full battens to revive blown mainsail?

[MattObjects]

Greetings. My wife and I recently purchased a 1979 Rafiki 35. Amazingly, the boat still has her original mainsail. Unsurprisingly, it is pretty blown out, hanging loose and baggy instead of flattening when trimmed. I know buying a new mainsail is in the cards but the lead time on a new sail means I am unlikely to get one until this season is almost over.

The current mainsail has 4 partial battens. I am wondering if adding a full batten or two below the first set of reef points might improve the sail shape a bit. I understand this won't turn the blown sail into a brand new stiff sail-- I am just looking for something to improve the current sail while I wait for the new one to arrive.

Has anyone tried this (or any other techniques) to squeeze a few more months of use out of a mainsail ready to be retired? We would sew the batten pocket(s) on ourselves so the cost of adding battens to the current mainsail would be minimal- I'm just not sure whether it will help.

Thanks!

 

[Jackdaw]

Adding full batten will not help.

Easing the bolt rope MIGHT help, slightly, if it has tightened due to use it will allow the sail to flatten slight.

Beyond that, you're in the market for a new sail. There is no getting around the fabric is old, tired, and porous to the wind. Its almost 40 years old. Time to retire.

 

[kito]

Can you not find a good used sail that will get you by until your new sail comes in? After 36 years that one has to be ready for the rag sack.

 

[Benny17441]

Take it to a sail loft and tell them you are looking for an inexpensive short term fix and see what they may have to offer. Depending on how busy they may be you might get a reasonable cut job and a sail wash.

 

[Jackdaw]

My advice: Don't any spend money on a 40 year old sail.

 

[Joe]

The loft will tell you what Jackdaw said.... Sail with it till you can purchase another. Why spend a couple hundred dollars for larger battens and pocket extensions that you could apply towards the new sail. The online sail shops like www.thesailwarehouse.com
offer affordable solutions.

 

[Don Guillette]

I agree with Jackdaw & Joe from San Diego -- your sail has outlived its life and you're just wasting money messing with it. Give sailboatowners.com a call and see what their cost would be for new sail.

On the other hand, for folks who have a 15 or 20 year old cruising sail, as I had, a trip to the sail maker would be a good idea. I really wanted a new mainsail and convinced my wife it was the only way to go. The first mistake I made (in hindsight) was taking her with me to the sail maker in Torrance, Ca. I thought he would cement the deal and agree the sail was history. Turns out they were both classmates from the same high school in Long Beach, Ca. After about 20 minute of "old home week" my sail was spread out on the floor and the sail maker suggested a "nip & tuck and a few repairs for $150". I got a couple of more years of cruising sailing out of that sail BUT I REALLY WANTED A NEW SAIL!!.

When I finally replaced the sail I didn't take my wife with me. I brought it home and told her to check out my new purchase. When she asked the purchase price I gave her a number that was 1/2 the cost. She knew I was full of crap, because that was the % I used for every boat item I purchased (maybe some of you guys do the same thing) but she let it go.

 

[shemandr]

... The first mistake I made (in hindsight) was taking her with me to the sail maker

What could go wrong?

 

[shemandr]

Aside from that, a serious sailmaker wouldn't mess with a 40 year old sail. Why make your responsibility, a hopeless situation. Many of us on this forum and elsewhere who do customer service know that over reaching to "Satisfy" a customer often leads to a disappointed customer and no real business gain for the proprietor. If it's shot - it's shot. It's better to lose the business than waste time and money on something that's going nowhere anyway. Sorry but .....

 

[Don Guillette]

What could go wrong?

What could go wrong is my wife's first name is "Mrs. NO".

 

[Jackdaw]

One more point that I think all of the trim mavens already know:

Life is too short to sail with crappy sails.


Sadly I'd guess that over 50% of the sailors on SBO have never sailed with brand new, just in from the sailmaker sails.

What they are missing is almost a RELIGIOUS EXPERENCE.

It quite simply transforms the boat and your sailing experience. The boat is faster, heels less in given wind, points better. Every aspect of sailing is now more fun and less frustrating.

