Sail Modifications . . . Good Idea or Bad ?

[otherthan]

hello I have no plans on useing my spinaker or genoa...was thinking to have the genoa cut into a mainsail and sell the spinaker.

my reasons are that I am not really interested in going fast...much prefer sailing flat and balanced...and also would like to discard both aft winches to make place for my new taff rail.

would this be foolish things to do for a guy that wants to cross the atlantic???

[svcambria]

would this be foolish things to do for a guy that wants to cross the atlantic???

Yes, it would be foolish.

Michael

[otherthan]

Originally Posted by svcambria

Yes, it would be foolish.

Michael

hello Michael

pleas tell me why?

take your time I need youe expertise

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by jobi

hello I have no plans on useing my spinaker or genoa...was thinking to have the genoa cut into a mainsail and sell the spinaker.

my reasons are that I am not really interested in going fast...much prefer sailing flat and balanced...and also would like to discard both aft winches to make place for my new taff rail.

would this be foolish things to do for a guy that wants to cross the atlantic???

G'Day Steeve,

IMO, yep, that is a foolish plan... several reasons:

Even if you don't care about speed, you will find that much of cruising involves light winds. The 150 will sometimes make the difference between sailing and motoring. Good light air sails are an important requirement for long term cruising. There is absolutely no reason that using a 150 genoa will keep you from sailing "flat and balanced" when used in light conditions.

Secondly, the genoa can not be reconfigured into a useable mainsail in any fiscally sound way. The cloth will be far too light for a main, the shape is way different, the patches will be in all the wrong places and the panels will be broadseamed in such a way that re-using them isn't easy at all.

Selling the kite... well, I guess that lots of folks don't use their kites while cruising. But Ann and I often do, and find that there are many days where it will move the boat along at 6-8 knots when the genoa only gives us 2-3 and a working jib would leave us rolling about at a standstill! I'd suggest that you defer this decision until you have more experience with the boat -- you may well find that it isn't as intimidating as you now think. If not, well, then you can sell it!

Hope that these opinions help your decision process, mate.

Cheers,

Jim

[otherthan]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

G'Day Steeve,

IMO, yep, that is a foolish plan... several reasons:

Even if you don't care about speed, you will find that much of cruising involves light winds. The 150 will sometimes make the difference between sailing and motoring. Good light air sails are an important requirement for long term cruising. There is absolutely no reason that using a 150 genoa will keep you from sailing "flat and balanced" when used in light conditions.

Secondly, the genoa can not be reconfigured into a useable mainsail in any fiscally sound way. The cloth will be far too light for a main, the shape is way different, the patches will be in all the wrong places and the panels will be broadseamed in such a way that re-using them isn't easy at all.

Selling the kite... well, I guess that lots of folks don't use their kites while cruising. But Ann and I often do, and find that there are many days where it will move the boat along at 6-8 knots when the genoa only gives us 2-3 and a working jib would leave us rolling about at a standstill! I'd suggest that you defer this decision until you have more experience with the boat -- you may well find that it isn't as intimidating as you now think. If not, well, then you can sell it!

Hope that these opinions help your decision process, mate.

Cheers,

Jim

Thanks Jim
I didnt know there was such a huge diference between a genoa and spi...and needles to say I had no clue that in light air a larger sail would keep the boat balanced...so thanks for your time and wisdome

sometime I feel stupid asking questions but the info I get makes swalowing my pride all worth it.

cheers

[roverhi]

From your posts, suggest you get a whole lot more sailing time in in varied wind/weather conditions before you do any modifications to your boat. You really need to go out and see what the real world is like and get some experience before you can know what you need to change.

We've all been nube's at one time. I didn't really have a clew what I really wanted in a boat till I'd sailed practically every weekend for a year and through some of the roughest passages around. Of course, there was no internet back then so had to learn most everything by doing it on my own.

[svcambria]

You got a better explaination from Insatiable while I was off looking for The Physics of Sailing on the Internet for a short persuasive argument. Found the book:

The physics of sailing explained - Google Books

Didn't find the short, persuasive argument.
My experience on the Pacific is that wind velocities are frequently insufficient for "plain white sails" and that you have to dig out the genoa, drifter, genniker, whatever that has more area and lighter weight so it can stay up and draw while the boat rolls - then you can keep on moving with wind power. I just have to believe that it is the same in other oceans...
As for turning one kind of sail into another - it would be much easier and cheaper to trade - or sell the one and buy the other. And as Insatiable mentions - try it out for a while first as is; there is usually a good idea lurking behind the custom and behavior of so many other sailors.

Michael

[denverd0n]

Lots of people seem to be intimidated by spinnakers. Learn how to use one, though, and it becomes a tremendously useful sail. And it's not just for racers. I haven't raced in years, but learning early on how to set and use a spinnaker has kept me going under sail many times when all the other cruising boats were motoring.

Really. A spinnaker is probably the single, most useful thing that cruisers SHOULD learn how to use, but most never do.