SetSail » Sails

Recutting Spinnakers to Cruising Configuration

Steve Dashew — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 05:00:00 +0000

Hi, I often sail my C & C 30 shorthanded. The current sail inventory has a big honker symmetrical spinnaker. I would like to move to a crusing spinnaker and wondered about the viability of recutting the existing spinnaker. Is this possible or even recommended? Thanks, Dave

Tough question, Dave, which depends on the sail and what you are trying to do. My suggestion would be to visit your local sail maker and lay the sail out, and then see what he has to say. My guess is that the odds of turning it into a poleless sail are not good. – Steve

Code Zero Sheeting

Steve Dashew — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 05:00:00 +0000

Hi, I am about to order a flat – code 0 – asymetric set on a prodder for a Grainger 8m Trimara. What sheet angle should I go for? The few web pics I have seen for this have the sheet projecting to above half way of the luff, not half way – which would be correct for a genoa? I will have the block for the clew on an athwardship traveller, but there is no fore and aft adjustment. The sail angles are likely to be 80 – 40 aparent. Many thanks for your input, Simon

Hi Simon: That’s a question you need to ask your sailmaker as it depends on the design of the code zero. Our own experience in the past has been to look for a lead which starts about 45% of the way up the luff (and down through the clew) as the aft sheet position and then have plenty of adjustment forward for deeper angles when the sheet needs to go towards the bow.

This will vary with wind strength as well as true wind angle and sail design. Good Luck – Steve

UHMW

Steve Dashew — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 05:00:00 +0000

Please excuse my ignorance; but in your article about full batten mainsail, what the heck is UHMW?

Tom – UHMW = ultra high molecular weight (plastic). You can get it from McMaster Carr and some sail supply companies. – Steve

Ketch Sail Construction – Freedom 33 Cat

Steve Dashew — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 05:00:00 +0000

Steve, I have your books and have asked you a few questions in the past which you have very kindly responded to. I have a Freedom 33 cat ketch (freestanding spars). The sail area of the full battened main is about 350 sq ft and the mizzen is is around 214. Both were cut too short (about 20" from the masthead and I’m planning to replace them soon for several reasons. In talking to sailmakers and reading about laminates and triradial construction versus crosscut dacron, so far the feedback is that I can maximize the roach/sail area and performance with triradial construction and use a pentex laminate for about a 25% price increase over dacron. I would also save some weight. The downsides beyond price are apparently longevity and potential mildew. Of course this is not a racing boat and it’s not great to windward but I would like to increase windward performance if it would be noticeable. I’m wondering if you have any opinion for this size and type of boat on the trade-offs. Thanks, Alan

Hi Alan: Going to a properly roachy main will yield big performance and comfort dividends, as will having a full luff hoist. As far as the sail cloth trade-offs, this is hard to evaluate from afar. With larger boats there is really no choice if you want good sail shape and ease of handling. The high-modulus laminates are the answer.

But you are in the size range where there are other options. I would talk to two or three sailmakers and see what they tell you.

For whatever it is worth, we have used laminated sails for many years and not had any more problems with them than with single-ply Dacron. The only exception might be a bit of blackening from mildew, but this was never a huge aesthetic problem, and we were happy to put up with it for the increased performance. Good Luck – Steve

Sail Cover Materials

Steve Dashew — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 05:00:00 +0000

We recently finished a circumnavigation and currently have our boat in Mexico for needed upgrades. We are looking at replacing the dodger as well as the bimini and main sail cover. I would like to know if their have been any advances in regards to fabric and materials. Here’s my question: With regard to dodger windows, I do not want to end up with the plastic that turns yellow after a couple of years. We early on had clear plastic that seemed to last long but it could not be rolled, which is fine. Do you know what this "clear plastic glass" is called and any sources to check into? We really would like to get good quality dodger windows that will hold up and not turn yellow Also, I would love to have white mainsail cover and bimini, but I am very nervous about the dirt and grime and keeping them clean. Are there any new (sunbrella type) fabrics that will be UV resistant as well as easy to wash and clean? – Cynthia

Hi Cynthia: Congratulations on the circumnavigation. Re awning and cover fabrics, we have been using Sunbrella in a light gray color for many years and it seems to be OK as far as cleanability goes. The fabric will get dirty and/or muddy colored, especially if it is raining after sitting around. However, a scrub brush and soapy water usually do the trick. Not sure about white. Probably works the same, but will show more. If the fabric gets oil or grease on it, I think that would be a problem.

Re window material, there are many grades. I don’t recall the name of the good stuff, but there are materials which will give you five years. It is also possible to use thin polycarbonate and sew right through the edge, or drill and lace. Regards – Steve

In-Boom vs. In-Mast Furling Systems

Steve Dashew — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 05:00:00 +0000

Hi Steve, I read your comments on the North Sail site regarding mainsail roach. Interesting. I know that for my own experience, a full-battened main with considerable roach (a couple of boats ago) improved performance noticeably, and also seemed to keep the boat on her lines in a range of wind angles and speeds.

I am curious about your thoughts on vertical battens for conventional in-mast furling systems.

I am talking specifically about my Hylas 54. It’s a Frers design with a pretty modern underwater shape. I like the way she sails, but feel that the mainsail performance is marginal. I think I am going to change to a system that offers battens and some roach.

