Anybody thought about replacing their stock main with a bigger "fathead" style sail? Seems like a natural since we (26/260) don't have a backstay.
"Fathead" mainsail
- Thread starter Bilgewater
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Posted the same question last year, and received negative responses from both Doyle and North see attached
http://forums.hunter.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?p=621256&highlight=charisma
http://forums.hunter.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?p=621256&highlight=charisma
Many performance boats today use this design AC boats in particular. It is definitely an advantage for performance. Best bet would be to ask your local loft for advice. These sails are new enough that many old birds are instinctively negative about changes. Others just don't want to spend extra money on the performance.
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Alan hit the nail on the head. Most performance upgrades to your 26/260 are met with confusion about why anyone would bother spending money on tweaking our trailer boat.
The original main has a nice large roach and gets away with it because of its B&R design. I'd say basically moving the roach further upward can only capture cleaner air. You will want a rigid boom vang of sorts to get rid of the topping lift so it doesn't hang on the upper batten. Otherwise, what the heck. Go for it if it's close to the same money.
If it was time to replace mine I'd surely look into the most up to date design available within reason. My new bow sprit and Facnor continuous line furler for my A-sail may be over the top but I'll be able to fly it solo. My motivation....on long runs down the coast Kelli says I'm not going forward when I'm by myself. It makes sense to me, so do whats right for you.
Uh, yeah about my avatar.....Kelli was in the cabin, thats my story and I'm stickin to it
The original main has a nice large roach and gets away with it because of its B&R design. I'd say basically moving the roach further upward can only capture cleaner air. You will want a rigid boom vang of sorts to get rid of the topping lift so it doesn't hang on the upper batten. Otherwise, what the heck. Go for it if it's close to the same money.
If it was time to replace mine I'd surely look into the most up to date design available within reason. My new bow sprit and Facnor continuous line furler for my A-sail may be over the top but I'll be able to fly it solo. My motivation....on long runs down the coast Kelli says I'm not going forward when I'm by myself. It makes sense to me, so do whats right for you.
Uh, yeah about my avatar.....Kelli was in the cabin, thats my story and I'm stickin to it
soling42, I'm righteously proud of you lad !!!!! a sprit and a roller Akite.........way to go.....!!!!!
I saw this coming years ago and designed and built a retractable sprit for my Akite. They weren't available then so I made one. Makes off wind sailing sooooo much more fun.
Oh, BTW square topped mains are coming to your neighborhood, mark my words.
I saw this coming years ago and designed and built a retractable sprit for my Akite. They weren't available then so I made one. Makes off wind sailing sooooo much more fun.
Oh, BTW square topped mains are coming to your neighborhood, mark my words.
Soling 42 - is your sprit permanently mounted? I would love to add a sprit,then move the jib and forestay forward enough to mount a Gary Hoyt jib boom for totally easy sailing. I imagine a cable hooked to the bow eye to support the forestay, but then it would get in the way of the winch during launch and recovery. What is your set up like?
Bilgewater, adding a sprit for a spinnaker is a really cool thing but changing the location of the forestay is a whole other thing. Any sprit that could support a forestay would have to be permanently mounted and very well engineered to carry the loading. Adding a jib boom for a self tacking jib with your standard rig is completely doable. I would advise against moving the forestay.
Alan - I know moving the forestay would be a major change, shifting the CE, and other things, so most likely will never do it. But a self tending jib would be sweet. Only problem is the location of the anchor well, right in the way of where the jib boom should be mounted. I was thinking about mounting something on the forward rail, but doubt if it could stand the stress.
My boat's in the shop for a refit as we speak. The Facnor furler and A sail are on order and I'm scratching my head to come up with the most practical mount for an easily deployed sprit this very weekend.
Alan, i'm open to any lessons learned from your trials.... Pics are welcomed. I've narrowed my options to:
(1) a somewhat traditional (high $ more complicated engineering)unguyed pole through an eye at the bow with the tail mounted immediately behind the anchor well.
