Mast down, need to order main sail cover.
Do you know the various standard length and circumference measurements?
Do you know the various standard length and circumference measurements?
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Depends big time on a couple of things: the boom length, and your sail itself. On my '79 Oday 23, my boom is 9 feet long. Earlier models had a shorter boom. However, I bought new sails a few years ago; the old main sail cover didn't even come close to fitting over the new sail. It was plenty long enough, but when furled, the new sail was much bulkier than the old. The old cover, which was easy to fasten below the boom over the old sail, barely covered the sides of the new sail when draped across the boom. And my new main was the same "size" as the old. In short, anyone can give you the measurements of their main cover, but chances are it will be too large or too small.
My advice: invest in a seamstress' cloth tape measure (about $2 in the supermarket). Furl your main on the boom as you usually do, and measure at the gooseneck and two or three stations along the boom.
Give those measurements to your sailmaker to get a cover that fits. My sailmaker insisted on seeing and measuring the new sail on the boom before he would make me my new sailcover. I'm glad he did.
My advice: invest in a seamstress' cloth tape measure (about $2 in the supermarket). Furl your main on the boom as you usually do, and measure at the gooseneck and two or three stations along the boom.
Give those measurements to your sailmaker to get a cover that fits. My sailmaker insisted on seeing and measuring the new sail on the boom before he would make me my new sailcover. I'm glad he did.
Like Mike says, it's probably a good idea to get some measurements of the furled sail on the boom plus the length, but you can buy a decent sail cover to fit your boom that is already made up. I bought one last year off Rudy at D & R Marine, that I like better than the one that I had made for me back in the early 1990's. I think that I paid $350 for the old one back then. The guy came down to my house and made most of it while working out of his truck. It had snaps and Velcro and was easy to put on and take off, but it never quite fit too well. The one that I bought off Rudy fits better, it's easy to put on and take off, and it's a heck of a lot cheaper in price than my old cover was. I use my sail cover a lot. If I stop and anchor for even 20 minutes, I cover my Mainsail. So I like a cover that's easy to put on and take off. A new sail cover is a great investment, but it needn't be too expensive.
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