double surface dacron weight

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BriSail
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu May 22, 2014 9:06 am

double surface dacron weight

Post by BriSail »

I am considering reducing the gauge of my main and mizz'n on F-33 wrap around sails. Has anyone tried this? Please no "theorists" or "conjecture". I have plenty of that myself and from Freedom's original NA, including free body diagrams and calculations. I'm really hoping to hear from someone who's actually achieved, or attempted to reduce this to practice with lighter cloth weight.
thanks in advance !

Goose13
Posts: 77
Joined: Tue Aug 19, 2014 7:18 pm

Re: double surface dacron weight

Post by Goose13 »

Did u get new sails with lighter fabric?? I'm getting new sails in the next year and very curious about the wrap arounds since I have a F33 CK with wishbone booms.
Doug and Marie
Millennnium Falcon F33 CK cb #4
1980 wish bone booms Electric Drive

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Castaway
Posts: 286
Joined: Sat Dec 13, 2008 8:40 pm
Location: Lerwick, Shetland Isles

Re: double surface dacron weight

Post by Castaway »

I have successfully cut down the weight of the sails by having a zipped pocket around the mast and single ply aft of the first 2 metres. It works well, can easily be reefed and has about 2/3rds of the weight, even with the zip. The cloth is a little lighter than the previous sails (not original). They were very heavy and also somewhat baggy, having been raced across the Atlantic a number of times. I used the same headboards on the new sails, of a style known as "GT" in the UK, which gave a larger sail area.

The zipped pockets have weathered being reefed in gale force winds, without problems, and show no sign of damage after six seasons' use.

What weight of fabric do your present sails have?

Regards,

Gerald Freshwater
Gerald Freshwater,
s/y 'Castaway', (UK F35 cat ketch, centreboard, 1987)
Lerwick Boating Club
Shetland Isles, Scotland

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