If that was directed at me, thanks, but I don't want a slug anymore. The dyneema solution is amazing and works just fine.
Attaching the main to boom.
- Thread starter Carl Weathers
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- crazy dave condon
Dammit. I celebrated getting a new sail this summer by rigging a decent outhaul. I found out about the "interference fit" the hard way. I wish this thread had been around when I was ordering my sail. Oh well, that's why I have a small boat. Lessons are expensive, but not so bad as to keep me from experimenting. I'll try rigging up a bit of webbing and see how it works. Thanks!
If you look closely at the picture I posted, you'll see a bunch of junk at the boom. That's the remnants of the original sail configuration, boltrope and slug. This sail is not cut as a loose foot, and even at that, with the boltrope and the slug just laying there, the sail shape was SO much better, and the outhaul so easy to use that I'm maybe not going to do much more than remove the slug at this time.
There is a commonality between our boats and the sleds, and we can gain from the trickle down without the degree of investment. The dyneema has 2" velcro sewn to it. The sheer strength of the velcro is such that it has never come apart since being put on, and the only downside is the stuff is a royal pain to sew. It's almost impossible to get a straight stitch, the dyneema is so slippery. I doubt that regular nylon webbing would slide as easily, but would be much easier to sew. Tradeoffs.....
There is a commonality between our boats and the sleds, and we can gain from the trickle down without the degree of investment. The dyneema has 2" velcro sewn to it. The sheer strength of the velcro is such that it has never come apart since being put on, and the only downside is the stuff is a royal pain to sew. It's almost impossible to get a straight stitch, the dyneema is so slippery. I doubt that regular nylon webbing would slide as easily, but would be much easier to sew. Tradeoffs.....
Thanks, Meriachee! Yeah, my new sail was cut to be loose-footed, but I had them put a slug at the clew. When I read your post and Jackdaw's this morning, I figured I'd try to take the slug out of the boom track (like you did) and tie the clew to the boom with some Spectra webbing that I have left over from my climbing days. I think that Spectra is a different brand name for the same material that Dyneema is. I haven't thought about how to complete the Spectra loop; I always made slings by tying the Spectra ends together with a water knot. If that doesn't work, I'll have to see what else is available; I have too many more pressing things to do than to sew hook-and-loop tape to webbing.
Well if you are determined to use spectra/dyneema you could just make it into a big soft shackle. Trick is you want it rather tight to the boom, and that can be hard to gauge when making a shackle. Big boats and cost-no-object guys will use hydranet (dyneema fibers woven into cloth) webbing. Mortals like me use several loops of nylon-based webbing with velcro holding it. A little McLube and the whole deal slides perfectly.
Yep, I know trying to tie the webbing together has a low probability of having a successful outcome. Of all of life's challenges, strapping the clew to the boom is less than trivial. Thanks for the dry lube tip.
Mere mortals like us will use whatever we can get in bulk from Sailrite. The pictures of the sleds do show the sail tight to the boom, but in our case, if the sail is not specifically cut, or designed to be attached that tight to the boom, the clew needs to be up a little bit. Mine in the picture is clearly too close to the boom, there's a wrinkle above the bolt rope.
(I'm surprised the trim dept at Jackdaws base haven't mentioned it yet)
(I'm surprised the trim dept at Jackdaws base haven't mentioned it yet)
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Correct. Those are both brand names for strand oriented ultra high molecular weight polyethylene. Several brands of braided fishing lines are the same stuff as well.