New sails and sail numbering

[mbowser]

New mains are stiff...

I switched to rolling mine. The old one was so soft, that it could (almost) be stuffed into a bag like a spinnaker. I can slide the roll onto the boom, but the problem is that I have to unroll the whole thing before I can raise it. Somehow, I've gotten used to all of this, and despite various additions to the running rigging over the years (inhauls come to mind) the interesting thing is that I've gotten way faster setting up and launching than I used to.

Used to take an hour, now reaching 35min from driving up to sailing off is possible (whenever there's no congestion on the ramp). The reverse is a little slower...

Whenever possible I raise all sails before casting off. It's just easier. (I'm lucky, the ramp I use most often has a very obliging building that puts just the dock into good wind shadow.) Some days I motor back, and start taking sails off on the water, but usually, I wait until I'm docked or beached.

I like the idea of rolling it up to reduce the wear on the sail, but I am getting that this is just an awkward thing that will take some getting used to. I could (and did) stuff my old sail into a bag like a spinnaker and on my other boat I flake the main onto the boom and cover it. So this rolling thing is a bit of a change for me.

In any event, my kids didn't seem bothered by me taking a bit longer to get underway.

[thumb=991]

[GreenLake]

My sailmaker told me to keep the battens in the sail when rolling it, as long as I roll it so they are parallel to the roll. That cuts out another step (at least for the main) in setting up and saves on wear on the batten pockets (that's why he recommended it).

My sails are cut from a cloth that has a square pattern of stronger threads woven into it (kind of like rip-stop) and that makes aligning it easier.

Some people fold the sail once before rolling - it might be quicker to do, but I wouldn't know whether it has any other advantages. Let's see whether anybody else chimes in.

[TIM WEBB]

Alan, I'm so relieved that I can do the "Fandango" thing, and still enjoy some bubbly with my wife and my "Other Woman", while not getting broken glass all over the place or getting on Neptune's last nerve!

As to the sails: agreed - leave the battens in and stuff 'em in the bag. We do the same with parachutes (also ripstop nylon). The idea is to never put any permanent folds or creases in 'em.

For bending on, get a set of slugs installed, and use a sail stop in the track. I always have both sails on and ready to go before launching. Jib is held down by a downhaul (VERY easy to install), and main is bungied to the boom, but ready to hoist. Launch, "electric wind" a bit away from the idiots in the bass boats, lash tiller hard over, hoist and backwind the jib (hove-to position), pop the bungees and hoist the main, crack a cold cylinder, grab the tiller, trim the jib to lee, and off we go!

Yeahhhh ... gotta love gettin' kids out on a sailboat! Can't wait to teach my new daughter ... the only reason I learned how to sail in the first place was because I worked at a day camp in high school, and on a weekend camping trip to a local state park they had Sunfish, and I got elected to teach the kids how to sail. They ended up teaching me!

[ctenidae]

I flake the main on the boom. For the jib, I flake it on the foredeck, then fold it in 3 loosely. It will sit in one of the cuddy shelves pretty well. Not, I'm sure, the best thing for the sail, folding and all that, but it's an ancient sail, and it makes handling very easy, since I can grab it without crawling into the cuddy, and it lays out nice on the deck for rigging.

[mbowser]

I flake the main on the boom. For the jib, I flake it on the foredeck, then fold it in 3 loosely. It will sit in one of the cuddy shelves pretty well. Not, I'm sure, the best thing for the sail, folding and all that, but it's an ancient sail, and it makes handling very easy, since I can grab it without crawling into the cuddy, and it lays out nice on the deck for rigging.

I'm thinking I will try to do that and flake the main prior to launch; it will make it easier to raise in a hurry, and then roll for storage. I think not bending the sail and only rolling a sail is the best thing but it just isn't going to happen all the time. On my big boat I have the main flaked on the boom the entire summer (with a cover) because it is so big and unwieldy sailing would be a nightmare if I had to do it every time I went out.

[ctenidae]

I'm thinking I will try to do that and flake the main prior to launch; it will make it easier to raise in a hurry, and then roll for storage. I think not bending the sail and only rolling a sail is the best thing but it just isn't going to happen all the time. On my big boat I have the main flaked on the boom the entire summer (with a cover) because it is so big and unwieldy sailing would be a nightmare if I had to do it every time I went out.

Flaking the main is the way to go, if you can. We're on a mooring, so it works great. If I fold up the jib right, and pay attention when I lay it out on deck, it's pretty simple to just reverse the folding process to rig it up. I can usually get the boom tent down, the sails up, and cast off from the mooring in about 15 minutes, when all goes well.

[mbowser]

... when all goes well.

Hmmm... been sailing a long time, and I'm not sure if I've ever seen that happen before
Good advice nonetheless.

[ctenidae]

... when all goes well.

Hmmm... been sailing a long time, and I'm not sure if I've ever seen that happen before
Good advice nonetheless.

Dreams- ya gotta have'em.