Buying a lightly used headsail

[Havsund]

My headsail is way past its prime, and I want a new one but my bank account says no. Luckily there are lightly used, even new sails for sale at a much lower price.

The problem is that they were not made for my boat, my question is; how much shorter lufflength can I accept? And do i hoist it all the way up and use webbing at the lower end or the other way around.
Or should I just save more money and go for a custom made one?

[Jim Cate]

There is a way to check this out: Armed with the dimensions of the proposed sail, take a length of light line at least as long as the total of all three sides. Tie knots in the place where the three corners of the sail would be, ie tack, head and clew making a pseudo-sail. Hoist it by the "head", attach the tack at the normal tack point by the chain plate and tie a sheet onto the "clew". With it hoisted taught but not stretched try tightening the sheet. If you can get all three sides of the "sail" tight at the same time, the real sail can be properly trimmed.

Good luck.

Jim

[Havsund]

Thank you very much Jim!
Fully comprehensible, easy to do, cost next to nothing and can save me a lot of grief and hard earned money.
That’s what I call good advice!