Sail Repair Recommendations Needed

[nk235]

Originally Posted by sailingdog

I do the same thing... but you have to remember to put a few extra turns on the furling drum so you can do this. Also, I highly recommend leaving a few wraps on the drum, since some of the drums can split if the loads get too high on it and there aren't at least a couple warps of the furling line on it.

The reason I put the sail ties on the sail is if the furling line breaks or comes loose... it prevents the sail from unfurling. It's a bit overkill for normal weather, but if I'm going to be leaving the boat for more than a few days or if heavy weather is expected, I'll do it. The sail tie will also go around the genoa sheets that are wrapped around the sail, so they can't come undone.

Yeah I make sure there is extra line on the furling drum. Ok so the sail ties are in case the lines break....make sense and I like the extra peace of mind.

[sailingdog]

Paranoia is never a bad thing when dealing with New Englad weather...

Originally Posted by nk235

Yeah I make sure there is extra line on the furling drum. Ok so the sail ties are in case the lines break....make sense and I like the extra peace of mind.

[svHyLyte]

In high winds, the loads imparted to the sheets can be enough to cause a drum to unfurl if the furling line lets go or chafes through. Particularly so if they flog about. Most drums have one or more holes at the base that allow one to drop a locking pin or bolt through (tie a strip of red spinnaker cloth to the top of the bolt to remind oneself it is in place). Short of that, pulling the sheets forward and tiying them to the bottom of the sail with a couple of wraps of a sail tie will keep things tidy.

FWIW...

PS: We have used Sailcare but for simply sewing up a couple of seams and repairing a UV cover, the local North loft is sufficient and a heck of a lot faster!

[montenido]

Hi all, thanks for the additional information. To answer one question, I don't think that I had secured my headsail sheets back to the cabin. So the furling line was secured, but not the sheets. This must have allowed the sail to unwind a bit and flog itself to death. SD, good suggestion about the sail tie. I did actually have a bungee around the furled sail, but it was not up to the task. I will continue to wrap the sail tightly and secure the lines to the cockpit. That is more than I was doing before

I get my sail back this week sometime, I can't wait. There is quite a difference between the 110% that I am using now and the 150% that is being repaired. On the plus side, I have sailed four times in 1 1/2 weeks.

Thanks again for the great info.

Bill

[sailingdog]

The headsail sheets should make at least two wraps around the headsail when it is properly furled. This will greatly reduce the chances of it flogging, but the sheets also have to be cleated off properly—and using a self-tailing winch is not cleating them off properly, since the wind could possibly blow the line out of the self-tailer.

Originally Posted by montenido

Hi all, thanks for the additional information. To answer one question, I don't think that I had secured my headsail sheets back to the cabin. So the furling line was secured, but not the sheets. This must have allowed the sail to unwind a bit and flog itself to death. SD, good suggestion about the sail tie. I did actually have a bungee around the furled sail, but it was not up to the task. I will continue to wrap the sail tightly and secure the lines to the cockpit. That is more than I was doing before

I get my sail back this week sometime, I can't wait. There is quite a difference between the 110% that I am using now and the 150% that is being repaired. On the plus side, I have sailed four times in 1 1/2 weeks.

Thanks again for the great info.

Bill