!&%#^@!! New sails and flaking it!

Don S/V ILLusion · May 7, 2012

There is no secret. The sail will break in and take the folds automatically once "trained" to do so. Just give it some time.

Alan · May 7, 2012

Stand in front of the mast facing aft. As the sail starts to come down pull the fist fold in the luff to one side of the boom. Continue to ease the sail down doing the same thing with the next fold (between sail slugs) pulling it to the opposite side of the boom. Repeat this along the entire length of the luff till the sail is down. Ignore how the rest of the sail falls.
Now start at the aft end of the boom and pull aft on the leach of the sail approximately the same distance up the leach as the first fold in the luff. This will create the first complete fold at the foot of the sail. Repeat this process again alternating the folds from side to side. Tie off the flaked sail every 3rd or 4th flake. This will produce a neatly flaked sail along the boom. If you use this same process each time use drop the sail it will begin to have a "memory" and start to fall in the desired folds without your assistance.

zeehag · May 7, 2012

dont forget--once the sails have become into the habit of flaking in same places every time, they will fail at those flakings.....

caguy · May 7, 2012

I read somewhere a few years ago that ironing the folds will make it easier to flake.

kpgraci · May 7, 2012

caguy said:
I read somewhere a few years ago that ironing the folds will make it easier to flake.

Following Zeehag's reasoning that kinda sounds like a bad idea. I've heard of ironing sails flat, but not to put in a crease.

Ted · May 7, 2012

New sails and flaking it.

It sounds like you have a bolt rope in the luff of your main which fits into the groove of your mast. It's nearly impossible to neatly flake that style of main on the boom. Your have two options.

1. Remove the luff entirely from the mast and roll the sail. First bring the head of the sail to the tack. Then start rolling the sail from the midpoint of the luff. When fully rolled, use sail ties to secure the sail to the boom. This is very difficult to do when single handed and nearly impossible to do when it's windy.

2. Have your sailmaker add slugs and flake it the way Alan described. This way the luff is always attached to the mast and is much more manageable.

kenn · May 7, 2012

My friend who races Solings takes off his crispy racing sails, rolls them (no folding!) and stores them in the sailbag. If you wanna keep them crispy...

We have well-loved baggy original sails. Racers wouldn't use them for drop-sheets, but they still work well enough for us, with a bit of trimming and tension. We had slugs added a few years back; we can now raise and lower them very easily, and they do flake up better now.

Bill Roosa · May 7, 2012

I find that starting at the boom end work your way up to the mast pulling the sail back and folding the leach back and forth across the boom. The folds are determined by the sail luft attachment points. The attachment points being the "top" of the fold that goes directly over the boom.
having a new sail is tough. Pray for a gusty wind day of sailing and get the toe rail wet a few times

higgs · May 7, 2012

If you have a rope luff that fits into the slot on your mast, you are probably not going to get the sail to flake. As previously suggested, rooling it around the boom may be the way to go.

Joe · May 8, 2012

You must remove the rope luff from the track to properly flake the sail on the boom. It will not stack like a slug rigged main. In the pictures below you'll see the sail flaked nicely on the boom with the halyard attached to the headboard, ready to hoist. Notice the tack resting a few feet behind the boom.... the crew has allowed the sail to take a natural position. Also, notice the attempt to keep the creasing to a minimum by loosely tying the sail to the boom instead of cinching it tight.... very important. The sail cover will keep the sail in place, there is no need to hitch it tight like a saddle.

Also notice that there is a "prefeeder" on the mast track, about a foot above the boom. When hoisting the main, the crew starts the headboard through the prefeeder, which has little rollers that guide the sail into the groove withough jamming.

The second picture shows a close up of the prefeeder and how the tack is secured and cunningham rigged.

Your boat won't be this complicated, but you can see the theory of flaking the sail out of the groove.... even though there are no slugs... you would still start at the mast end to control the flakes.... if you're out in the water, a crew at the mast controlling sail and halyard, then another crew or the helmsman, in the cockpit handling the leech.

