1983 h 25 sail set

Db421

Db421

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Jun 7, 2004
88
Hunter 34 1986 Lake Lanier, GA
I have a full roach main that, I've noticed recently, sets in a way that the boom tends to sit low towards the stern. In other words, not level. Sail shape seems OK, but I'm getting a lot of ribbing from other sailors. Does anyone think this is a symptom of an over stretched sail?
 
Roland5048

Roland5048

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May 12, 2004
1,505
Hunter Cherubini 30 New Port Richey
Either a stretched out leech or just plain cut wrong. If the sail is in reasonable shape, you could just have it re-cut.
 
shemandr

shemandr

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Jan 1, 2006
7,068
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
Pictures would be a big help.
Search the forums on Ask All Sailors thread Dacron Sails lifespan, posts authored by RichH who used to post here. He was knowledgeable about why, when and how to stretch the luff rope. This is assuming of course that we are talking about dacron sails.
 
Db421

Db421

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Jun 7, 2004
88
Hunter 34 1986 Lake Lanier, GA
Yes, dacron. Planning on taking pics this weekend.
 
jssailem

jssailem

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Oct 22, 2014
21,085
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
@Db421 when you take the pictures be sure to getimages of the boom at the mast, the top of the mast, the end of the boom as to the “drooping “ with the sail, and a shot of the whole rig with sail up. These images will help in diagnosis.
 
dLj

dLj

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Mar 23, 2017
3,414
Belliure 41 Sailing back to the Chesapeake
Have you tried dropping the boom down further on that mast track to see how the sail works?

dj
 
Db421

Db421

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Jun 7, 2004
88
Hunter 34 1986 Lake Lanier, GA
Yes dlj, but i have full tension on the bolt rope either way. Doesn't change the sagging situation. I suspect i either have to stretch the bolt rope, have the sail cut, or don't worry about it. I'm not a racer and the admiral isn't concerned about it at all. Still interested in any feedback though.
 
cagreen75

cagreen75

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Nov 6, 2017
76
Catalina 30 5611 Stratford, Ct
I am by no means an expert on sails, but looking at the rigging configuration my guess, and only a guess, is that the sail has been stretched. Due to the traveler being in the cockpit and pulling straight down near the very end of the boom I would guess that it would be very easy to over tension a system such as this. It is hard to tell by the pictures, but the angle of the boom compared to the mast looks to be more than 90 degrees. If that is the case then I’m fairly sure that the sail is indeed stretched or it is cut wrong. I would tend to go with stretched, as I doubt that a sail maker would cut a sail wrong.
 
jssailem

jssailem

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Oct 22, 2014
21,085
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
@cagreen75 While what you suggest is possible it is unlikely to be the reason for the posters question.
There are a couple of possibilities. The most likely is that the bolt rope has shrunk, as sails do not tend to stretch on the leech. They rip they tear but stretch not so much. Could the sail have been cut poorly? Yes. Could the mast have a bit of extra bend that was not there when the sail was cut? Yes. But pulling down on the sail by a end of mast block is not the issue. There are many boats, mine included, that use this type of mainsail control. It has some advantages and some dislikes, but sail stretching is not among them.
Answers to the posted query:
  1. You can try to stretch the luff rope.
  2. You can use a topping lift to hold the boom level, (but that will allow the sail to spill wind.)
  3. You can get the sail re-cut or find a used sail designed for your boat.
  4. You can get a new sail (the best solution for a race competitor)
  5. Or you can cruise with the current sail until you choose one of the options 1 thru 4.
The beauty is that it is your boat and you get to choose the best solution for you.
 
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C

cat guy

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Mar 20, 2012
17
Hunter 28.5 leach lake Walker mn.
I had a main sail with an exaggerated version of your concern. In my case the bolt rope had shrunk. I sent the sale to a loft (Island nautical) they simply removed the threads/stitches that held the bottom of the bolt rope in place, then pulled the sail to a nice shape and re stitched the bolt rope in that position ( it mover almost 8 inches up) . I would try two things before I had a loft look at it. #1 loosen your out haul, you have horizontal wrinkles just above the boom, you don't want those (also looks like your using a reefing line to keep the upper leach tight. the top 1/3 of the sail looks great...so did mine. Then I would tighten down the tack/goose neck very hard. this will bring the front of the boom down and get you better sail shape. its OK to use a 2 or 3 to one purchase to tighten the bolt rope/tack/goose neck. its very difficult to hurt the sail by tightening the bolt rope.
 
shemandr

shemandr

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Jan 1, 2006
7,068
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
The sail luff curve doesn't match that of the mast. The mast curve may be inverted or it just looks that way in the photos. The boom can and should be lowered on the mast. I think for your boat that is the equivalent of a cunningham. But what stands out is the second reef line which is way too tight. That is where things seem to go wrong. And it seems like the luff isn't tight. Some wrinkles along the luff in light air are considered fast. There is almost no wind in the pic and they are present. What happens in more wind? In part this is because of the boom position (Which you've said doesn't change anything) and put on more halyard tension. It seems like in the pictures that the halyard can't go up any further. If the boom were set lower I think you could put more tension on. How stretchy is that halyard? It should be ultra low stretch.
But the luff curve. Before considering easing the bolt rope you need to see if there is any extra bolt rope built in. I don't see any. Maybe you could try easing the lower aft shrouds and tightening the forward lowers. Maybe put a little more backstay on. This would add some pre- bend to the mast which should match the way the sail was built. What concerns me is that the middle of the sail has the largest gap between the sail and mast and the top and bottom the least. Pre bend might exaggerate this but you can't go the other way (Invert the mast bend) so it's worth a try. You do small adjustments and see if you like the sail shape better. BTW having the boom angle down is not in of itself a problem unless your pals are making Viagra jokes.
Having good shaped sails isn't all about racing. It's to enjoy a kinetic sport and seeing you boat perform as it should.
 
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Db421

Db421

.
Jun 7, 2004
88
Hunter 34 1986 Lake Lanier, GA
Thanks everyone. All good advice, I'll give everything a try and see what happens. My main concern is just that I know something is off and I think other members of the club are snickering behind my back. I'm a casual weekend sailor and enjoy the boat just fine. Will post pics when i figure it out.
 
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