Mainsail, repair or replace?

[Mike]

I have a '79 Hunter 33 purchased last year. We use our first sailboat for cruising and not racing. This year the budget is tight because we are going to install a CDI roller furling and good condition, used headsail (135% genoa). Replacement of the mainsail will probably wait until spring '04. It is badly stained (probably never cleaned) and probably stretched out of shape. In addition, when I loosen the downhaul to tighten up on the leech the boom interferes with the bimini. Is it feasible to have this sail cut to eliminate this problem (probably 6" off of the foot at the clew to nothing at the tack)? What is the best method of cleaning the sail concentrating on the stains? Or is this ridiculous and futile (the mainsail should definitely be replaced)? Thanks for your time and expertise.

 

[Tim Stodola]

Old Mainsail problems

Hi Mike, welcome to the Doyle Sailmakers Forum.Let's first address the cleaning. Any Sail can be cleaned to some degree, Certain stains such as rust can usually be removed. Other stains such as grease or diesel oil are not as likely to come out. We offer sail cleaning at our facility, and many other sailmakers also offer sail cleaning. You can also try claening the sail yourself with regular laundry detergent and water. Use a terry towel to scrub the sail, a scrub brush with stiff bristles may abrade the sail surface. As for the Stains, diluted bleach mixture can be used on organic stains such as mildew, and you can try some CLR on rust stains. But use PLENTY OF WATER to rinse the sail off. Use of solvents on grease or oils tends only to spread the stain.Don't Waste money on "Reconditioning" your old sail, it will not make your sail last any longer or perform any better. Now About you Other problem. If the bimini was added later than the sail, it is possible that the sail was not recut to take the bimini height. if this is the case than recutting the clew is not that expensive and is relatively easy for an experienced sailmaker. If the Sail fit with the bimini before, then it is possible that the bolt rope has shrunk making the leech appear long. Again a Sailmaker can check this out very easily, and in most cases the bolt rope can be eased to solve this problem.

 

[David Foster]

Choose a local sailmaker

and invite him out to have a look at your boat and sails, listen to your sailing plans, and develop a plan with you. We thought we needed a new 135, or maybe a 155. After Greg Koski, of the local Doyle loft saw the boat, and understood our cruising plans, a new main became the first priority. then came an asymetric cruising spinnaker, and finally, a new 110 genny. Of the three sails, the new main clearly had the biggest impact on performance. Less heel (about 5 degrees in 10 to 15 knots) , more drive (1 to 1.5 knots in the same winds) and less weather helm.Although the 110 is on a roller furler, reefing the main is our first response to heavier weather. And a smaller foresail doesn't need the roller furler the way a big genny does.Your case may well be different, but keep your mind open, and do get some free advice from a good sailmaker.Congratulations on the boat. John Cherubini II calls the 33 the queen of the Cherubini Hunters. (Oops, here come all those 37c responses. Hi, Ed.)DavidLady Lillie'77 h27

 

[Sailirmannj]

South River NJ?

If you are in SOuth River NJ, try Eggars on route 9. They do very good work.