Replace Main or Genny first?

[kayakerChuck]

Mostly I stick with high end powerboat canvas. Biminis, enclosures, & such. It's mostly 3D stuff. Patterning a basic sail for my uses is fairly straightforward, either in assorted software packages that I own, on paper (yuck), or taking lofts from an existing sail. My CNC cutter is big enough to cut the panels. If I work from an old sail I need guess back to what the original shape was supposed to be, which is a crap shoot at best. Besides, taking things apart is too much like work :-)

People who design sails for a living definitely have skills and knowledge that I lack. I have no doubt at all that a pro sail designer/maker can do better work. I'm sailing an old cruiser, not a Maserati or a Tesla.

If I build a sail, I'll most likely buy a Sailrite kit. I've not built a sail of this size before, so it should be a WHOLE LOT easier to work from a kit & instructions. I could be wrong!

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by joelhemington

Yep, I suspect he'll need to disassemble his old sail and use the pieces as templates.

Not a good idea IMO! First of all, one reason that you replace sails is loss of the original shape... so copying an old sail isn't gonna be much of an improvement.

Secondly, much depends upon the stretch characteristics of the cloth used, and at least some new materials are far less stretchy than the older ones. Again, a reason not to copy.

Third, just doing a good job of copying ain't so easy after unpicking all the seams.

As the OP has mentioned, one can buy precut panels from Sailrite and assemble the sail yourself at some savings. He also mentions that he owns computer controlled cutting tables, so it seems pretty easy for him to do that part too. And there are programs for the design of sails that output the code to drive t he cutters... are you seeing a pattern (!) here? With a little guidance from a friendly sailmaker on use of the software, seems that the OP has the skills and the tools to make a professional quality sail... lucky him!

Years ago I built some sails for my Yankee 30. I did the design on paper, working from some rather sketchy pamphlets that Sailright sold back in those antidiluvian times... and they worked pretty well. I think the OP can easily exceed that quality level.

Good luck with the project, mate, and show us how it comes out when you are done.

Jim

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by joelhemington

You do have an Assem. that's in good shape as an interim sail. As long as it's heavy enough, I'd use that until you can build your proper headsail.

How will a assm help a yacht go to windward in place of a genoa? As to cloth weight, well my Genoa is 7oz (UK cloth weight is slightly different to US measurements) but my Assm is more like 1.5oz.

Spent a fortnight some years ago sailing solo along side another yachtie also solo from a nearby club. He asked me what I thought of his genoa and then told me he made it during the winter. Used the club function room sewing panel to panel. It was a tri-radial cut sail Making a cross cut sail would be tricky enough. Anyway it set nicely and provided all the drive he wanted.

Pete

[KP44]

Boats and sailors are different.
Some boats, like our first sloop, are powered by the main. Our 23' was a fractional rig and balanced by the jib. It would sail on any point with either sail but the main was the main sail.
Our 46' cutter is powered by the genoa and balanced with the main.

I had both the genoa and stays'l cut with a high clew. Not a Yankee cut, but higher than normal. I am not a racer and don't need every bit of wind. With the high clews, the sails never touch the water and I can see under the sail, even when heeled a bit. If I pole out the genoa, the whisker pole is well above the waves.

If you are not racing, consider a high clew on your new genoa.