What do you think regarding in-boom vs. in-mast systems? In-boom seems to offer better disaster control if the system fails, and can offer full horizontal battens, but the in-mast systems now also offer increased roach and full battens (albeit up and down), and give greater sail shape and twist control with the outhaul. Any thoughts?? Regards, Rich

Hi Rich: I have never been offshore with in-the-mast or in-the-boom systems. However, from my investigations I would offer the following comments:

1-In-the-mast is more user friendly than in-the-boom.

2-In-the-boom allows more roach, and you do not pay the windage/weight aloft penalties of in-the-mast.

3-There has been a lot of development with vertical battens. Best to check with your sailmaker about how much roach you can add this way.

There is quite a bit of info on these subjects on the SetSail website and within our Offshore Cruising Encyclopedia. Regards – Steve

Lowering Main While Sailing Downwind

Steve Dashew — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 05:00:00 +0000

Hello Everybody! I own a Hallberg Rassy 352 located in the Med, and I’d like to pose a question: Do you know a working solution to lower the main while sailing downwind? My sail has plastic tracks inside the mast. Fair Winds, Gennaro

Hi Gennaro: The best system is to have a "tag" line to the headboard of the mainsail. You can then pull this line down with a winch to force the main down. If you are just reefing, use a long luff tensioner to your reef tack point (or points) and winch this line down. Regards–Steve

Laminate Sails

Steve Dashew — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 05:00:00 +0000

Hi Steve: We have a Spencer 44 centre cockpit, which is a full-keel relatively heavy displacement cutter rigged cruiser. We plan to head offshore next spring, and are heavy into the process of preparing and upgrading Our fully-battened main was in for repairs recently, and while the local sailmaker who worked on it felt it would last us for another couple of years, he also said it was probably the next sail we should replace. This got us to thinking that maybe we should bite the bullet and replace it now, rather than at some future and possibly less convenient time. In discussions on possible replacements, we were offered the option of going with a “cruising laminate” from Bainbridge (CL-90P), which we were told would improve sail shape and performance over a wide range of sail conditions…so far, so good. My question concerns any feedback you have, either directly or indirectly, concerning the longevity, UV resistance, chafe resistance, and general durability of laminate sails when used for long-range cruising in the tropics. I know cruisers in general are a relatively conservative bunch, and I guess I fall into the same category–ie, I don’t want to be on the “bleeding edge”. Nevertheless, I would like to take advantage of new technologies, especially if they translate into better boat speed, less heel, and faster passages. Any thoughts you could pass along would be appreciated. Thanks Mark

Hi Mark: We’ve been using laminated sails on our own boats for the past seven years. If you are concerned with performance and comfort, there is not really a choice as the laminates hold their shape really well–much better over the life of the sail than does Dacron. And I think the industry has learned to make laminates which last better. You might want to get a copy of Dan Neri’s new book on the subject of sails, maintenance, etc. which goes into this subject in detail. Steve

Reefing Trysails

Steve Dashew — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 05:00:00 +0000

Hi Steve, In Surviving the Storm you suggest that yachts under 40 feet will find that they should set the trysail instead of a second reef when the wind gets into the upper 20-knot range. You also suggest that a small trysail is needed for really heavy air. Is this a contradiction? And can it be resolved by using a reefing trysail? I know Donald Street advocated this and I see that the Pardeys used a reefing trysail in their recent trip around the Horn. But apart from these two examples I’ve never seen reference to reefing trysails in any of the literature. What are the pros and cons of reefing trysails in your view? Love your books, David

Hi Dave: This is a difficult trade-off. Yes, you can reef a trysail, but in most cases you will have to do it before you set it as reefing the trysail after the wind forces you to do this would be difficult in most scenarios. The second problem is the wear and tear of the extra weight and hard spots caused bu the reef. They add weight, and make the trysail’s life more difficult the 95% of the time they are not in use. My preference is to size the trysail for what it will be used for 95% of the time, and then drop it or the jib when conditions become too much for the full sized trysail. But picking the correct size for the trysail is a function of knowing your boat and the conditions in which it will be used. Now, as to the apparent contradiction you point out, there is going to be a range of conditions under which you are probably underpowered with the trysail. However, this can be mitigated with the size of the headsail being flown. The real issue is improving the life of the mainsail–hence my suggestion to use the trysail early in the wind regime, rather than late (and then balancing out the sail area needs with more sail area). Steve

Storm Jib Size

Steve Dashew — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 05:00:00 +0000

Steve I’m getting a new Beneteau Oceanis 473 early next year. I’m having a Dyneema inner forestay fitted with a tensioner for a storm jib. My questions are: 1) How big should it be? The Main is 43 sq m, The Genoa is 60 sq m, (J=5.51m, I= 16.40m, P=14.45m, e=5.21m). Is there a basic rule to follow? 2) I’ve had a suggestion that I should get a reefable working jib that I could use in intermediate (5-6?) conditions providing a better shape than a rolled Genoa, which would reef down to a storm jib size for heavier conditions. Is this a viable/sensible suggestion? Thanks Nigel

Hi Nigel: There are no pat answers to storm jibs. It depends on conditions and where you sail. We have always carried two storm headsails. What is typically called a storm jib and then what we refer to as a hurricane jib for really severe conditions (this is usually about 60% of the size,and the same construction as the storm jib). I would suggest asking several local sail makers who have offshore experience (not coastal sailors) and who know what it is like when things get difficult. Regarding roller reefing your headsails, the loads are so tremendous in storm conditions and the risks to the boat so great if your RF gear goes astray, that it is better to have a dedicated storm jib or jibs as you are mentioning. However, we have always recommended our clients carry a smaller working jib to be set on the headstay before what could be a difficult passage. Good Luck–Steve