What To Do With Used Main Sail?

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

Ask around the marina for some other person who wants it. That way you get it off your boat, but get the illusion of some good will as someone else now gets to have it in their way for the next 10 years.

Excellent, we think the same way.

I'm beginning to lean more towards folding it up really small and storing it on the boat if possible or in a local warehouse. There are three Oyster 53s in the immediate area and a friend will hopefully soon join us on his Discovery 55, all of us have furling mains. In case one of us needs a temporary fix, this might someday come in handy.

[Snowpetrel]

For offshore work I always like to have some sort of spare main tucked away, be it a trysail, headsail that can be used as a makeshift main or an old spare main, doesnt really matter what as long as I can set something to help balance her to windward if the normal main gets trashed.

On the square riggers we kept the old sails and rotated them in for non critical passages. In our case on ome ship we used the good strong new sails for the legs from NZ up to Tonga, and then from new cal down to Australia and across the Tasman. Trips where we really wanted strong storm canvas ready to go. Up around the tropics and in the trades we bent on the old sails. The consequences of a ripped sail were not as severe. We also used the old sails for harbour cruises.

When the old sails finally died, and by that stage they were rotten they would tear as you tried to stow them. Pretty well just rags held together by glue, stickyback, duct tape and a few rough homeward bounder stitches,

Then if we were lucky the owner would order a new one, and the old good one would become the old one. If we were unlucky we had to keep hand stitching the rags with other rags canbalised from other equally decrepit sails.

Anyway the point of all this rambling is that you can use the old baggy main to preserve the life of the newer less baggy sail. Eg, use the baggy main on an easy downwind passage if it is still sound, then bend in the new main when you get to the other side and need to sail to windward efficiently.

But I get that it is bulky, and pretty hard to bend on with inmast furling, the consequences of the sail ripping when it is on a furler are much worse so rotating sails may not suit you.

Another thought. I heard the open 60 guys vacuum packed their spare sails to help compact them and keep them dry. If you kept it just as a spare this might save some weight and bulk.

Other options if the sail is very sound and strong, just poorly shaped are cutting it down to a small trysail type of sail that can be hoisted up the track (if you have one) rather than onto the inmast furler. Though then you would might want some reef points unless it is very small.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by Snowpetrel

For offshore work I always like to have some sort of spare main tucked away, be it a trysail, headsail that can be used as a makeshift main or an old spare main, doesnt really matter what as long as I can set something to help balance her to windward if the normal main gets trashed.

On the square riggers we kept the old sails and rotated them in for non critical passages. In our case on ome ship we used the good strong new sails for the legs from NZ up to Tonga, and then from new cal down to Australia and across the Tasman. Trips where we really wanted strong storm canvas ready to go. Up around the tropics and in the trades we bent on the old sails. The consequences of a ripped sail were not as severe. We also used the old sails for harbour cruises.

When the old sails finally died, and by that stage they were rotten they would tear as you tried to stow them. Pretty well just rags held together by glue, stickyback, duct tape and a few rough homeward bounder stitches,

Then if we were lucky the owner would order a new one, and the old good one would become the old one. If we were unlucky we had to keep hand stitching the rags with other rags canbalised from other equally decrepit sails.

Anyway the point of all this rambling is that you can use the old baggy main to preserve the life of the newer less baggy sail. Eg, use the baggy main on an easy downwind passage if it is still sound, then bend in the new main when you get to the other side and need to sail to windward efficiently.

But I get that it is bulky, and pretty hard to bend on with inmast furling, the consequences of the sail ripping when it is on a furler are much worse so rotating sails may not suit you.

Another thought. I heard the open 60 guys vacuum packed their spare sails to help compact them and keep them dry. If you kept it just as a spare this might save some weight and bulk.

Other options if the sail is very sound and strong, just poorly shaped are cutting it down to a small trysail type of sail that can be hoisted up the track (if you have one) rather than onto the inmast furler. Though then you would might want some reef points unless it is very small.

Thanks, all good ideas and a reason to reconsider tossing it.

[Snowpetrel]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Thanks, all good ideas and a reason to reconsider tossing it.

I like it when we get to talk boats

[hoppy]

Originally Posted by Snowpetrel

Another thought. I heard the open 60 guys vacuum packed their spare sails to help compact them and keep them dry. If you kept it just as a spare this might save some weight and bulk.

That's a good idea... When I tossed my genoa it was mouldy because there was water in the locker.

[Jim Cate]

I'm curious: where can one get an item as big as a mainsail for a 50+ foot sloop vacuum packed?

Jim

[stillbuilding]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

I'm curious: where can one get an item as big as a mainsail for a 50+ foot sloop vacuum packed?