(2)(low$ simpler) pole mounted at the forestay head with stays clipped to new eyes on both sides of the bow and the bow eye (NOT like simple pic below).
I may end up with some combination of both. The DR will be in surgery. pray for the patient
BW, Sorry to lead your thread off track. The forestay needs to stay where it is but a loose footed jib on a boom section with the pivot at/near the tack could possibly be done but the current jib is a 110% so the mast will be an issue. you could probably locate a block at the mast base for a single line jib sheet(but better on a deck mounted track) if the jib were recut but I'd think hard about the effect on sail balance. good luck.
Mike
Alan, i'm open to any lessons learned from your trials.... Pics are welcomed. I've narrowed my options to:
(1) a somewhat traditional (high $ more complicated engineering)unguyed pole through an eye at the bow with the tail mounted immediately behind the anchor well.
(2)(low$ simpler) pole mounted at the forestay head with stays clipped to new eyes on both sides of the bow and the bow eye (NOT like simple pic below).
I may end up with some combination of both. The DR will be in surgery. pray for the patient
BW, Sorry to lead your thread off track. The forestay needs to stay where it is but a loose footed jib on a boom section with the pivot at/near the tack could possibly be done but the current jib is a 110% so the mast will be an issue. you could probably locate a block at the mast base for a single line jib sheet(but better on a deck mounted track) if the jib were recut but I'd think hard about the effect on sail balance. good luck.
Mike
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I think there is room for improvement on our mainsail design. Mine is still in fine shape but I will look into all options when the time comes. I think Hunter is restricted in how much they can spend on sails and still offer the boat at a price that will sell in the numbers needed. Hunter advertised the 260 as having a "full battened main", yet any stock 260's I have seen only the two top battens are full. A friend ordered a new main from Doyle for his 270, with a loose foot and "full battens", it was delivered with only the two top battens full. They have promised to replace the bottom ones this winter with full battens. I have been out on the boat and it sails well with the new sail.
Mike, very interesting mods you are doing. I like the furler idea, keep us informed of your progress. As far as the sprit goes could a mount be incorporated into a bow roller design ? As you know I have been looking hard at replacing my bow roller and I have been doodling with the idea of a mount for a removeable sprit into the final design.
Bob
Mike, very interesting mods you are doing. I like the furler idea, keep us informed of your progress. As far as the sprit goes could a mount be incorporated into a bow roller design ? As you know I have been looking hard at replacing my bow roller and I have been doodling with the idea of a mount for a removeable sprit into the final design.
Bob
So here I was minding my own business, pretty happy with my stock main and now BW has me all stirred up about a nicer main. I say hurry up and get some prices
An old wave sailing(windsurfing) buddy just donated the 6' long top half of a light weight but super tough carbon fiber wave mast for my bow spar/sprit. Perfect! I'll attach it on the bow plate with a snugly cut 2" wide nylon strap sewn into an eye that the sprit will slide through giving me the 28-32" I'd like out frt. The back will get a deck bracket or another tight nylon strap. And my project takes off. have a good weekend all. I'll figure it out and post it on a thread of it's own
Mike
An old wave sailing(windsurfing) buddy just donated the 6' long top half of a light weight but super tough carbon fiber wave mast for my bow spar/sprit. Perfect! I'll attach it on the bow plate with a snugly cut 2" wide nylon strap sewn into an eye that the sprit will slide through giving me the 28-32" I'd like out frt. The back will get a deck bracket or another tight nylon strap. And my project takes off. have a good weekend all. I'll figure it out and post it on a thread of it's own
Mike
Mike, of your 2 options I'm partial to #1. The tiny sprit mounted at the bow seems hardly worth the effort. Mine projects 5' beyond the forestay and is unsupported at the tip. Most importantly I engineered mine to retract and articulate out of the way to allow full use of the anchor locker. I like your idea of a strap instead of a support bracket for cost considerations. However it needs a way of holding position when encountering the side force that will be experienced on a reach. The rigid forward support that swivels will maintain pole position while still allowing it to be stowed on the toe rail.
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