Thread: Sailmaking 101 for Goat Island Skiff, Beth

Originally Posted by warm beer

Will do! I have an idea for mounting the camera on top of a homemade PVC spar buoy. Testing the buoyancy in a pool first!

Do you mean, put the camera on the buoy and sail all around it? That sounds like great idea! Maybe mount a directional beacon so you can tell from the boat how the shutter is oriented.

I'm sure once you sort out the best reefing set-up you'll have even better results. I love the detail pics and can't wait to see the full lug spread out.

I think the jury is in: if you can operate a sewing machine (which is not really rocket science), you should certainly consider stitching your own sail!

I am just about to rush to the airport to fly back to Sydney. The photos look excellent - look forward to more pics.

And even a first tryout of a new sail can be an adventure when you have made everything yourself!!!

One racing hint is always tack when you are on top of a wave. Then usually the next wave will turn the bow around even more because it will present at the right angle.

MIK

Yeah, that's the camera idea. Toss it in, hope it doesn't sink, and sail around it. Some close passes, like when they film surfers from in the water. It would be fun to deploy out in the ocean. For the harbor, I might just break some rules and lash the camera to one of the "no wake" buoys.

Mik, I thought it was "tack on top of a rock", and if your lucky, the next rock might push the bow around. Have a great trip.

Here's a fuzzy shot, but it shows the whole sail in first reef configuration. You can see that I read the instructions on trimming the bottom of the reef patches to be parallel with the reef line after I had already sewed them on! No damage done, just esthetics.

I think I need more peak outhaul tension, and a bunch of reef cords. I can't wait until next weekend

DSCN2830.jpg

All,
How much of what's discussed here and in the Lugs'l chronicles is relevant to constructing the basic Sailrite kit? Does the kit come pre-cut and ready to sew?

Can anyone comment on the greatest number of layers of sailcloth one would need to sew through on the Sailrite kit? We've got a pretty standard modern machine (Singer 6199 Brilliance) and I don't know how to judge whether it and I are up to the task of constructing a sail.

Thanks!
-W

The first comment I want to make it DO IT DO IT DO IT. (one comment, repeated three times maybe?)

Originally Posted by wesesque

All,
How much of what's discussed here and in the Lugs'l chronicles is relevant to constructing the basic Sailrite kit?

The techniques are all applicable because we're talking about the same cloth type and weight and the same final sail plan. I'm guessing my homemade sail (featured in the Lugs'l Chronicles thread) is closer in design to the basic Sailrite kit than Warmbeer's Sailrite kit is, as far as how many overlapping layers there are in what locations. But I did make my own decisions on details such as how to add strength to the luff, what size and shape to make the corner reinforcements, how much overlap in the seams, and--most significantly--how those seams were shaped to create draft in the sail.

Does the kit come pre-cut and ready to sew?

By all accounts, yes. They do the technically difficult work for you and leave the cumbersome labor to you.

Can anyone comment on the greatest number of layers of sailcloth one would need to sew through on the Sailrite kit? We've got a pretty standard modern machine (Singer 6199 Brilliance) and I don't know how to judge whether it and I are up to the task of constructing a sail.

My luff tape is double folded, which creates four layers of cloth. At the either end of my luff, I have: 1 (the sail) + 4 (luff tape) + 3 (corner reinforcements) + 2 (overlapping edge tape from the foot/head) for a total of 10 layers of cloth. There might even be a point where a panel seam doubles the "sail" count to 2 for a total of 11, by I'm not sure if that actually occurs.

My machine is a Husqvarna, which was/is a step up from what's readily sold in the average retail department store. That may or may not mean it was capable of punching through more than the average. I was on the hairy edge of its abilities and found that a thinner needle helped (don't ask what size, I've deleted that memory). It did mean that I had the right type of stitch available (what I've called triple-zig).

My recommendation is to buy a sample swath or two or five from Sailrite at $1 each. Then have a go at stitching through multiple layers. You might also splurge for the correct thread. I like Warmbeer's tip about soaping the needle, enough so that I'll repeat it here. The use of double sided basting tape is essential, but it makes sewing tougher due to the glue.

Thanks!
-W

Welcome aboard...

"Yeah, that's the camera idea. Toss it in, hope it doesn't sink, and sail around it. Some close passes, like when they film surfers from in the water. It would be fun to deploy out in the ocean. For the harbor, I might just break some rules and lash the camera to one of the "no wake" buoys."

I have been toying with the idea of a camera buoy also. PVC pipe about 3' long, weighted at the bottom to dampen wave movement. Adjustable float ring that will raise and lower camera. On top of PVC pipe is a fixed wind vane that always points into the wind, but there is an adjustable pointer that shows the viewing direction of the camera. Since the fixed wind vane always points into the wind and "shutter pointer" shows the direction of camera you should be able to do some "fly-byes" at the correct angles.

