Looking for Dutchman Sailcover Design

[Deb Seevers]

I am about to make my first sailcover! We just bought a sail with a Dutchman flaking system and instantly the sailcover is more complicated! Are there any ideas or tips out there? I have looked on line and got
nowhere.
We are in Panama in case anyone is close! Thanks, Deb

[forsailbyowner]

im picturing a standard boomcover made upside down, the commonsense fasteners being at the top would allow you to work the cover on around the dutchman lines. I might make flaps on one side that would fold over the sail between the dutchman lines to prevent any uv from getting in between the fastener strips.

[cfarrar]

I don't sew so good, but I can describe ours. There are holes in the sail cover at the three locations where the Dutchman lines pass into the mainsail. There is a zipper from each hole vertically down one side of the cover, a couple of feet. Each hole is hemmed with a little extra material that wraps around the Dutchman line so that the sail cloth isn't exposed to the sun.

It seems to me that the key step is getting the holes / zippers in the correct location, aligned with the holes in your mainsail when it's stowed on the boom. Oh, and I guess you could use velcro in place of zippers.

[Deb Seevers]

Thank you both for your ideas! Cfarrer, how is yours attached to the boom? And how do you secure it when not in use? By the way I am from Waterville (ME)!

[cfarrar]

Deb,

It's like a standard sail cover for a boat without a Dutchman... drapes over the top of the sail and clips underneath. It wraps around the mast in front (zipper and velcro on the front side of the mast). Ties to the end of the boom.

There are a couple of pictures in my profile... not the best shots, and it's our old sail cover, but you get the idea. Oh, and it stows in a cockpit locker when sailing.

Sending another pic via PM

[tartansail]

When we had a Dutchman installed on our prior boat, the sailmaker converted our existing sail cover which was a standard Sunbrella cover with toggles underneath. The conversion involved cutting down one side of the cover at each Dutchman line, adding a little reinforcing material at the top where the lines go through, and adding a flap with Velcro that was about two inches wide to the forward end of the cut in the cover. The mating part of the Velcro was sewed onto the cover below. It looked like it was made that way and worked fine. We sold the boat so I can't send you a picture, but don't assume that you can't modify your existing cover.

[boden36]

We have had a Dutchman for many years, and use a standard sail cover. The Dutchman should be on an endless line through a block at the top and a little triangular jammer at the bottom. It is extremely easy to lower the nylon lines before putting the cover on and just lay them along the sail. This has the advantage that much of the nylon (excepting part of the top one) is under the cover.
Regards,
Richard.

[Deb Seevers]

Thanks again to all. Never thought of lowering the lines and stowing them in cover! Deb

[Sandero]

Lowering them is possible but a PITA as you have to deal with all the nylon and keeping it organized and then not snagging some deck hardware when you hoist it.

Sail cover is the same as a standard one with vertical slits on one side and a hole to accommodate the Dutchman lines. The slit has a zipper. The cover closes underneath with plastic buckle/toggles. The cover extends forward over the mast and has a zipper at the front.

[Deb Seevers]

Colin, Thank you! Now I have even more decisions to make... Thank you for additional pic-beautiful boat! I only mentioned Maine because I saw Maine on your info (I think). But yes, Panama over Maine in Feb is a good decision. We're in NV now, but same thing. Deb

[pwratch]

Try sailrite.com. They offer a number of plans for sailcovers and the like and, I believe, offer one called a "sailpack" that is the same as a dutchman.

[Deb Seevers]

Thanks to all for more info on sail cover and reference to Sailrite (great source of info!)! I have started it and am happy to have all of the input to help make the design decisions. Deb