Small boat, new sails, keep old ones?

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Pete7

True, however, I got the impression he was starting off with a new Genoa and main sail. So that ought to be two sails he won't need to worry about for a while if they are looked after.

The absence of any storm jib that Jim mentioned ought to be corrected. Especially for a 27ft yacht, that will be the size of table cloth so easy to fold away and store.

Pete

To continue my line of thought, a new set of sails for you or Jim is one thing.

A new set of sails for a beginner is another.

Sometimes we (as) beginners put our sails through a lot of unnecessary wear and tear.

I've seen guys having trouble getting their main down and before checking out what could be causing it to jam, they are yanking on the sail. (just one example)

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Personally I'd store the new in a dry outa the way place under the v berth for example and start my voyage with the old ones..
When theyre trashed in a few thousand miles in a miles from anywhere spot I'd switch to the new..

Yeah I thought about that too. My inclination in most things is to save the good things for when the bad are done, not the other way around. But then (in my case) I'd be stowing a stiff new full battened sail (and long battens) and sailing with an old blown out, battenless main so my pointing ability would be reduced... but then if I was always going downhill I guess that'd be ok... a downwind main and an upwind main... if you have the room/way to stow it without it becoming a liability. I just keep coming back to how small the Vega is and where would I find room for all the stuff needed? This must be a sign of getting older and curmudgeonly; when I was a kid I would have killed for a boat as large as the Vega!

[Cheechako]

On a small boat like that I would carry a working jib at the most as backup. They are going to become moldy junk after too much time off shore anyway.

[S/V Alchemy]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Personally I'd store the new in a dry outa the way place under the v berth for example and start my voyage with the old ones..
When theyre trashed in a few thousand miles in a miles from anywhere spot I'd switch to the new..

Yes, this was my thought. Use them up, even on your first long passage of a few weeks. Basically, beat them to death. Sell or give them away at the far end, and get a really good (and tiny) storm jib made. There will be times when you want to run off but not surf. A scrap of sail will allow that. There's also heaving-to options a tough little jib can offer, but that's beyond the scope of your question. Basically, make the new sails "the spares" untill you've flogged the remaining life out of the old ones. They will owe you nothing then.

[gjordan]

I would say to make sure the stitching of the old main is good and take the battens out and maybe put it in one of those large vacuum bags and keep it stowed where it wont be subject to anything rolling around on top of it. Head sails are a bit different. I would not bother with an older duplicate of a new sail, I would go for a variety of size and purpose. When I bought my Contessa 26 , it had 5 sails. Main, a trysail, #1, #2, and storm jib. I thought roller furling was a good thing so I had a high cut jib (maybe a 110) made on an independent roller, and I borrowed a Yacht Club floor and made a drifter out of spinnaker cloth. It turned out that the most useful sails were the drifter and the storm jib. I had choices in between the extremes but when you need to keep going in very low wind or very high wind the specialty sails were important. The roller furler turned out to be a bust (another thread ) and stayed coiled up on deck for 4 or 5 thousand miles, and the trysail was useless other than it made a great roll stopper at anchor. If I had known more, I would have had a third reef put in the main before I left. I would recommend a rather flat cut drifter over a normal spinnaker or an asym. You can not go to weather with a spinnaker and I used my drifter many times to go upwind (very light wind). It worked when the dacron sails would not even flutter. These are things that worked well for me in a similar size cruising boat. I offer them as advice, not some set rule. You will work out what is best for you. Have a great cruise. _____Grant.

[ArmyDaveNY]

If you decide to not bring the old sails, you have the option of taking one or both of the old sails and making them into storm sails, assuming the material is decent.

[Ryban]

The great (and terrible) thing about sailing is there's always a huge variety of opinions to sort through and try to make sense of. Thanks for all the feedback!

Just to respond to a few points:

I am indeed a beginner. I have 600-something miles under my belt, nearly all of which is on the boat in question in open seas. I've wrestled my fair share of squalls, but never a proper storm or gale. So yes, I will continue to make mistakes with my sails (mainly the main). In fact, I probably very nearly ripped my main during a squall because I had improperly reefed it. See here:

https://i.redd.it/q3lkakyuqtoz.png

As a result, I will likely take the advice given here, and keep the new main stored safe, in a dry space (though I question such a space exists on my boat). I will either part with the old 150 genny, or use it to get me to the Marquesas. We'll see.

