I've think I've about used everything ... the packages of green/red plastic strips sold in the catalogs, several weights of yarn swipped from my wife's knitting basket, strips of her discarded pantyhose, thread of various weights, and pieces of tape from a broken audio cassette. Any thoughts on what works best? What do the racers use? Tom Monroe Carlyle Lake
What material makes the best telltales?
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Tell tales
Like you, I've tried just about everything. To date, the stuff I like best is that plastic neon-glo orange engineering tape that you see being used to mark hazards. This stuff is cheap, lasts a pretty good long time on the shrouds, and picks up the wind direction easily.
Like you, I've tried just about everything. To date, the stuff I like best is that plastic neon-glo orange engineering tape that you see being used to mark hazards. This stuff is cheap, lasts a pretty good long time on the shrouds, and picks up the wind direction easily.
location, location, location
Its not the material you use, its that they need to be near a seam so they can spend half their time on the stitching.
Its not the material you use, its that they need to be near a seam so they can spend half their time on the stitching.
Tell Tales
I make my own too. I have them very large so they SHOUT at me when the sail is not correctly trimmed. Ideally I would like them connected automatically to the rudder! I scrounge black lightweight Ripstop spinnaker cloth from the sailmaker and hot knife it into strips about 3/4" wide and 9" long. These are then attached to the sail using 2" diameter circles of white sticky back plastic. The starboard ones are fitted higher than the port side so I can tell which is which. Black is the best colour because it shows readily through the sail so you can see what the tell tale on the lee side is doing. Surprisingly black also shows up well at night. On rainy days these have a tendency to adhere to the sail so I put woolies on as well.
I make my own too. I have them very large so they SHOUT at me when the sail is not correctly trimmed. Ideally I would like them connected automatically to the rudder! I scrounge black lightweight Ripstop spinnaker cloth from the sailmaker and hot knife it into strips about 3/4" wide and 9" long. These are then attached to the sail using 2" diameter circles of white sticky back plastic. The starboard ones are fitted higher than the port side so I can tell which is which. Black is the best colour because it shows readily through the sail so you can see what the tell tale on the lee side is doing. Surprisingly black also shows up well at night. On rainy days these have a tendency to adhere to the sail so I put woolies on as well.
Re:location
It was the seam thing that got me experimenting in the first place. Everybody used to use yarn, but it grabs and holds seams too darn well ... same with any cloth type material (pantyhose). I'm mostly using plastic type stuff these days, but I'm going to try the ripstop spinnaker cloth. Tom
It was the seam thing that got me experimenting in the first place. Everybody used to use yarn, but it grabs and holds seams too darn well ... same with any cloth type material (pantyhose). I'm mostly using plastic type stuff these days, but I'm going to try the ripstop spinnaker cloth. Tom
what material makes the best telltales
Tom M: Just like the others, I've used everything I could think of. I've even used the green tape you use to tie up tomatoe plants!!
Tom M: Just like the others, I've used everything I could think of. I've even used the green tape you use to tie up tomatoe plants!!
wool and audio tape are the best
We did some research on this some years ago. We put different types of material on my mainsail and checked to see which ones work well. Spinnaker cloth cut in strips tended to stick to the sail. The same happened to the commercial material sold in packages. We tried audio cassett tape and it worked fairly well, better than the other type tapes. We also tried different types of yarn, cotton, nylon, dacron, and wool. The wool was the best by far. It didn't stick to the sail althoug at times it would hook up on itself. We finally settled on green and red wool so that the helsman could see it through the plastic window on the jib. But we also had telltails up the leading edge of the jib and all over the main. The crew tended to like the audio tape on the trailing edge of the main the best but wool everywhere else. Les
We did some research on this some years ago. We put different types of material on my mainsail and checked to see which ones work well. Spinnaker cloth cut in strips tended to stick to the sail. The same happened to the commercial material sold in packages. We tried audio cassett tape and it worked fairly well, better than the other type tapes. We also tried different types of yarn, cotton, nylon, dacron, and wool. The wool was the best by far. It didn't stick to the sail althoug at times it would hook up on itself. We finally settled on green and red wool so that the helsman could see it through the plastic window on the jib. But we also had telltails up the leading edge of the jib and all over the main. The crew tended to like the audio tape on the trailing edge of the main the best but wool everywhere else. Les
A Thong
Victoria Secrets has a great selection of vibrant thong colors and the really do grab the attention of other sailors at our club.
Victoria Secrets has a great selection of vibrant thong colors and the really do grab the attention of other sailors at our club.
Thong, Not So Sure
My wifes would drag in the water. If I were to put someone elses up there she might get suspicious. I use whatever VHS tape the the kids are making me nuts with. If the wife or the kids read this I am dead meat, so if you don't hear from me ever again you'll know why.
My wifes would drag in the water. If I were to put someone elses up there she might get suspicious. I use whatever VHS tape the the kids are making me nuts with. If the wife or the kids read this I am dead meat, so if you don't hear from me ever again you'll know why.
smokin
i do not smoke any more, but i can't tell you how many dead calm races i have won by watching cigarette smoke. when nothing else works, you can get the crew to heel the boat to leeward to put shape in the sails. then all you have to do is watch the smoke and leave the others behind,,,,albeit slowly, at least you move.
i do not smoke any more, but i can't tell you how many dead calm races i have won by watching cigarette smoke. when nothing else works, you can get the crew to heel the boat to leeward to put shape in the sails. then all you have to do is watch the smoke and leave the others behind,,,,albeit slowly, at least you move.
Smokin' - source
Since I too do not smoke I choose to use sticks of incense as a smoke telltale. Smells better and it's easy to put it where I can see it on the boat without having to hold it. Otherwise I use wool yarn on the sail and cassette tape on the stays.
Since I too do not smoke I choose to use sticks of incense as a smoke telltale. Smells better and it's easy to put it where I can see it on the boat without having to hold it. Otherwise I use wool yarn on the sail and cassette tape on the stays.
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