Upper Batten length is 60' Batten Pocket length is 55"?
Is it normal for the batten to extend out beyond the edge of the sail?
Is it normal for the batten to extend out beyond the edge of the sail?
West Wight Potter - Batten Lenght
- Thread starter Warren 22
- Start date
For a lot of designs the mainsail barely clears the backstay. Obviously battens that stick out would be a problem with clearing the backstay. The B&R rig, catamarans, and many smaller boats with swept back spreaders don't have backstays. So that isn't a problem. I don't know how that applies the the WRP. So that poses the question the OP asked, why would you want the batten sticking out of the batten pocket?
I'm challenged to offer an answer but here goes: It may be that it's about the curve of the batten. It's analogous to battens used in boat building to scribe a "Fair" curve. For those battens, if they ended at the end of a plank instead of some distance past the end, the curve would be different. For a sail you want the aft part of the sail to be flat to keep airflow attached. A batten extending past the batten pocket may accomplish that. You do not want a cupped curve on the leech of the sail as it creates drag and stall. If the batten is stuffed into a pocket it may induce too much curve in the wrong area of the sail.
That's about all I've got. Go get your piñata bats warmed up and make a post about something other than engines.
I'm challenged to offer an answer but here goes: It may be that it's about the curve of the batten. It's analogous to battens used in boat building to scribe a "Fair" curve. For those battens, if they ended at the end of a plank instead of some distance past the end, the curve would be different. For a sail you want the aft part of the sail to be flat to keep airflow attached. A batten extending past the batten pocket may accomplish that. You do not want a cupped curve on the leech of the sail as it creates drag and stall. If the batten is stuffed into a pocket it may induce too much curve in the wrong area of the sail.
That's about all I've got. Go get your piñata bats warmed up and make a post about something other than engines.
No. The battens have fit in the pockets and should be secured by whatever flaps or covers are incorporated into the sail. I am assuming these are full battens…are they?
Do your batten insert on the leach (aft) or luff (leading) edge of the sail? I have owned 2 boats with full battens…and my O’Day 322 came with a sail with partial battens before I bought a new sail with full battens.
Often, leading end of the batten gets caught on the “pocket” on the far end of the sail. In this case, you just need to back it out a little, and move that edge of the sail around some while pushing it in. This could happen whether you insert the battens from the leach or the luff.
If the battens slide in from the leach, and there is some sort of ”batt car” on the mast, it could need to be lined up to get the batten into the car (that was how my Hunter 280 was set up).
On my new sail with a Tides Strong Track and full battens, the battens feed in from the luff, and then get snapped into a hard plastic batten holder and a little cover is slid on. This system allows the tension on the batten to be adjusted as the pockets and sail wear and get baggy.
I think the answer is to:
1) maker sure you have the right batten in the right pocket (assuming battens of different lengths)
2) make sure the leading edge of the batten gets worked all the way into the pocket (at the far end). You should be able to feel the tip of the batten right at the end of the pocket.
3) If your set up uses any sort of batt car on the luff, make sure that the batten is seated in the car
As @shemandr pointed out Sometimes you have to “bend” the batten some in the pocket ( or straighten the sail if you are installing on a windy day and the sail is billowing out).
But the battens should be totally enclosed in the pocket.
Take some photos of both ends of the pocket with the batten installed if you can‘t get it in.
Greg
Do your batten insert on the leach (aft) or luff (leading) edge of the sail? I have owned 2 boats with full battens…and my O’Day 322 came with a sail with partial battens before I bought a new sail with full battens.
Often, leading end of the batten gets caught on the “pocket” on the far end of the sail. In this case, you just need to back it out a little, and move that edge of the sail around some while pushing it in. This could happen whether you insert the battens from the leach or the luff.
If the battens slide in from the leach, and there is some sort of ”batt car” on the mast, it could need to be lined up to get the batten into the car (that was how my Hunter 280 was set up).
On my new sail with a Tides Strong Track and full battens, the battens feed in from the luff, and then get snapped into a hard plastic batten holder and a little cover is slid on. This system allows the tension on the batten to be adjusted as the pockets and sail wear and get baggy.
I think the answer is to:
1) maker sure you have the right batten in the right pocket (assuming battens of different lengths)
2) make sure the leading edge of the batten gets worked all the way into the pocket (at the far end). You should be able to feel the tip of the batten right at the end of the pocket.
3) If your set up uses any sort of batt car on the luff, make sure that the batten is seated in the car
As @shemandr pointed out Sometimes you have to “bend” the batten some in the pocket ( or straighten the sail if you are installing on a windy day and the sail is billowing out).
But the battens should be totally enclosed in the pocket.
Take some photos of both ends of the pocket with the batten installed if you can‘t get it in.
Greg