Whenever someone I know says something like 'I'll replace that old bag next year', I ask, 'What the hell are you waiting for?!?!?" ;^)

 

[MattObjects]

Thanks for all of the advice. We are sorting through quotes for a new sail and will definitely be ordering one . . . I was just hoping there might be an inexpensive way to slightly improve the slack bag hanging from the mast now.

I definitely agree with Jackdaw that many sailors never have the experience of flying under new, crisp sails. On our last boat, I didn't realize how poorly the 30 year old main was performing until we were forced to replace it after losing it in a bad storm. With the new boat, nearly every other sailor who has commented on our mainsail has said it has "plenty of life left" because, I think, they would not retire a sail until it exhibited tears too large to be patched or fabric too worn to hold a patch.

 

[MattObjects]

Can you not find a good used sail that will get you by until your new sail comes in? After 36 years that one has to be ready for the rag sack.

The good used sails available locally cost $500-800. That is too close to the price of a new sail to be a tempting short term solution.

 

[kito]

I guess your only option then is to use what you have until your new one comes. $500 for a good used one is better than spending $500 trying to make a sail out of a bed sheet.

 

[skipperjb777]

I had a seem at one of the upper sections come unstitched last year, making it absolutely necessary to do something with my main. My sail is old, but still serviceable, and with the sail maker looked at it, he told me he could repair the seam and reinforce the other seams so I wouldn't have to buy a new sail. In our discussions, we got talking about loose footed sails. The only one I had experience with was with my son's Lido 14 but he said he uses loose footed on all the boots he sails, including the boats he races ( he has a Morgan 27 about five slips from me that he races). I accepted his advise, offer and price and had the sail converted to a loose foot. What a difference, I get great sail shape and the boat handles a whole lot better. Now to figure out why I get a 1/2 to full knot better SOG on a port tack over a starboard tack.

 

[MattObjects]

In our discussions, we got talking about loose footed sails.

This is another issue I've been trying to sort through. I've only ever had mainsails that were attached along the boom with cars but every quote I've gotten for a new mainsail has been for a loose footed sail.

This is not quite on topic with my original question but does anyone have an opinion on whether a loose footed main would be the best choice on a boat with mid-boom sheeting?

 

[Joe]

This is another issue I've been trying to sort through. I've only ever had mainsails that were attached along the boom with cars but every quote I've gotten for a new mainsail has been for a loose footed sail.

This is not quite on topic with my original question but does anyone have an opinion on whether a loose footed main would be the best choice on a boat with mid-boom sheeting?

It would probably work better by removing any effect of the mainsheet on the outhaul.

 

[All U Get]

Like patching old jeans, I did it and had an old sail with a new patch. On the bright side once you replace it you'll have plenty of material to make those nautical bags everyone has for their boats.

All U Get

 

[Scott T-Bird]

It took me a minute to understand ...

It would probably work better by removing any effect of the mainsheet on the outhaul.

I think Joe is saying that mid-boom sheeting can cause a slight bend in the boom's sail track, making it more difficult to trim the outhaul. A loose-footed main would make this issue moot.

It seems that the trend is toward loose-footed mains, and I have heard no arguments against it. In this case, I would go with the flow. My main has a loose foot and I like it. Until recently, I haven't learned about lashing the clew to the boom with a sail tie for reinforcement and to relieve stress on the clew for trimming the outhaul. I'll have to get up-to-speed on this.

 

[Benny17441]

Guys don't shut down a trip to a sail maker as it will likely further define the options. We have not seen the sail and each may have a different visualization of its condition. Let a sail maker inspect it and give you a professional opinion about weather some repairs would be economically feasible or not. You can then make your decision. You indicate that you may not be able to get a new sail for this season. Generally the cost of adding full battens would not make economic sense but the fact that you are considering them indicates you are willing to spend some money on a temporary fix. By taking it to a sail maker or two it is not going to cost you but a trip and who knows if opportunity knocks on the door and one knows of or has a good used sail that you could use at a very reasonable price. Worst case scenario they tell you to burn it and you may not have spent a dime to learn that there are no economical temporary fixes.