Does anyone out there have a supplier recomendation for a new launch tube for my F25?
I got a quote of $390 from Haarstick sails, but it sounds to me like they are still using the original design from the '80s. I was wandering if anyone has come up with a better design idea since then.
what do u mean by launch tube?
kite bag
fiberglass mouth which attaches to pulpit
gun mount tube
I am referring to the fabric bag the spinnaker stores in and launches from. My boat does not have the plastic launch tube section that fastens to the pulpit on older F25s. There is only the nylon bag that attaches directly to the pulpit.
I just took my original nylon bag to a local sailmaker, asked him to reproduce it using sunbrella, and add a door closed with zippers to the openings at each end. It attaches to the pulpit with flaps that close around the steel tubes with button fasteners. I leave it rigged on the boat with the chute inside almost all the time, hanging from the lifeline with straps to keep it drier (there are cringles for drainage along the bottom also). For sailing, I drop it to the deck for better visibility. After 4 years, the kite remains in great condition. The convenience of having it ready to go every time you go out has been terrific.
There is a design on the Freedom21 site http://freedom21.info/dousingsleeve.htm.
You may need to increase the length a bit for a F25 (compare specs for F21 spinnaker vs. F25).
$390 seems a bit high to me. I paid less than $100 for a replacement for my F21 three years ago.
Haarstick has updated the design a little–they use sunbrella instead of nylon now.