Sails Q & A

Hi, I often sail my C & C 30 shorthanded. The current sail inventory has a big honker symmetrical spinnaker. I would like to move to a crusing spinnaker and wondered about the viability of recutting the existing spinnaker. Is this possible or even recommended? Thanks, Dave

Tough question, Dave, which depends on the sail and what you are trying to do. My suggestion would be to visit your local sail maker and lay the sail out, and then see what he has to say. My guess is that the odds of turning it into a poleless sail are not good. - Steve

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Hi, I am about to order a flat - code 0 - asymetric set on a prodder for a Grainger 8m Trimara. What sheet angle should I go for? The few web pics I have seen for this have the sheet projecting to above half way of the luff, not half way - which would be correct for a genoa? I will have the block for the clew on an athwardship traveller, but there is no fore and aft adjustment. The sail angles are likely to be 80 - 40 aparent. Many thanks for your input, Simon

Hi Simon: That's a question you need to ask your sailmaker as it depends on the design of the code zero. Our own experience in the past has been to look for a lead which starts about 45% of the way up the luff (and down through the clew) as the aft sheet position and then have plenty of adjustment forward for deeper angles when the sheet needs to go towards the bow.

This will vary with wind strength as well as true wind angle and sail design. Good Luck - Steve

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Please excuse my ignorance; but in your article about full batten mainsail, what the heck is UHMW?

Tom - UHMW = ultra high molecular weight (plastic). You can get it from McMaster Carr and some sail supply companies. - Steve

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Steve,
I have your books and have asked you a few questions in the past which you have very kindly responded to. I have a Freedom 33 cat ketch (freestanding spars). The sail area of the full battened main is about 350 sq ft and the mizzen is is around 214. Both were cut too short (about 20" from the masthead and I'm planning to replace them soon for several reasons.

In talking to sailmakers and reading about laminates and triradial construction versus crosscut dacron, so far the feedback is that I can maximize the roach/sail area and performance with triradial construction and use a pentex laminate for about a 25% price increase over dacron. I would also save some weight.

The downsides beyond price are apparently longevity and potential mildew. Of course this is not a racing boat and it's not great to windward but I would like to increase windward performance if it would be noticeable. I'm wondering if you have any opinion for this size and type of boat on the trade-offs. Thanks, Alan

Hi Alan: Going to a properly roachy main will yield big performance and comfort dividends, as will having a full luff hoist. As far as the sail cloth trade-offs, this is hard to evaluate from afar. With larger boats there is really no choice if you want good sail shape and ease of handling. The high-modulus laminates are the answer.

But you are in the size range where there are other options. I would talk to two or three sailmakers and see what they tell you.

For whatever it is worth, we have used laminated sails for many years and not had any more problems with them than with single-ply Dacron. The only exception might be a bit of blackening from mildew, but this was never a huge aesthetic problem, and we were happy to put up with it for the increased performance. Good Luck - Steve

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We recently finished a circumnavigation and currently have our boat in Mexico for needed upgrades. We are looking at replacing the dodger as well as the bimini and main sail cover. I would like to know if their have been any advances in regards to fabric and materials.

Here's my question: With regard to dodger windows, I do not want to end up with the plastic that turns yellow after a couple of years. We early on had clear plastic that seemed to last long but it could not be rolled, which is fine. Do you know what this "clear plastic glass" is called and any sources to check into? We really would like to get good quality dodger windows that
will hold up and not turn yellow

Also, I would love to have white mainsail cover and bimini, but I am very nervous about the dirt and grime and keeping them clean. Are there any new (sunbrella type) fabrics that will be UV resistant as well as easy to wash and clean? - Cynthia

Hi Cynthia: Congratulations on the circumnavigation. Re awning and cover fabrics, we have been using Sunbrella in a light gray color for many years and it seems to be OK as far as cleanability goes. The fabric will get dirty and/or muddy colored, especially if it is raining after sitting around. However, a scrub brush and soapy water usually do the trick. Not sure about white. Probably works the same, but will show more. If the fabric gets oil or grease on it, I think that would be a problem.

Re window material, there are many grades. I don't recall the name of the good stuff, but there are materials which will give you five years. It is also possible to use thin polycarbonate and sew right through the edge, or drill and lace. Regards - Steve

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Hi Steve, I read your comments on the North Sail site regarding mainsail roach. Interesting. I know that for my own experience, a full-battened main with considerable roach (a couple of boats ago) improved performance noticeably, and also seemed to keep the boat on her lines in a range of wind angles and speeds.

I am curious about your thoughts on vertical battens for conventional in-mast furling systems.

I am talking specifically about my Hylas 54. It's a Frers design with a pretty modern underwater shape. I like the way she sails, but feel that the mainsail performance is marginal. I think I am going to change to a system that offers battens and some roach.

