Mainsail trimming
- Thread starter C22BC
- Start date
C22BC how did you make out with the suggestions? There was a lot of good info given on the previous posts. First try what was suggested about making sure your main sheet and vang are free before raising the sail. If after trying all of this the one thing you might want to think about is releasing your bolt rope. I had 30 year old sails that had hardly any use. When I had them cleaned, the sailmaker said they were in pretty good shape. After trying everything to tighten the luff I came across this article by Stingy sailor, see below. I measured my sail and found my bolt rope had shrunk by about a foot. I followed his procedure and gained about 8 inches. Restitched and when I put it back on the sail is considerably flatter. Again, this is a last resort sort of thing, try what was proposed by the others first.
https://stingysailor.com/2015/09/12/how-to-breathe-new-life-into-that-baggy-old-sail-2/
Tom
https://stingysailor.com/2015/09/12/how-to-breathe-new-life-into-that-baggy-old-sail-2/
Tom
I never got a sail in last Saturday it was one of the very few days on the lake that are without wind, it was 96 deg and still . But given that opportunity , I raised the main at the dock ( loosened everything off first ) raised the sail to what I thought was max height and dropped the boom 3-4 " by putting downward pressure on the boom
and snugged up the down hall . I'll be out Friday to give her a try .
Being a former Catalina dealer, it would appear the sail is original and to some degree worn. The last 25 was built around 1994 when the 250 replaced it. Again not sure of the time line but somewhere along there. Then we do not know what the previous owners experience but mostly usage of the sail. I was going to suggest it but Joe I believe hit it on the nailhead and would concur that the bolt rope has stretched out which is what I am think I am seeing in the first sail photo. Then it makes me wonder if the sail has stretched too. The advice taking the sail to a sailmaker is the first good suggestion to let them advise you on the sail. Other suggestions here are good but would look at the sail first by someone who repairs/builds sails for a living
Loosening the bolt ropes MIGHT help. But that sail looks totally blown out. To the point that it really will effect not just performance, but the quality and enjoyment of your sailing.
Your luff looks much tighter now. The crinkles are gone. In your first photo, it had a lot of slack.
But you don't have much left for tensioning. Is it possible your PO raised the boom on the mast?
Also, the foot of the sail looks a little short for the boom length, and there's a pucker at the crinkle. Maybe the outhaul is jammed.
As capta stated, the topping lift should be slack under sail.
But you don't have much left for tensioning. Is it possible your PO raised the boom on the mast?
Also, the foot of the sail looks a little short for the boom length, and there's a pucker at the crinkle. Maybe the outhaul is jammed.
As capta stated, the topping lift should be slack under sail.
Thanks , a lot more sail tuning ability on my new boat , I've got a 4 day weekend for to see what I can do .
I did loosen off the outhaul , vang and topping lift before I tensioned the boom.
After spending the day on the water yesterday there's no doubt the mainsail is pretty well shot . Thanks again for all the input.
Angus
Angus
Looks like my main before I replaced it. Bolt ropes were so shrunk up, you couldn't get the luff or foot tight
Having a main sail that acts similar to yours, I'll tell you what I have found. My sag showed with creases at the front of all the battens, not just the lower ones. Yes, the sail is blown out, but you can cheat a little. One thing I was able to do that you can't is add some pre-bend to the mast. This reduces the fat belly from being blown out. This helps a little, but I'm not sure how you bend a masthead rig, especially of the spreaders are not swept back. Secondly, since by your description, your boom slides up and down, I would mark where it is the last time you raised the main and pin it, or tie it down. The next time you raise the main, use the winch to tighten the halyard. Crank on that puppy. Lastly, rig yourself up a Cunningham. That will twist the triangle shape and put some tension on the belly. The tension will not help the lowest part of the belly, but it will help the middle. Once you get all that, then adjust your main sheet to get all of your telltails flying. If the top leeward telltail is not flying, move the traveler to windward. It isn't going to fix it, but you may be able to make it better.
I will reinforce other comments. You have to stick telltails on your sails, otherwise you have no idea what the sail is doing. I figured out how to get most of the sag out of my sail, but at the same time, I lost speed. I finally stuck telltails to the sail, and could then finally see the finer aspects of sail shape. I can tell you that what looks right as far as the sail shape only puts you in the ballpark so your normal tuning things will work. You really don't know without telltails on the sail what is really happening.
Oh, something else I forgot. I also loosened the tension on the battens slightly. that also helped.
I will reinforce other comments. You have to stick telltails on your sails, otherwise you have no idea what the sail is doing. I figured out how to get most of the sag out of my sail, but at the same time, I lost speed. I finally stuck telltails to the sail, and could then finally see the finer aspects of sail shape. I can tell you that what looks right as far as the sail shape only puts you in the ballpark so your normal tuning things will work. You really don't know without telltails on the sail what is really happening.
Oh, something else I forgot. I also loosened the tension on the battens slightly. that also helped.