Enjoying The New Sails on Mobile Bay (Video)

[FlyboyTR]

Over the winter (such as winter is here in L.A. ...Lower Alabama) we replaced our sails, added a new rudder, upgraded some of the running rigging and replaced the old two stroke outboard with a 9.9 Mercury with power tilt. I also added a remote start/stop switch. Anyway...

We are still learning what the boat needs for trim with the new sails. We are getting better at tuning the sails...but still have a long ways to go. This past Saturday we had winds in the 12-15 MPH range. With the main reefed to 50% and the 125 genoa reefed, we were still able to make 6.5 knots. There is still SO much to learn about sail trim and squeezing more performance out of our 26-S.

Three minute video of our last sail... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VN_SKBMuh_I

[sailboatmike]

Really nice, you were hooting along and once again proving the point that upright is fast with the reef in.

I saw the storm off in the backgtound and wondered when the reef would go in

[FlyboyTR]

Really nice, you were hooting along and once again proving the point that upright is fast with the reef in.

I saw the storm off in the backgtound and wondered when the reef would go in

Thanks, Mike,
We were about 1/2 knot faster with both sails reefed and a LOT less heel. We had been watching the thunderstorm both on radar and visually. Once it started growing and moving our way...it was time to reef and make ready. Based on observations...we would have been better to have reefed much earlier. Again...still learning all this sailboat stuff! Thanks again!

[ris]

When we get down to LA on our loop trip maybe we can get together. We are in northern Michagan at this time. Hope to see you'll.

[FlyboyTR]

When we get down to LA on our loop trip maybe we can get together. We are in northern Michagan at this time. Hope to see you'll.

By all means... Please let me know when you are starting on the great loop. We'll look forward to meeting you.

[Texlan]

FlyboyTR I noticed you had an interesting lazy jack arrangement -- care to share? I'm still trying to come up with a trailering-friendly lazy jack install for my S.

How well does it work for you now that you've used it "in anger" ?

Sean

[FlyboyTR]

FlyboyTR I noticed you had an interesting lazy jack arrangement -- care to share? I'm still trying to come up with a trailering-friendly lazy jack install for my S.

How well does it work for you now that you've used it "in anger" ?

Sean

Texlan,
Don't quite understand the "used it in anger" statement; but...when the sails are laying all over the deck...that is enough to make one angry! I needed something quick and easy to help keep the sails contained. It is truly a temporary measure...but it does work quite well. I am getting close to building a sail-pack that will clean everything up and provide even more convenience and protection.

For this quickie lazy jack system, I used 1/8" cord from the hardware store (nothing special...since it carries no load). I threw it over the spreader, mad a slip knot and pulled it tight on the spreader; close the the mast. I repeated it for the other side. I sort of just eyeballed where I thought they should end (length) and then tied on a small block on each side (a simple thimble would have also worked). I installed a couple of padeyes on the bottom of the boom that gave me four tie/off/loop points under the boom. Each side is independent of each other and the lines do not cross sides (but they share the padeyes)...again this was done to be quick and easy. I have attached a crude drawing that shows how the lines were ran (they actually go through the block in both directions...so another reason why a thimble would have worked). I ran the lines for each side of the boom. Each line is tied off near the mast and then at the most aft padeye. I keep is loose enough that it doesn't effect sail shape, but still collects the sail when we drop it.

To remove it... untie the line at the aft padeye and just unthread the line. Done. It takes me about 3 minutes to lace both jack lines in place and secure them...since the length is precut... not guessing. Just tie a simple bowline an the deed is done. Again...this was just a quick temporary lazy jack system that I spent about 30 minutes designing and installing...but it works! I will be much happier when I get the sail-pack built and installed. Hope this helps.

[Texlan]

By anger, I mean on the water in the real as opposed to on the trailer in the test.

I eventually want to build a sailpack/lazy jack combo but haven't sprung for the sewing machine yet. Since we just do long weekends at the lake at this point I'm just looking for a quick and easy to rig solution, and yours has a certain charm to it, thanks for sharing!

