Used sails from other boats?

srimes

.
Jun 9, 2020
211
Macgregor 26D Brookings
Howdy. I'm sailing on the Oregon coast where strong winds are common. My boat came with the standard 105%jib and 2-reef main, and I figure I should get a smaller jib and probably a storm sail just in case. Ideally I'd get new made for the boat but I'm trying to work on a budget.

I don't have much experience in heavy air but my internet research says I need a #3 or #4 jib in the 65%-85% range. Does this sound right for 25-35k winds? Can I use one from a smaller boat if the measurement seem about right? Or will the fabric be too light coming off a smaller boat?

I don't see many listing for storm jibs so I may be stuck buying new. At least they're less expensive.

I could also use a light-air sail, but I'm more worried about heavy air first. Any advice?
 
Jan 11, 2014
11,321
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
Probably the person who can give the best advice on SBO on this issue is @DrJudyB. My less informed take is a smaller sail from a similar sized boat with heavy enough cloth would work. If you can find a sail originally built for a 25-28 foot boat in a size less than 100%, then it might work.

Talk to a local loft about modifying a sail from a larger boat with heavier cloth.
 
Aug 16, 2016
38
Pacific Dolphin 24 Phoenix, Arizona
Minnys in Newport Beach has a large supply of used sails and an online inventory. Once you identify your variables ( sizes, weight, mounting ) you can do a search for what you need.

Or...did Minnys close?
 

Dave Groshong

SBO Staff
Staff member
Jan 25, 2007
1,864
Catalina 22 Seattle
Minnys in Newport Beach has a large supply of used sails and an online inventory. Once you identify your variables ( sizes, weight, mounting ) you can do a search for what you need.

Or...did Minnys close?
I heard ole Ernie closed for a year.
 
Jun 8, 2004
2,841
Catalina 320 Dana Point
He closed for "remodeling" for 2020, he was taking sail orders and shipping sails but think he got burned a couple times, so switched to just for people to pick-up at the store. I think that got to be a pita so not sure he's selling anything right now.
Can you imagine "remodeling" minney's in only a year, it'd take that long to empty it ????? I'd bet the termites holding hands is all that keeps the building standing. I've still got a new anchor rode I got there, not because I needed it, but the price was too good and I'm gonna need it someday, hopefully.
 
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srimes

.
Jun 9, 2020
211
Macgregor 26D Brookings
Thanks! Looking at Minny's headsail list now. Would a storm jib oversized for my boat work for heavy air? Or are they cut too flat?
 
Jan 11, 2014
11,321
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
Thanks! Looking at Minny's headsail list now. Would a storm jib oversized for my boat work for heavy air? Or are they cut too flat?
A storm jib has several essential features, it is cut from heavy cloth, it is small and it is cut flat.

The Mac 26 is designed for coastal and inland sailing. The rigging is probably fairly light. An excessively heavy storm jib may place too much stress on the rig. The sails, rigging, and spars are a system designed to work together. Deviating too far from the design specs is not a good idea. While a heavy storm jib might survive storm conditions, will the rigging survive the stresses caused by the storm and the heavy storm jib?
 
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Dave Groshong

SBO Staff
Staff member
Jan 25, 2007
1,864
Catalina 22 Seattle
In winds that high, I would consider a different type of boat altogether, I realize budget is normally a big consideration. I don't want to encourage you, but that boat, with the proper amount of sail area up, and seamanship, will survive:
 

PaulK

.
Dec 1, 2009
1,222
Sabre 402 Southport, CT
Concur with dlochner. You can put tractor tires on a sports car to go off-road, but the frame won't be happy with the trip. When your windows pop out and the driveshaft disconnects from the axle, the car will stop and you'll know that some things got bent out of shape. On a boat, walking home is not an option.
 

srimes

.
Jun 9, 2020
211
Macgregor 26D Brookings
I'm sailing off the Oregon coast. Literally "coastal sailing." How will a heavy storm jib put excess stress on the rigging? Are you saying light dacron reduces rigging loads? My understanding is that the heavier weight is so it holds shape and survives flogging longer before it gets shredded.

My boat is not the "powersailor," but either way I'm not looking for a debate on MacGregor seaworthiness here.
 
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Jan 11, 2014
11,321
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
I'm sailing off the Oregon coast. Literally "coastal sailing." How will a heavy storm jib put excess stress on the rigging? Are you saying light dacron reduces rigging loads? My understanding is that the heavier weight is so it holds shape and survives flogging longer before it gets shredded.

My boat is not the "powersailor," but either way I'm not looking for a debate on MacGregor seaworthiness here.
Coastal sailing generally means sailing relatively near shore and under predictable conditions as opposed to off shore conditions where the conditions are more unpredictable. Weather forecasts are generally pretty good out 72 hours. There is no reason to get caught in storm conditions because the forecasts are reasonably accurate. When sailing offshore, the boat is usually more than a day or two away from a safe harbor and will be on a passage that lasts many days and weeks well away from shore, think crossing the Atlantic or sailing to Hawaii. In offshore conditions and in the higher latitudes storms are harder to predict many days out and harder to avoid. The boat needs to have rigging and sails to survive in these conditions.

