Headsail Chaffing on Lifelines and Pulpit?

[matt2]

My headsail (on a furler) rubs on the pupit and lifelines. The pulpit is quite high so If I had the headsail recut to fly above the pultpit it would be a bit too high.

I have wrapped the lines with tape where they join the pulpit to reduce the sharp joins from rubbing on the sail, but the sail will sill where if it is held in that position for prolonged time.

Any suggestions?

[pvanv1]

We use shroud roller wheels on the lifelines.

[tommays]

If it rubs in the same area on both tacks then i would have some patches sewn in like the ones a lot of main sails have were they rub on the spreaders

[killarney_sailor]

I had a similar pattern, in particular after I started using non-coated wire lifelines. I had my sailmaker sew on leather chafe patches along the foot of the sail for a couple of feet. Did not interfere with furling and solved the problem.

[blt2ski]

On my race carbon genoa, I have a peel on/off coating you can put where the chaffe places are. Yes it wears, but it is lighter than leather as mentioned. For my use it is great, for a strict cruiser, maybe not, but easy to put on and off!

Marty

[matt2]

Originally Posted by blt2ski

On my race carbon genoa, I have a peel on/off coating you can put where the chaffe places are. Yes it wears, but it is lighter than leather as mentioned. For my use it is great, for a strict cruiser, maybe not, but easy to put on and off!

Marty

Some great suggestions, thanks guys.

Rollers
Leather patches
removeable patches - do these use velcro?

Its been bugging me for a while but having only done relatively short trips and having many other more major issues to deal with, I hadn't figured a solution.

[blt2ski]

The items I am talking about are not held on with velcro. it is the actual covering some sailmakers will put on carbon/mylar race sails to give them a bit more life. Taffeta as my brain kicks in! You put it on like you would tape or stick on vinyl lettering, and remove if need be, or add some more. A lot lighter than leather, more flexible etc. IMHO, the BEST and only option of the three given so far.

You could also put some rigging tape on the area's of the lifelines etc that are chaffing too, that might help along with the taffeta.

Another thing you might do, I'll take some pics tomorrow and post. Up at the pulpit, I took both life lines and attached them on the deck, as far forward as I could go, this keeps the jib when running from folding over the lifelines, keeping the chaffing to a minimum too, along with better sail shape!

marty