Another version has the camera on top and the wind vanes below the camera. It makes it harder to see from a distance but keeps the vanes down low so the wind does not knock the camera over in the gusts.

There might be a small sea anchor needed to keep it from drifting too quickly and a 3' floating retrieval line for recovering the unit.

It's just an idea banging around in my head right now.

These are cool concepts. My lake is busy enough that I'd want a high visibility marker/flag of some sort. It would probably make the fly bys easier too.


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Speaking of visibility, I'm going to add a window to my sail. Sailrite has a video, and Jeff recommended plastipane 20 gauge. Next time out I'm going to mark the exact position I need, but here is a rough layout.
sail with window.jpg
My daughter took some nice pictures of the sail in motion, and I uploaded thme to the facebook site. Here are a couple of my favorites:
DSCN2895.jpgDSCN2883.jpgDSCN2884.jpg
I needed to tweak the setup a bit - added more peak outhaul pressure, and shifted my yard block attachment point to 55" from the throat. Much better.

That's a really cool looking sail! It looks bigger than standard, is it? Although it looks to pulled to the top it looks lower to the deck, which I like. Normally I can see under my sail, but you definitely need a window there bro!

Where I sail, i don't think I could cope with that much power

Fantastic lug sail. One of the best looking lug sails I have ever seen. Huge congratulations.

Here's how I ensure my sail is set for maximum power and windward performance.

Luff gently to windward and see where the sail luffs first. Exactly which bit of the sail lifts first.

The place you want to luff first is the throat area, that triangle between yard and luff.

If it's the yard then ease the tension in the yard by easing the outhaul at the head.

If its the luff then more downhaul.

You separate the two by having the throat clew fixed in position to an eye so that all the downhaul tension doesn't create too much tension in the head.



Your sail looks so good I guess you must know all this anyway.




Very well done.

Brian

Thanks Bruce and Brian!
Yes, the sail is bigger. Not just the extra foot rounding, but taller in that the boom is noticeably lower even with the sail hauled up all the way. If I'm sitting on the rail, with my tiller extension at max, I have to point up and duck under to see if anyone is coming. Need that window! I shifted the yard attachment up a bit to 55" from the throat, and shortened my bleater length to get the clew higher, tightened the peak outhaul, and snugged up my throat lashing to keep it closer to the yard. That got rid of the the clew to yard lashing girt.
What I have noticed:
*fifteen knots sustained with first reef was perfect for sailing by myself. plenty of speed and power
*ten knots gusting to twelve unreefed by myself was also no problem. I can sheet this sail closer, and flatten it more using extra sheeting pressure. My old sail had a tendency to pump when getting overpowered pointing. It would fill, then dump, fill then dump, which was annoying. This new sail doesn't seem to have that issue.
*no upper leech flutter
*sets differently when pointing, so I'm learning to trust the leech tales. With the sail to leeward of the mast, the leading two feet are flatter. I still need to sheet it out a smidge maximize boat speed, but I like it better. With the sail to the windward of the mast, the two feet just aft of the mast looks like it isn't as full, but if I ignore that, and sail the leech tales it performs really well. The leech tales are all setting at the same time.
* I'm trying to figure out how to read the first luff. Thanks for the tips Brian. The break points and areas are totally different than my old sail, so I haven't got this down yet.

BTW, my wife just found my new calendar. She loves it! Thanks Mik! She really likes Christophe's picture in that cut between the rocks.

A bit off topic, but the other day sailing I had a funny thing happen. We were tacking up a narrow area of the bay against the tide in about 4 knots of wind. I'm on starboard and about to cross in front of another boat on port. A lightning is coming wing and wing the other way and calls "starboard" on me! Reacting, I bore off and went behind the port pointing boat, to create sea room. Then I thought, "what the heck?", I had the right of way, that couple in the lightning could have just taken my stern with plenty of room, as the shore was a good 200 feet away and there were no other boats or obstructions ... and I gave up at least fifty feet of upwind into the tide sailing. Pfshee!

Originally Posted by warm beer

A bit off topic, but the other day sailing I had a funny thing happen. We were tacking up a narrow area of the bay against the tide in about 4 knots of wind. I'm on starboard and about to cross in front of another boat on port. A lightning is coming wing and wing the other way and calls "starboard" on me! Reacting, I bore off and went behind the port pointing boat, to create sea room. Then I thought, "what the heck?", I had the right of way, that couple in the lightning could have just taken my stern with plenty of room, as the shore was a good 200 feet away and there were no other boats or obstructions ... and I gave up at least fifty feet of upwind into the tide sailing. Pfshee!

Hehe, there are idiots everywhere. You did the right thing to avoid a collision.

Originally Posted by engblom

We want videos of you sailing with your new sail!

As it's a yard shot, it doesn't show the sail much, other than that there is no flutter! I really like the new sail. Depowers nicely under increased outhaul.

Brian, I checked, and yes it breaks first in the throat triangle on both tacks, thanks for the tip.


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