[Public-List] [Public-list] Bilge (main sail shape)

Gordon Laco mainstay at csolve.net
Tue Feb 24 11:35:24 PST 2009 

I still dream sometimes of the way that place smelled when I opened it up on
Saturday mornings.  That was the day of the week when I was the first guy
in... It was my work place, and the usual tensions and pressures occurred
there, but I loved it.

One time I thought I was alone and put an Emerson Lake & Palmer tape in the
PA system and cranked it up.  "Lucky Man" was booming through the building
while I worked.  Then the song ended and I heard a quiet voice say 'Good
morning Gordon'.  It was old H.M.Swartze, the owner of the company and
long-time friend of the original Tom Taylor.  HM was amused that I was
embarrassed at having basically blown him out of his office upstairs with
the electronic music...  We talked for a long time; he was a real gentleman.

A few years ago I walked around the building Tom Taylor Co. was in and went
in the Japanese restaurant now in one corner of the first floor.  I went in
and when they brought me the menu I said to the waitress "did you know that
where we are right now was once the reception area of the offices of what
was North America's largest marine outfitting company?  She said no, and
asked me if I wanted to hear what the specials were.





On 2/24/09 2:10 PM, "John Birch" <Sunstone at cogeco.ca> wrote:

> Hi Gord
> 
> I never had an opportunity to meet you uncle, if he was anything like you
> (which I imagine he was) he must have been a great guy. Thanks for sharing
> your story
> 
> That Taylor loft was a wonderful period of time with an fantastic talent
> pool that would go out later to many individual success's
> 
> Un petit monde non ? !
> 
> ATB
> 
> John
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Gordon Laco" <mainstay at csolve.net>
> To: "Alberg 30 Public List -- open to all" <public-list at lists.alberg30.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, February 24, 2009 2:06 PM
> Subject: Re: [Public-List] [Public-list] Bilge (main sail shape)
> 
> 
>> Thanks for the wonderful story about Joe - we miss him too.  When he
>> worked
>> at Tom Taylor Co my uncle was the manager of the rigging shop there.  My
>> uncle passed away many years ago but I was very proud that I was the last
>> rigger at Taylor's, working with my uncle's tools  and very much aware of
>> his legacy.  Joe was a great guy and I also enjoy running into people who
>> remember Conny Costas, my uncle.
>> 
>> G
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> On 2/24/09 1:53 PM, "John Birch" <Sunstone at cogeco.ca> wrote:
>> 
>>> Hi Gord
>>> 
>>> When my first main was built in 95 I was woefully unhappy with it, Joe
>>> had
>>> used the more modern style with deep shelf - it was way over powered with
>>> far too much shelf. If you look at an OEM Taylor Main (A Fernandez built
>>> by
>>> the way - he used to work for Tom Taylor) you will notice it was fairly
>>> flat
>>> and little shelf.
>>> 
>>> He took the main back and built a new one and asked me to come down a
>>> help
>>> him loft it - what an opportunity to lean from a master
>>> 
>>> I told him the end results I wanted to see and then he redesigned the
>>> sail
>>> to accommodate
>>> 
>>> It was a wonderful opportunity for me to learn and I helped save on the
>>> labour costs - a great synergy
>>> 
>>> I also learned to never complain about the cost of a sail, the labour is
>>> unbelievable - 3 days building to make a sail
>>> 
>>> He used the best cloth and did the two ply leach for the last 2 or so
>>> feet
>>> (7.5 oz x 2 = 15oz at the leach, where most sails fail - this won't, the
>>> sun
>>> will eventually eat it)
>>> 
>>> Joe was a wonderful person and honourable business man and his son has
>>> inherited those traits
>>> 
>>> He used to thank me each and every time I came over because I spread the
>>> word about him and he claimed I got him lots of new business, often from
>>> folks we whooped on the race course
>>> 
>>> When you buy a Triton made sail you are really buying a big bag of
>>> whoop-ass
>>> ; )
>>> 
>>> I miss him dreadfully - he was a wonderful human being
>>> 
>>> His son, as I said, has inherited those traits
>>> 
>>> Only good things
>>> 
>>> John
>>> 
>>> 
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Gordon Laco" <mainstay at csolve.net>
>>> To: "Alberg 30 Public List -- open to all"
>>> <public-list at lists.alberg30.org>
>>> Sent: Tuesday, February 24, 2009 1:43 PM
>>> Subject: Re: [Public-List] [Public-list] Bilge (main sail shape)
>>> 
>>> 
>>>> Well I am pleased to stand corrected... Particularly since my last and
>>>> persistant complaint about SURPRISE's performance is that I can't get
>>>> her
>>>> to
>>>> point.
>>>> 
>>>> Gord
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> On 2/24/09 1:32 PM, "John Birch" <Sunstone at cogeco.ca> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>>> Hi Gord,
>>>>> 
>>>>> I would respectfully disagree about roach, get as much as you can
>>>>> without
>>>>> hitting the backs stay (too hard; )
>>>>> 
>>>>> Counter the weather helm issue by having the main built fairly flat
>>>>> with
>>>>> minimal shelf
>>>>> 
>>>>> I think if I remember correctly I only have about 2 1/2 - 3 inches
>>>>> shelf
>>>>> compared to the average new style main built with 5-7 inches of shelf
>>>>> 
>>>>> As a result Sunstone points like the dickens and the helm is less
>>>>> Weatherly.
>>>>> When I need to depower the helm I drop the traveler and flatten the
>>>>> main
>>>>> further with the out hall
>>>>> 
>>>>> We won a lot of races against fin keelers pointing virtually as well as
>>>>> they.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Sunstone walks and rocks to weather and it is a great sail
>>>>> 
>>>>> Also, we have as much main foot as legal.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Roach is good, shelf is baaaaaaaaaaaaaaad.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Respectfully yours
>>>>> 
>>>>> JB
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>>> From: "Gordon Laco" <mainstay at csolve.net>
>>>>> To: "Alberg 30 Public List -- open to all"
>>>>> <public-list at lists.alberg30.org>
>>>>> Sent: Tuesday, February 24, 2009 1:32 PM
>>>>> Subject: Re: [Public-List] [Public-list] Bilge
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>>> Hi Pete -
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> I have a little bit of a predjudice against the big franchise lofts
>>>>>> unless
>>>>>> a
>>>>>> particular operation has people in it who have sympathy for heavy
>>>>>> traditional boats and have insights into what they need.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> I heard about an A30 main where the sailmaker, who did not have
>>>>>> sympathy
>>>>>> or
>>>>>> respect for older designs, assumed that the only way to go was to
>>>>>> boost
>>>>>> area
>>>>>> and talked the fellow into a main with a big roach.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Well of course the A30 is sensitive to increase in power aft of the
>>>>>> mast -
>>>>>> it wrecks the steering and increases heeling to no good effect.  What
>>>>>> the
>>>>>> poor guy ended up with was a bigger more powerful new main that
>>>>>> retained
>>>>>> for
>>>>>> him all the handling problems of the old blown out one. (but it was
>>>>>> new
>>>>>> and
>>>>>> crispy)
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> I would recommend Joe Fernades son Ron, who carries on the family
>>>>>> business
>>>>>> since we lost Joe in '02.  If you write to me off list I can give you
>>>>>> his
>>>>>> contact co-ordinates.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Cheers - Gord #426
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
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