FreedomYachts.org

My main on my F38 is blown out and needs replacing. I am considering getting a squaretop but I am concerned about removing the top batten or attaching the headboard when handling the sail. The anomaly headboard system looks great but it is too expensive for my budget. For those of you that have experience with squaretops how do you deal with the gaff batten/headboard situation?
Thanks,
Michael Belanich
Dolcetto, F38 #65

I also looked at the Anomaly headboard and decided that the price must be anomaly. I have a simple solution I used on my F38 at first and now on the F45.
In normal Bermuda sail the headboard is fixed on the top slider or car. I now have just a shackle made on the headboard and run the halyard through the shackle before
attatching to the headboard. Works fine all these years so far.

Hi Hans,
Thanks for the reply. Seems like a simple (and inexpensive) solution. I assume the halyard goes through a shackle ("D" shackle?) fixed to the headboard car on the mast track and then it is attached to the headboard with a shackle at the end of the halyard.
Michael Belanich
Dolcetto, F38 #65

pic of setup (not my boat)
happy sailing
Jim D

I have had square top sails for four years. The look is distinctive.

We pull the top battens when we drop the sails. The shark fin if we dont leaves unwanted sail area.
The square top as cut decreases twist and encoueages unwanted gybes.
Doyle advised us that a full roach main will give us equal performance and less hassle.
Probably dumping square tops soon.

'I assume the halyard goes through a shackle ("D" shackle?) fixed to the headboard car on the mast track and then it is attached to the headboard with a shackle at the end of the halyard.'.
Thats correct.
Indeed the square head diminishes ( a bit) the twist, although I can correct that easily with the boom downhaul which gives complete control over the twist.
With less twist and having the sail set according to the tell tales, which means correct flow over the complete leech, performance upwind is way better then used to be.

I do now also realize a major difference between the boom and wishbone rig. Just as with the camberspar, the wishbone is not horizontal but goes upward, with the wishbone to the mast, the camberspar to the forestay, creating a triangle in the lower part of the sail. preventing the end of he boom/ spar going up, so having little twist when reaching or wing on wing but also little opportunity to control twist as being wished for. Which I presume makes the difference in unwanted gybes. I never had one with Scherezade.