Jim

Not sure how those guys did it but one can buy special thick plastic bags, attach vacuum pump and DIY. I have seen some used for winter clothes storage at home. Just bigger bag I guess.


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forums lily hhrn

[UNCIVILIZED]

Regarding your old main. Look into giving it some new life.
You should be able to get it re-shaped, by a good sailmaker. Especially if it's Dacron. That, & if the fabric's not shot from UV or flogging, look into getting it re-resined.
Either, or both (together), should add a lot of life to it.

Finding a way to get it vacuum packed wouoldn't be too tough. Though juggling (carrying) a slippery, plastic coated, bricked sail of that mass might be.
But I'd be Very hesitant to do vacuum pack it long term. As if a sail were left that way for a length of time, it would put some VERY sharp creases into the fabric. And they would definitely be weak points in the sail/fabric.
Such even happens to tightly folded or bricked sails, whch are stored that way for many years, without hoisting them up in a good breeze, to literally, stretch out the kinks.


Keep in mind that those racing programs don't really have operating budgets. Including for the loft dedicated to each boat, at the upper echelons.
Also, their sails are frequently off loaded, professionally inspected/given TLC, etc. by the shore crews. Plus which, many of the fabrics are quite different.

And they throw sails away, or put them into a training program for up & comers, LONG before any cruiser would think about ditching a sail.
As if a jib loses 2 deg. of point, it's long, long gone. Ditto on all other sail types that they have, with regards to performance.

[Kenomac]

Bricked!

I just finished rolling the main sail up 4-5 times. The result is a 12 inch by 3 foot tube weighing aound 70-80 pounds.

Basically, now I'll leave it up to Mrs. Mac as to whether or not she wants to haul around a short, heavy, small child for the next couple of years.

I might be able to consolidate some of the bins currently being stored on the port side crew berth and stuff it way back in there. But the thing is very awkward to move around, and sometimes I need to get in the locker below. The stern storage locker is not possible because it's very damp sometimes.

Who would think I can run out of room on a 53ft boat? But it would be a shame to toss it, since I just spent a couple hundred euros to have it cleaned, and it looks like the guy did a good job. It's only after it was cleaned and examined for the possibility to reshape it, that the decision was made to buy a new sail, since this one was never intended for this boat due to it being too small by 20%

Ken

[UNCIVILIZED]

Congrats. Were it me, given how small it is, bricked, I can't see much reason not to bring it along. You certainly can find the equivalent weight & space elsewhere.
Heck, that's only the equivalent of 10gals of water, weight wise. And not much bigger than a scuba bottle, really.

Just make sure that prior to securing it somewhere, you have it properly protected from chafe.
- via it's own integral hardware, rolled up with/inside of it
- from other items onboard
- from movement

Also, a good bag, which fits fairly snugly, & that has substantial handles, goes a long way to assisting in moving it around. Plus, webbing sewn onto the bag, so that you can lash in in place, wherever, are a nice perk. Not full on MOLLE webbing, but...

And this is just a common sense idea, based on some other sail bag designs. But some cinch/compression straps on the bag are always good. Even if you don't use them every time/right at the moment.
But they assist in preventing sails from moving around in their bags.


For a bag for it, one option might be, to have one built, which wraps around the long axis of the sail, much like a sarong or tortilla. With the fabric overlapping the joint by a good bit, & secured by compression straps.

And either before or after you wrap it up on that axis. Have a set of (stout) round end caps for the bag's top & bottom. Which get secured to each other, as well as the bag, with substantial webbing (or cordage).
- Thus, it's easy to roll the sail up into it's "bag", & have plenty of lifting & lashing options.

They make rope storage bags like this, for climbers & EMS/Fire Depts, etc. So that the contents are easy to access, but don't move around inside, when the bag's secured.

[btrayfors]

If you don't come up with a better idea, use it to wrap up the main brace -- after you've spliced it :-)

B

[Kenomac]

I just got off the phone with Mrs. Mac, she says hang onto the main sail. I've three ideas on where to put it, going to try her idea first which is under a small couch on the port side.

But then where to put the two scuba tanks that are already there?

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by btrayfors

If you don't come up with a better idea, use it to wrap up the main brace -- after you've spliced it :-)

B

Always ready for a party! Great thinkin'.

We've been bricking our jibs for the past 18 years. Have two, one summer for high winds and one for lighter winter winds here. Easy to do and actually the only way I was taught to store sails. After 45 years of sailing, it's nice to finally find out the name of the technique. Thanks for that.

[Kenomac]

The meter long brick.

[Kenomac]

Going......