Recutting a Sail

[Bob S]

I inherited a few sails from my dad that I just looked at. He sailed on a 39 Gulfstar. There is a spinnaker that I would love to fit to my boat. Can a sail be cut to fit a smaller boat?

 

[tommays]

WE buy a LOT of used sails but going form a 39' to a 30' is pretty much NOT gonna happen as the size will be massively to big

 

[Fairwind]

Yes, you can re-cut your sails..A small loft should be happy to do it or you can buy a H.D. sewing machine and do it yourself..

 

[catsailor]

But that is a HUGE change in size.

Yes, you can re-cut your sails..A small loft should be happy to do it or you can buy a H.D. sewing machine and do it yourself..

I have re-cut sails myself, but I think I would try something else first.

I would talk to a used sail store about a trade. Since the used sails are MUCH larger (read more valuable) than what you need, you may come out very well.

 

[PaulK]

Trimming a spinnaker from a 39' Gulfstar to fit a Catalina 30 would be quite a job. Would you want to cut the extra sailcloth out of the middle, in order to keep the reinforcements at the clews and head intact? Is the sail made with parallel luffs (not tapered or rounded) so you might be able to remove one or more sets of panels so that the height would fit? If the sail is tapered or round in overall shape, this would be mighty tricky to do. Getting the foot length right would be another issue, possibly requiring darts, and the whole thing, after days and days of work, might blow out the first time it's set. It would seem much easier to tade in the larger sails, as already suggested, and actually get a sail that was made to fit a Catalina 30. There are lots of Catalina 30's out there, and probably LOTS of used spinnakers to choose from.

 

[Bob S]

Thanks everyone, any suggestions for used sail lofts in the northeast?

 

[COOL]

Depending on the panel layout of the spinnaker,
it should be no troube to shorten the hoist of
the spinnaker. A panel could be removed from
the mid section without having much effect on
the shape.
The Gulfstar's rig is only about 6' taller than a Cat 30.
The 'J' measurement is much larger on the 39 though.
so the spin will likely be much wider than a standard
Cat 30 spin, but the actual measurements of the sail
matter more than what type of boat it came from.
Cruising spinnakers are often cut much smaller than
the maximum dimensions.
I would first try the sail as it is and see how it works out.
I fly an asymmetric spin on my boat that is 6.5' longer
on the Luff than my 'I' measurement, and 225% of the
'J' measurement at the mid girth. This sail works fine
in anything over 3 knots TWS.

 

[larryw]

COOL;
I have an Ullman asymetric spinny I had made for my C-30. I no longer own the boat, and I'll sell the sail to you.