Main Repair

Dec 25, 2000
5,703
Hunter Passage 42 Shelter Bay, WA
Our 1991 main sail has had a repair or two since we've owned Belle-Vie in 2002. Lost one of the battens in a blow; came out of its pocket. Replaced the Dutchman filaments due to age. A few years ago the forward slot where the Dutchman filament enters the upper part of the main came apart due to stress. Had it repaired and now it is doing the same thing.

Anacortes has one sail loft located at Marine Service Center, a full service boat shop that also supports Anacortes Marina. Dropped off the main today at Ullman Sails that has a loft on the second floor of Marine Service Center. The admiral helped me take the main off; some chore.

My take is that the main is reaching the end of its useful life, but if I can get a few more years of service by doing some sail maintenance, that is a better alternative than purchasing a new sail for $$$$$.

Vince Townrow, who operates the loft, was closed today so I dropped the sail off at the still open Marine Service Center per Vince's earlier instructions. Some say he does good work. I'll keep you posted on the outcome. I need the main for when my son Brett and his urchins arrive from Texas this summer for a two week cruise; a three year old girl named Caterina and a six year old boy named Brady. Should be a hoot.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Terry
I've had work done at two lofts in Ballard for my sails on S/V Hadley. Took the main to Ballard sails to get replacement batten and batten pocket restitched. They are in to racing sails but fit us cruisers in when needed. Did a good job. Fair price.

When my genoa needed work this winter I took it to www.schattauersails.com

Two brothers Axel and Frank run the shop their father started. Restitched the sunscreen on the luff. Numerous other minor repairs. Work looks great. Two week turnaround. I was very pleased. Recommend both shops work but find Frank is better with reguard to the needs of cruiser boat owners.
 
Dec 25, 2000
5,703
Hunter Passage 42 Shelter Bay, WA
Hi John, thanks for the input. Picked up our sail yesterday, but did not have time to install it. At the moment it is still all wrapped up. I'll check it out next weekend.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
My mast is still on the hard. Spreaders were supposed to arrive on Friday, but not sure if they arrived. I hope to get up to Everett next week and maybe, maybe get my motor boat reborn as the sail boat she is.

Then I to can reinstall the sails and see if the work on the mast is what I envisioned.
 
Dec 25, 2000
5,703
Hunter Passage 42 Shelter Bay, WA
Nice repair job. They made a good and solid reinforced triple stitched patch with steel grommets for the Dutchman filaments. Should hold up well. Took about three hours to get the repaired sail installed. Quite the chore, but Belle-Vie is about ready for the new season. Still needs a good scrubbing topside, diver to clean the mussels off the keel and install new shaft zincs next month.

The coming week is water time. I'll catch the outgoing tide out of the ditch Monday, then turn west through Guemes Channel and over to Thatcher Pass. From there hang a left to Hunter Bay, a new venue worth a trip to check it out. Also need to check out Fishermans Bay, another new venue.

Also need to shake out the repaired main just to make sure that I have it hooked up correctly. Reefs, Dutchman filaments, topping lift, halyard, outhaul, etc.
 
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Dec 25, 2000
5,703
Hunter Passage 42 Shelter Bay, WA
Thanks for the tip. That is what I hear. Important to follow the charts closely.
 
Jun 20, 2012
7
hunter 42 passage Toronto
I wondering if Terry Cox to contact me seems you know a lot about Hunter 42, I have a question of which I can not find the awnser.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Sound like the fun is to begin Terry. Weather looks to be nice. Watch for a bit of rain that may show on Vancouver Island Sunday/Monday. Fair winds. John
 
Dec 25, 2000
5,703
Hunter Passage 42 Shelter Bay, WA
Soggy, cold and windy this past week. Sailed with just the genoa from Shelter Bay to Eagle Harbor Monday and spent three days there waiting for some kind of weather break. Furnace kept the inside of the boat warm. No such luck. Rain and wind stopped so I followed the ebb south for a new venue; Watmaugh Bay on the SE side of Lopez. Arrived just before low tide, dropping in ten feet of water. Good set with 80' of rode and a 20 pound kellet.

Watmaugh Bay, unlike Hunter Bay, looks better for public access to shore, a nice sandy beach with fire pits and hiking trails around Iceberg Point.

Still cold, but dry. One other sailboat there when I arrive, but Alcyon, an old schooner later arrived with a crew of young kids. They dropped anchor some distance away, then settled in for the evening. An easterly blew like stink during the night. Not much sleep between anchor checks. Alcyon seemed a bit closer but safe. My landmark indicated we had not moved even with a wind shift.

Early dawn I awoke to calm seas, but Alcyon was right next to us. My landmark again indicated we had not moved. Since it was close to low water and nearing the time when I would follow the flood north, I decided to depart rather than move.

Our windlass struggled to drag the anchor out of the mud. Felt like it had dug into China. Finally stowed the anchor and set out for Anacortes. Lumpy seas from the night winds.

Felt good to be back on the water. Tightened our stuffing box, flexed the Genset for two hours to get the cob webs out of its system. Next task is to scrub the deck and have our diver scrape mussels off the keel and install shaft zincs. Looking forward to the coming season.

At the moment AMEE flotilla has Princess Louisa Inlet at the bottom of Jervis Inlet on the cruising itinerary. Never been there, but some say it is quite nice, but a bit of a hike in.
 
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Jan 8, 2020
48
brentswain 31 31 twin keeler Heriot Bay BC
I once sailed down from Rarotonga to Auckland with a worn out 15 year old main. A batten pocket ripped out completely.So I sewed it back in by hand, and continued. 15 feet of seam ripped, starting at a batten pocket. Hand sewed it back up, and continued.When I got to Auckland, and got a bit more cash (I arrived with $3.61 and 5 lbs of rice) I had the roach cut off, and an extra row of stitching put in, and a tape sewn up the leech . I put another 3,000 miles of cruising on that sail, in strong , sqaully winds, without popping a single stitch. Now, when I buy a used main, the first thing I do is cut the roach off, and sew the piece I cut off, up the leech, with the seams staggered. This has drastically increased the life of my main sails.
80% of mainsail repairs are due to battens and roach. You need neither on a cruising main .