[fletcher01]

We bought a nice Bristol 31.1 K/CB last season and it came equipped with an older standard main and about a 135 roller jib. The combo drives the boat nicely in light air, and the jib alone does well when it gets breezy. But I'd like to be able to use both main and jib, reefing either one depending on conditions. The main can't be flattened out too well, despite judicious use of the outhaul. I would imagine its due to its age and wear.
Is it possible to: 1. Add a foam luff to the jib to improve its shape when partially reefed. 2. Re-cut the old Main to flatten it our a bit.
Or should I just bight the bullet and have a new main built?

 

[capta]

I've found quite often recutting a sail can be nearly as costly as a new sail, but you still end up with the same old cloth.

 

[GlanRock]

We found the same as capta, that the cost of re-working sails was 50%+ of what a shiny new sail would cost. So we went that route and will hold the old one for secondary uses.

 

[PhilCarlson]

+1 for new. At least half of your cost for new will be labor. Mostly labor for re-working.

 

[SchockT]

Of course new sails will always be nicer, but whether the sail is worth a recut really depends on the condition of the cloth. There are inexpensive things a sailmaker can do to a sail that will give it more life. For example it is not uncommon for luff rope, (and foot rope if you have it) to shrink. That prevents you from getting enough halyard tension and outhaul tension. It is a simple matter to unstitch the rope and ease it off.

My main was too full, and I had the sailmaker convert it to full batten. It is still not perfect, but drastically improved, and cost a fraction of what a new sail costs.

Take the sail to a sailmaker and have it checked out. They can tell a lot about a sail by simply stretching it out on the floor.

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[Minnewaska]

My main was too full

Had a buddy, with a battenless furling main, have surgery done to remove the stretched draft. He was having trouble furling. I thought that particular repair was nearly worthless. He could furl reliably, but couldn't sail worth a darn. Brand new sails the following year. I think he was being cheap the first go around.

 

[MarkofSeaLife]

Does your main have a Cunningham Eye?
If not you can make one, usually, by tying off the lowest main track slug to the boom. This flattens the sail quite a lot.

 

[SchockT]

Had a buddy, with a battenless furling main, have surgery done to remove the stretched draft. He was having trouble furling. I thought that particular repair was nearly worthless. He could furl reliably, but couldn't sail worth a darn. Brand new sails the following year. I think he was being cheap the first go around.

Yeah furling mains are a different animal. I am talking about a classic main. Full battens was well worth the $500 the sailmaker charged me. A new main would cost me closer to $7000.

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