Paul Moore
Doylestown, PA
Boat Name:
Model/Year:
Hull No.
Hailing Port: |
 05/17/2004 9:59 AM Pacific Time
Does anyone have a way to remove the wrinkles in the sail (not the sail shape wrinkes - from poor set up or tuning) but wrinkes like an old bed sheet. I have cleaned them and left them to dry spread out and they came out ok.
As for puting them away, how can you "fold" the sail while on the boat. Is this possible or do you have to lay it out somewhere. Once I get the wrinkles out I would like to keep them out.
Paul |
Paul Moore
Doylestown, PA
Boat Name:
Model/Year:
Hull No.
Hailing Port: |
05/17/2004 10:03 AM Pacific Time
Oh forgot the shape question:
Is there a way to measure the sails to determine how much they have stretched? The headsails are easier to determine because the hook in the luff is apparent. But on the main, being put between the mast and boom, mast bend toping lift etc. you have more control over the shape. It looks OK but I wonder if it is possible to adjust the rigging to get the sail to look correct, but because the shape is so far gone, you are making too much of an adjustment - overcompensating. |
Dick King
Melbourne, FL
Boat Name: Twilight Zone
Model/Year: Sport/2005
Hull No. 15546
Hailing Port: Melbourne, FL |
05/17/2004 11:46 AM Pacific Time
To keep your sails from getting wrinkles, never never stuff them anywhere, including the bow pulpit or sailbags. When the genoa is lowered, pull the clew aft, inside the shrouds to stretch out the foot. Loosely fake the sail on deck and secure with a bungee or sail tie. The main can be faked on the boom and secured with a couple of sailties to keep it out of the cockpit. On Jagged Edge, we hook the clew of the geona to the 12 foot whisker pole and lay the foot over the pole. Then we roll the sail onto the pole starting from the foot.
The pole and sail are inserted into the roll bag that came with the sail. If you don't have roll bags, get your sail maker to build them for you. Your sails will love you for it. Soring the sails rolled instead of folded will help prevent fold lines in the sails.
The main is stored by rolling onto the boom, after the mainsheet and vang are disconnected. As the boom is rolled the leech of the sail isrolled with large very loose rolls while the luff is rolled tightly. This helps align the battens with the boom to avoid bending them, while rolling the sail onto the boom. The boom and sail are stored in a roll bag also. Both are stored in the starboard quarter berth. I sold my galley, many years ago. |
Dick King
Melbourne, FL
Boat Name: Twilight Zone
Model/Year: Sport/2005
Hull No. 15546
Hailing Port: Melbourne, FL |
05/17/2004 11:52 AM Pacific Time
The best way to see if your sails are bagged out, is to stretch them out between trees off the ground. If you only have a couple of trees or fence posts or other devices, stretch the tack and clew apart and pull the head with a short piece of line. The draft will be come apparent and you can decide where and how deep it is. Have some one take pictures so you can study them or show them to a sailmaker. He/she should be able to give you advice on the need to recut/prplace the sail. |
Paul David
Melbourne Australia
Boat Name: Reflections
Model/Year: 1986
Hull No. 13369
Hailing Port: Melbourne Australia |
05/17/2004 11:43 PM Pacific Time
Getting back to the original question... How do you get rid of the wrinkles? I have always flaked mine, and my two best sails are very wrinkled. Thought (very) briefly about a warm iron (coolest setting) but worry about damaging the sail.
Paul |
Dick King
Melbourne, FL
Boat Name: Twilight Zone
Model/Year: Sport/2005
Hull No. 15546
Hailing Port: Melbourne, FL |
05/18/2004 9:47 AM Pacific Time
You could probably iron a dacron sail, unless it was highly resinated. I would not try to iron a mylar sail.. Any sailmakers out there care to comment on haow to remove wrinkles? |
Al Gearing
Burleson, Texas
Boat Name: Torch of Freedom
Model/Year: C-22 '76
Hull No. 6448
Hailing Port: Arlington YC |
05/30/2004 3:48 PM Pacific Time
With all due respect to Dick King, and wrapping the main around the boom and taking the boom off. I think that is more work and trouble.
If you stand on the opposite side of the boom than the sail is laying on, I think you will find that you can start rolling the sail from the head along the leach, that makes the battens parallel to roll. Then I usually just lay it up on the boom and snug the ties. I have seen some at this point pull the sail off the boom and into a long roll bag. For the jib or Genny, lay it out on the grass, but have done it on the boat. Fold it head to tack and roll from the fold, not a hard crease, and store it in a roll bag as Dick does on the starboard bunk. To keep my three or four sails I had from falling off while sailing, I drilled a hole in vertical part of the seat and hooked a loose bunge to the ledge. Of course class rules say you cannot carry spare sails on board, I take them off for major regattas but leave them on for club racing, where no-one cares. I remember Sunshine being disqualified for changing sails between races to try another suit, I think it is a dumb rule. If someone wants to carry the extra weight, why worry?
My opinion, Al Ge |
Dick King
Melbourne, FL
Boat Name: Twilight Zone
Model/Year: Sport/2005
Hull No. 15546
Hailing Port: Melbourne, FL |
05/30/2004 8:17 PM Pacific Time
Al - If i wanted to leave the sail on the boom and leave the boom on the mast, I would do as you do. I have done so in two day regattas. However, taking the sail off the boom is a real pain due to removing reef lines flattening reef and outhaul. That is why I choose to roll the main on the boom.
As for the genoa, I clip the clew to one end of the twelve fool whisker pole and stretch the foot of the sail along the pole. Then we roll it on the pole and secure it with a short bungee and shove it in the bag. It can easily be done on the boat. |
Paul David
Melbourne Australia
Boat Name: Reflections
Model/Year: 1986
Hull No. 13369
Hailing Port: Melbourne Australia |
05/30/2004 11:22 PM Pacific Time
Al - Your approach sounds sensible, as flaking is a lot of trouble while under way back to the dock. All this points to a vote against mast gates
Paul |
Glenn Warner
Jacksonville Florida
Boat Name: Goblin/JuJu
Model/Year: 1981/1972
Hull No. 10369/1222
Hailing Port: Jacksonville Florida |
05/31/2004 3:11 AM Pacific Time
Dick told me about rolling the head sail on the whisker pole when we met at the Mid Winters. We have been doing it that way sinse then. It is very quick and easy and prevents accidentally folding a rolled sail when moving it around.
Glenn |
Jim Witt
Winters, CA
Boat Name: Sea Ya
Model/Year: Cat 22 ' 1974
Hull No.
Hailing Port: Lake Berryessa |
06/09/2004 12:33 PM Pacific Time
Crisp Main Sail - I have an original 1974 sail and it seems to be increasinly brittle or crisp. I was told the sail might just be dirty. Any ideas? |