If youi're uncomfortable, leave the main up and wait till you're in the slip to drop it.... just leave the mainsheet loose so the boom will weather vane while your maneuvering under power. If you have a down wind slip.... find a quiet place in the marina where you can turn the boat head to wind without getting in anyone's way and do the best you can.

Good luck.

Ron20324 · May 8, 2012

Yeah, convert the rope to slugs and life will be good again. And alternately flake the sail to the left and right.

RichH · May 8, 2012

kenn said:
My friend who races Solings takes off his crispy racing sails, rolls them (no folding!) and stores them in the sailbag. If you wanna keep them crispy...

For a small boat this method is the 'absolute best' way to 'flake them' ... dont flake them 'roll them'. Drop the sail so that 'most' of the sail is to one side of the boom .... and starting with the head of the sail roll the sail into a 'tube'. Roll the sail so that the battens are parallel to the way you roll it.

This will keep the sail relatively 'wrinkle free and crease free' ... for sailing on those light and 'windless' days / evenings. ;-)

bffatcat · May 8, 2012

Furling sails

I stopped flaking about 40 years years ago. Listen to Rich H He knows how to do things the easy way. Rolling is much easier and less time consuming than flaking. As far as stiffness is concerned: New sails are supposed to be stiff Thats how they keep their shape. When they
get soft and baggy lose their shape and are easy to furl its time for their second life as a drop
cloth. Heres another tip after you drop the sail leave head board inside the mast pull the sail out away from the boom make a pocket and roll the sail inside it. Keep it tight. after your done you can remove the head board from the slot and tie it down on top of the boom. Dont get frustrated Practice makes perfect

RichH · May 8, 2012

Thanks for the kudos.

Rolling up the main can be as easy or hard as you want.
Just roll up the sail and tie it to the boom ... and whether it will stay that way in a slip ... or if youre going to use the trailer, just remove the boom with the main tied to it ... no reason to disconnect the outhaul nor the tack connection ... especially if you have a 'sliding gooseneck' thats detachable. ;-)

Ron20324 · May 8, 2012

joes new addiction said:
Wellup sending the sail down to the sail shop is sorta kinda not gonna happen now that it's "sailing season".

On your size boat you should be able to do your own slugs right on the boat. Maybe a slip neighbor to advise, but there are slugs you put a hole through the sail and then a screw through the slug and sail. MAYBE the loft would send someone at their leisure to do it?

Joe · May 8, 2012

joes new addiction said:
Wellup sending the sail down to the sail shop is sorta kinda not gonna happen now that it's "sailing season".
I'll try weather vaing the main til I get into the slip, then try a few times to flake it, then rollit, (but that sounds like it'll be tough solo sailing).
First nice day I'll go upo and if no one is @, I beg and plead to the sail to be a good boy, or I know where the old sail is!
Joe
I didn't think THIS was gonna be the hard part!

You'll figure out an effecient way.... but on a boat your size I'd go with the roll up method, as described by Rich....

I wouldn't go to the trouble of trying to install slugs,... once you get a system down with what you have, you'll be fine.

I sailed dinghies and my Nacra for years and never dropped the mainsail til I was on the beach or alongside a dock.... mainly because there was no motor... but you learn to handle it... you can actually use the main to slow the boat down my pushing the boom out. The nacra main has 10 full length battens... so you couldn't fold or flake if you wanted to ... I doubled the sail and rolled it up, with the jib inside. The jib was zipped on so you couldn't drop that either.

Look at the instructional tapes by John Rousmaniere.... he uses a Sonar... similar to your boat... and all the sail hoisting and dousing is done at the dock. In his segments the sonar has brand new sails, just like yours, with a bolt rope, no slugs, and they don't fold them, they roll them up and store them in the cabin. He also has a prefeeder on the mast gate to make hoisting easier...

Bottom line is .... new sails are cool... do everything you can to keep them fresh and stiff. If you flake and fold, try not to bend them in the same place everytime. The goal is NOT to develop creases..... whoever suggested ironing in creases has got to be joking....

*!*&%#^@!! New sails and flaking it!

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!&%#^@!! New sails and flaking it!