[Public-List] Main sail modification?

[George Dinwiddie]

Bruno & Elyse,

I'm no expert on sails or blue-water cruising, but I have a couple 
thoughts to offer.

On 10/31/10 2:09 PM, elyse.pastor at sympatico.ca wrote:
>
> Our main sail is fairly old but in reasonable good shape. In 2009, we
> modified it to have 4 full battens as well as the "STRONG" sail track
> - a modification we really liked (black-type of plastic track
> attached to the mast).

How old is "fairly old?"

> What do we
> do for higher winds - a smaller Jib - something like an 80 or so
> (above wind of 20 - 25 kts)??

A working jib is nice to have, and can be sheeted to the inside tracks 
(if Heron still has them) for better pointing.  Mike Meinhold 
demonstrated the value of a "blade" working jib (tall and slender) on 
this year's Wild Goose Chase.

> We were considering to install a
> removable forestay? The mast has already the attachment for it (near
> the spreaders). All that would need to be done is the
> mounting/installation of the hull attachment (removable and
> installable) near the "DOLPHIN" Windlass.D.)

Are you sure that's not the attachment for the spinnaker pole lift?

> The main sail - we were
> thinking to modify it for another year and see how that would work.
> ?!? The problem (our feeling) we always had - at around 10kts we need
> the first reef. At about 15 - 20kts, we need the second reef. In most
> cases, we have a lot of "WINDWARD" pressure, forcing us to open the
> main sail quite a lot.

This sounds to me like the mainsail has quite a bit of belly.  Our old 
main was like that, and while excellent in light air, was a handful in 
normal to heavy wind.  I was amazed at the difference when we got a new 
main.

> Our modification idea is as follows:Remain the
> Actual Luff at 31ftModify (reduce) the Actual Foot from 14.2 5ft to
> 12.25ft
> Having read that Carl Albergs design was apparently changed to some
> extent by Kurt Hansen, we think that this modification would be
> beneficial. This would reduce the size from 220sqft to about 190sqft
> (reduction of 14%)??? This modification should be reasonably
> inexpensive and give us another season to experience the sailing of
> the A30. We also believe that it would not reduce the speed of the
> A30 in any way.

How much do you want to put into an old main?  Are you planning to use 
that old main for your Atlantic crossing?

  - George

-- 
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   When I remember bygone days                         George Dinwiddie
   I think how evening follows morn;            gdinwiddie at alberg30.org
   So many I loved were not yet dead,           http://www.Alberg30.org
   So many I love were not yet born.                          also see:
                'The Middle' by Ogden Nash     http://idiacomputing.com
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