Need to take 6" off the luff of a used sail

[Oohla]

I have found nearly perfect Yankee jib 52 x 40 x 19 for a yankee - staysail combo on a Sabre 42 sloop with inner forestay (slutter), but the max luff for my roller furler is 51.5'.

Less than a third of the cost of a new sail.

Overlong luff might be OK for light winds, but.maybe just too loose.

So, one could cut down the foot or the top, or perhaps just knock in a Cunningham 12 - 18" up from the tack. That would be the cheap method.

Waddyouthink?

(Without a doubt this is an arcane question, but at least I'm not asking WTF to do with a used Blooper.)

[Nicholson58]

Most sailmakers are reluctant to cut down a sail. That said, ask for photos of the sail. Head, tack, clew with enough detail to show the construction. A sailmaker will ask you age, condition, geometry and design type. (How are the panels arranged?). This is a tall skinny sail so you might get away with shortening from the head. If the original sailmaker is known, you might start there.

[Don C L]

The foot will be removed to the height needed, new tack and clew cringles added. Check cost with sailmaker, it may be worth it if the sail is really in good condition. Don't bother if it is sunburned/blown out. How is, or how will be, the lead going to be once it's up, do you have track and/or blocks in the right place for it?
BTW, welcome aboard here!

[Oohla]

Condition "good", not real good.

Can sheet to toe rail, or to inside shrouds, or to stern with a tweeker.

I guess real questions are: how loose is too loose, and won't a Cunningham take care of a little looseness?

It's said that a yankee is nice as the leech doesn't open as much when partially furled. And when partially furled the excess luff may no longer be an issue.

That said, chopping off the foot of a used sail in "good" condition is not an option as that drives the cost up to where a new custom sail has better value.

[Oohla]

Great idea about chopping the head and talking to the maker Neil Pryde.

[Oohla]

Oh, Miter cut

[Don C L]

Well, adding the cringle for a Cunningham will involve a reinforced tack of course, removing the foot to the point needed means 2 cringles vs. 1. I guess it would be half the price, but then you have to rig a Cunningham.. which, come to think of it, I have never seen on a staysail, but I haven't seen everything yet.

[model 10]

It worked for me. I added a Solent stay and had the sailmaker cut down another jib to fit. I think he raised the tack almost a foot and then re-cut the foot. It works great.

[CGirvan]

Sailrite have a video on altering a hank sail to roller furling that shows how they shorten the luff.

[hamburking]

I had this done on a "too big", deck-sweeper jib at KSL (Kingston Sail Loft). They took about 18 inches off the luff. They did a great job, and the sail worked well. It cost a small fraction of a new sail, so even though it was a well used sail, it was still a good move.

[Cheechako]

Too expensive to remove some luff, but removing some foot should be a piece of cake. Just some stitching the cut side and adding a cringle. I like pendants on the tack of both genoa and yankee. This then becomes easy, less water on the sail, better view when sailing etc.
If it's miter cut... hmmm... that's another story...

[roland stockham]

This is one reason for having a sewing machine. It is a relatively easy mod. Cut the sticking on the reinforcement patches at the foot. Cut the required amount of the foot then resew the patches. Hand see new tack and cringle eyes in or get a sailmaker to install new pressed eyes (needs a large press). Cutting a small amount off will not impact shape and is an excellent way of recycling but is probably not economic if you have to pay for a sailmaker time