higher winds without [much] deformation. Plus, it's always heartwarming to see your sails fill out in 5 kn of wind.

Not affiliated with them in any way except for being a very happy customer...

[Weyalan]

As a compromise between the durability and relative cheapness of dacron and the performance & relative expensiveness of more exotic laminate sails, we have been very happy with Dimension Polyant Hydranet material... it is Dacron with a Spectra mesh in it.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by Randyonr3

not really a batton car system, but as the picture shows and sorry the main is rolled up and in the shop, the full battons are clamped at the end with a sail slug attached.. never had a problem with the sail going up or down.. but then again, we always point the boat to weather when dropping the sail..

We had the same system except the top batten had a semi-car (?) I mean a slug with small wheels at the top/bottom edges. Magic. We had it like that because our sail roached max at the the top batten.

I must add that having sailed a full battened main and later a short battened one, I would never ever chose a short battened sail again - flogs way too much when dropping in heavy weather.

b.

[hoppy]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

We had the same system except the top batten had a semi-car (?) I mean a slug with small wheels at the top/bottom edges. Magic. We had it like that because our sail roached max at the the top batten.

I must add that having sailed a full battened main and later a short battened one, I would never ever chose a short battened sail again - flogs way too much when dropping in heavy weather.

b.

Do you mean something like the Rutgerson batcars?

RUTGERSON MARIN

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by hoppy

Do you mean something like the Rutgerson batcars?

RUTGERSON MARIN

Yes. What they call the 'pressure absorbing slide'. All the rest of sail hardware was Rutgerson too - great quality and we can recommend to anybody.

We also have their blocks. They took a RTW in their stride.

b.

[hoppy]

I was going a bit cold on the idea of getting full batten because I was looking at a full batcar track which was probably going to be a pain to organise at distance, but the Rutgerson system looks like a good compromise.

I will also forward the Rutgerson on to my father as his yacht has a full batten main with normal plastic lugs and dropping the main is a pig of a job.

[FloridaWriter]

Originally Posted by hoppy

My SO40 has the original sails which are 9 yo and ready to be changed. They still have good shape but they are in constant need of repair, partly due to ham fisted handling and partly due to i guess brittle aged thread and draycon.

Originally (before i even had my first sail) i was looking at performance cruising laminates and getting full battons. Now i am thinking of sticking to draycon and standard battons and the same 3 reefs, so basically the same as i have now.

So aside from material weight to suit where i sail, which is in greece and a strong meltemi blowing all summer requiring a heavier material, what else should i consider/ask when getting prices?

Consider having your sailmaker:

• Sew the batten pockets so they are parallel to the foot of the sail (the lay better against the boom when you take a reef),
• Sew the batten pockets so they are a complete pocket independent of the sail and then sew them to the sail (much easier to repair and tears in the pocket do not damage the sail panel),
• Triple stitch every seam and use a dark colored dacron thread (the dark color resists UV longer and breaks in the thread are easier to see),
• Hand leather every chafe point,
• Add three reef sets,
• Include a leach line and sewn in cleats to secure and adjust the line.

Good luck