In terms of other sails I carry, I also have a gennnaker and a storm jib I have yet to inspect (oops).

I am interested in adding an inner stay -- a solent stay -- that can be stowed at the mast when not in use, and easily deployed when a small jib or storm jib is needed. I will be starting another post to address that problem, however.

[ArmyDaveNY]

Originally Posted by Ryban

https://i.redd.it/q3lkakyuqtoz.png

That's a great photo!

[thomm225]

For boat setup. maybe you can research Matt Rutherford and how he set up his Vega 27 when he sailed around the Americas.

I remember he sat offshore here 10-12 miles for a few days waiting for the right wind to sail into the Bay over the tunnel.

His engine had died weeks before.

https://solotheamericas.org/

[Ryban]

Originally Posted by thomm225

For boat setup. maybe you can research Matt Rutherford and how he set up his Vega 27 when he sailed around the Americas.

I remember he sat offshore here 10-12 miles for a few days waiting for the right wind to sail into the Bay over the tunnel.

His engine had died weeks before.

https://solotheamericas.org/

Matt's story is pretty remarkable, and I like to reference it when people give me funny looks for sailing such a small boat -- and granted, my voyage keeps me in the mostly-benign trade wind belt.

His non-stop requirement had him do some pretty eyebrow raising things though, like sticking a giant fuel bladder in the center of his floor. I don't think I'm ready to stick my sails on the floor, though I might shove them into the v-berth, like a lot of people do. I was trying to resist the temptation to use my v-berth as a storage locker, though.

[Screw Loose]

Get your stormsail out. It's likely an old one that hanks on, useless with your furler. The Vega had stubby battens to work with the rotating boom. Most Vega booms no longer rotate. If you haven't got your main yet, consider a fully battened main. You'll be amazed at the increased power of a new main, especially if its fully battened. I wouldn't store away a new main. With the boat working it'll get creased and rubbed, likely stained. Put it up and enjoy it. Begin your list of requirements based on what you need, not whats already on the boat.

When Warskavi arrived in Australia they'd raised the antifoul line 75mm due to the weight carried - but keep in mind this was three guys on board.

[Jim Cate]

While I respect Boatie's knowledge and experience, I disagree about shelving the new main until the old one dies. Two reasons: When sails self destruct from old age, it is usually under stiff conditions... not a good time to be removing the tatters, dragging the new one on deck, inserting the (hopefully) full battens and somehow bending it on and hoisting it. Second, why on earth handicap yourself with the poorer performance of the old sail, possibly for much or all of your voyage? You have shelled out good money for the new one, so use and enjoy it.

As previously stated, sails in good condition very rarely fail catastrophically. To be honest, I've never heard of such an event. Old UV rotted cloth and chafed stitching are the usual suspects in sail failure, and a new sail, well cared for, will last you well across the Pacific and beyond before it falls prey to such conditions.

A deep third reef in your new main, cloth weight and quality selected for longevity and you are pretty well covered for the mainsail. You will want something besides your 130 genoa, though. Your Solent stay and a hank on storm jib and perhaps a 80-90 % "staysail" will save your genoa from abuse in stronger winds, rolled well up. Those two sails are a FAR better use of your precious storage space than old, tired mains.

Jim

[barnakiel]

If your main kit is new, I would not take the old ones.

I could, however, take another new, spare sail - one that can be hoisted either as a main or as a jib.

Old sails take huge amt of space in a small boat.

Cheers,
b.

[Jim Cate]

I could, however, take another new, spare sail - one that can be hoisted either as a main or as a jib.

??? Ain't never heard tell of such a beast, Barney. What are you on about???

Jim

[thomm225]

You could always use a spare jib as a main I reckon. Wouldn't be as efficient but it would work

Those of you that can sew and repair sails could probably rig up a method to attach the jib's luff to the mast in a couple spots besides just the head and tack.

As long as you can get the luff reasonably tight, it should work okay especially in combination with another jib in it's usual spot say on a beam or broad reach with a 15-20 knot wind.

You might have to alter course a bit off the wind for best performance etc....

Downwind, jibs alone would work