When coastal sailing, it is possible to get caught in the occasional thunderstorm or squall with gale force winds. However, unlike off shore conditions where a gale might last days, a squall is pretty short term maybe a half hour or so.

Stress on the rig comes not only from wind speed, but also sea state, sail weight, and duration. A heavy sail may not blow out as quickly as a lighter weight Dacron sail, but the additional weight of the sail combined with increased wind speed, storm duration, and sea state will weigh heavily and destructively on the rig.

Despite the video, the Mac 26 is not designed to withstand the rigors of off shore sailing and the loads imposed on it by a heavier sail and higher wind and sea states. That does not mean, if caught in a squall the boat will sink. A well designed jib for a roller furling system will be able to withstand short durations of high winds that come with squalls and T-storms. This is done by putting heavier cloth along the foot and leech where most of the loads are located and having the middle of the sail made with lighter cloth. Similar designs are available for the main.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,992
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Srimes our coastal weather patterns are pretty predictable. You just need to be looking out a couple of days. How far afield are you thinking. You could easily sail north to Port Orford or down south to Eureka. Working north means in the summer sailing against the prevailing currents and winds. Then there are the calm days when the Pacific High dominates. No wind and calm seas. After September the winds and weather start to change. Winds and storms Low pressure cells come up out of the South west.

If you see the local fishermen heading into port you can be sure there is a blow coming. Not good to be caught out beyond the Bar.

Not sure how much you want to sail in PacificNW Storms. When the winds get beyond 30 I’m near a port and will tuck in for awhile. Then when the heavy weather has passed you can venture out with the fishing boats and enjoy your sail.
 

capta

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Jun 4, 2009
4,766
Pearson 530 Admiralty Bay, Bequia SVG
In my opinion what you need is a Yankee Jib, not a storm jib. A storm jib is for when conditions are such that you only need to keep the boat under control in serious heavy weather. A Yankee, especially on a furler, is a high cut sail roughly about 100% and a motive sail, in other words, meant to keep you sailing. We use ours up to 45 knots, obviously rolled up some, and out full in 30 to 35 when we want to keep moving at speed, without the main. It works OK in light winds, but you can't have one sail that does it all.
That's our Yankee in the pic. I would suggest you call a sailmaker to get the dimensions of a Yankee jib that would fit your boat properly.
As we live in the Caribbean, when I was shopping for a used main, after I found one in a used sail place in the US, I hired a sailmaker to go check it out. It seemed the cloth was in great shape but when laid out on the floor the sail was found to have a big bag in the middle, very badly stretched out. $60.00 saved me over a grand for the sail, shipping and duty.
 
Aug 1, 2011
3,972
Catalina 270 255 Wabamun. Welcome to the marina
I'm sailing off the Oregon coast. Literally "coastal sailing." How will a heavy storm jib put excess stress on the rigging? Are you saying light dacron reduces rigging loads? My understanding is that the heavier weight is so it holds shape and survives flogging longer before it gets shredded.
You're looking at it backwards. It's not about the sail being able to handle the loads, it's the rigging of the Mac being able to handle the sail in the conditions. Now before anybody expresses any consideration towards the Mac, I owned a 26c for 15 years, so I am familiar with the build. Key word here, build. It could possibly handle the conditions, but not the repeated pounding.
These boats are lightly built, and in those kind of conditions, it wouldn't be very comfortable.
 
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srimes

.
Jun 9, 2020
211
Macgregor 26D Brookings
Srimes our coastal weather patterns are pretty predictable. You just need to be looking out a couple of days. How far afield are you thinking. You could easily sail north to Port Orford or down south to Eureka. Working north means in the summer sailing against the prevailing currents and winds. Then there are the calm days when the Pacific High dominates. No wind and calm seas. After September the winds and weather start to change. Winds and storms Low pressure cells come up out of the South west.

If you see the local fishermen heading into port you can be sure there is a blow coming. Not good to be caught out beyond the Bar.

Not sure how much you want to sail in PacificNW Storms. When the winds get beyond 30 I’m near a port and will tuck in for awhile. Then when the heavy weather has passed you can venture out with the fishing boats and enjoy your sail.
I'm just looking at day sailing for now. But forecasts aren't perfect. A local told me about the time he sailed around the St. George Reef lighthouse, 14 miles from the harbor, and got hit with a squall blowing 40kts even though the forecast was for clear weather. Says he got knocked down twice and barely kept it off the rocks.

I'm not looking to head out in a storm but I want to be prepared to survive if necessary. Is maintaining control in 35kts an unreasonable expectation? I went out into 25kts and 8' waves and really struggled to control the boat but managed to go where I wanted. That's why I'm asking about smaller headsails.

It's a sunny 71 in town right now but the wind map shows 36kts offshore.

1593200954492.png
 
Aug 1, 2011
3,972
Catalina 270 255 Wabamun. Welcome to the marina
We've broken a keel cable coming down off a large wave, and we've broken many a rudder cable under the same conditions. 35 is far, far, too much for that boat in my humble opinion.