[FlyboyTR]

By anger, I mean on the water in the real as opposed to on the trailer in the test.

I eventually want to build a sailpack/lazy jack combo but haven't sprung for the sewing machine yet. Since we just do long weekends at the lake at this point I'm just looking for a quick and easy to rig solution, and yours has a certain charm to it, thanks for sharing!

LOL....It is amazing how different thing work in the "real" environment! We have a Juki commercial sewing machine...but honestly...many of the older kenmore sewing machines will work...just a bit slow on the really thick stuff. The older ones that have the external motors (sitting on the back of the machine itself) seem to be the better of the bunch. Can be found on Craigslist for cheap!

Glad you like the lazy jack. It is about as simplistic as it gets. Don't even worry about blocks or thimbles...just tie a loop in the lines and do it as cheaply as possible. After you use it a few times...you will be able to see exactly what you need to do to build a nice one...and a lot of that would/could tie in directly with your sail pack.

[Judy B]

<<snipped>> We have a Juki commercial sewing machine...but honestly...many of the older kenmore sewing machines will work...just a bit slow on the really thick stuff. The older ones that have the external motors (sitting on the back of the machine itself) seem to be the better of the bunch. Can be found on Craigslist for cheap!<<snipped>>

I have owned and loved those old Jukis. Back in the 1970's I bought some used and one brand new one. I still regret the day I sold them all. I used to have a couple of triple feed sewing machines in my shop - (walking-foot /needle-feed/ drop-feed.) I also had some old Singer machines used for sewing leather shoes and boots. They were all work horses - they could stitch through 1/4 inch of leather or canvas without dropping a stitch or breaking a needle. Beautiful even stitching. Nowadays, it would cost me about 5,000 to buy used ones in working condition (just the heads).

I don't recommend doing canvas work with home sewing machines. Most/many sewing machines built in the past 40 years have plastic cams inside, and they can't handle the loads. The plastic cams will break. I blew up a fancy Necchi 20 years ago working on a boat cover.

Pre-1960's machines were all metal. Old home sewing machines with all metal parts can handle some pretty heavy work. They are limited by the fact that the only feed is the bottom plate. Top layers of fabric have a tendency to slide alot. You can staple layers together and use "seam stick" to keep thing aligned.

I have an 1950's slant needle Singer that's been in my family since it was new. It can *almost* handle boat covers and sailcovers. -- it breaks a lot of needles, which is a royal pain, and it skips stiches when transitioning from two to several layers, but the cams inside are still going strong and there's no slop in the hoook. I can still get parts for it. It does a beautiful job on medium weight fabrics, but not as an industrial machine on 9 oz sunbrella .

[sailboatmike]

Yay I have found something thats cheaper in Australia

I have been chasing a sewing machine for a few weeks, old Juki industrials I can get for around $500, and a walking foot second hand for about $1500.

Sailrite do nice walking foot machines for around $800US and there was a mob in Canada that sells a machine that looked the same as a sailrite for about $400, no good to me though as it only had 110volt motor.

New Canvas for Macs here are stupid expensive, $560Au ($425us) just for the sail cover BWY sells them for $219Us, so just on double what you pay there, there is a manufacturer in Australia that makes the same material as Sunbrella, its 2meters wide and costs $24 per linear meter

The Genoa cover is another high on the list so I dont have to use the UV on the leech and help sail shape, Australian Price $460Au (350Us) BWY Price $189Us ($250Au)

As you can see we get well hooked into by our local dealers, so DIY is the best option, might even make up a couple of spares to sell and recoup the cost of the machine

[FlyboyTR]

Yay I have found something thats cheaper in Australia

I have been chasing a sewing machine for a few weeks, old Juki industrials I can get for around $500, and a walking foot second hand for about $1500.

As you can see we get well hooked into by our local dealers, so DIY is the best option, might even make up a couple of spares to sell and recoup the cost of the machine

Mike, Yes... I agree that in many options DIY is the best option. I have now built a sail pack for our new mainsail. Love it! I have a lot people around me that are wanting me to build one for them... I can't finish my own projects...much less build something for someone else! LOL