What do you think regarding in-boom vs. in-mast systems? In-boom seems to offer better disaster control if the system fails, and can offer full horizontal battens, but the in-mast systems now also offer increased roach and full battens (albeit up and down), and give greater sail shape and twist control with the outhaul. Any thoughts?? Regards, Rich

Hi Rich: I have never been offshore with in-the-mast or in-the-boom systems. However, from my investigations I would offer the following comments:

1-In-the-mast is more user friendly than in-the-boom.

2-In-the-boom allows more roach, and you do not pay the windage/weight aloft penalties of in-the-mast.

3-There has been a lot of development with vertical battens. Best to check with your sailmaker about how much roach you can add this way.

There is quite a bit of info on these subjects on the SetSail website and within our Offshore Cruising Encyclopedia. Regards - Steve

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Hello Everybody! I own a Hallberg Rassy 352 located in the Med, and I'd like to pose a question: Do you know a working solution to lower the main while sailing downwind? My sail has plastic tracks inside the mast. Fair Winds, Gennaro

Hi Gennaro: The best system is to have a "tag" line to the headboard of the mainsail. You can then pull this line down with a winch to force the main down. If you are just reefing, use a long luff tensioner to your reef tack point (or points) and winch this line down. Regards--Steve

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Hi Steve: We have a Spencer 44 centre cockpit, which is a full-keel relatively heavy displacement cutter rigged cruiser. We plan to head offshore next spring, and are heavy into the process of preparing and upgrading Our fully-battened main was in for repairs recently, and while the local sailmaker who worked on it felt it would last us for another couple of years, he also said it was probably the next sail we should replace. This got us to thinking that maybe we should bite the bullet and replace it now, rather than at some future and possibly less convenient time. In discussions on possible replacements, we were offered the option of going with a "cruising laminate" from Bainbridge (CL-90P), which we were told would improve sail shape and performance over a wide range of sail conditions...so far, so good. My question concerns any feedback you have, either directly or indirectly, concerning the longevity, UV resistance, chafe resistance, and general durability of laminate sails when used for long-range cruising in the tropics. I know cruisers in general are a relatively conservative bunch, and I guess I fall into the same category--ie, I don't want to be on the "bleeding edge". Nevertheless, I would like to take advantage of new technologies, especially if they translate into better boat speed, less heel, and faster passages. Any thoughts you could pass along would be appreciated. Thanks Mark

Hi Mark: We've been using laminated sails on our own boats for the past seven years. If you are concerned with performance and comfort, there is not really a choice as the laminates hold their shape really well--much better over the life of the sail than does Dacron. And I think the industry has learned to make laminates which last better. You might want to get a copy of Dan Neri's new book on the subject of sails, maintenance, etc. which goes into this subject in detail. Steve

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Hi Steve, In Surviving the Storm you suggest that yachts under 40 feet will find that they should set the trysail instead of a second reef when the wind gets into the upper 20-knot range. You also suggest that a small trysail is needed for really heavy air. Is this a contradiction? And can it be resolved by using a reefing trysail? I know Donald Street advocated this and I see that the Pardeys used a reefing trysail in their recent trip around the Horn. But apart from these two examples I've never seen reference to reefing trysails in any of the literature. What are the pros and cons of reefing trysails in your view? Love your books, David

Hi Dave: This is a difficult trade-off. Yes, you can reef a trysail, but in most cases you will have to do it before you set it as reefing the trysail after the wind forces you to do this would be difficult in most scenarios. The second problem is the wear and tear of the extra weight and hard spots caused bu the reef. They add weight, and make the trysail's life more difficult the 95% of the time they are not in use. My preference is to size the trysail for what it will be used for 95% of the time, and then drop it or the jib when conditions become too much for the full sized trysail. But picking the correct size for the trysail is a function of knowing your boat and the conditions in which it will be used. Now, as to the apparent contradiction you point out, there is going to be a range of conditions under which you are probably underpowered with the trysail. However, this can be mitigated with the size of the headsail being flown. The real issue is improving the life of the mainsail--hence my suggestion to use the trysail early in the wind regime, rather than late (and then balancing out the sail area needs with more sail area). Steve

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Steve I'm getting a new Beneteau Oceanis 473 early next year. I'm having a Dyneema inner forestay fitted with a tensioner for a storm jib. My questions are:
1) How big should it be? The Main is 43 sq m, The Genoa is 60 sq m, (J=5.51m, I= 16.40m, P=14.45m, e=5.21m). Is there a basic rule to follow?
2) I've had a suggestion that I should get a reefable working jib that I could use in intermediate (5-6?) conditions providing a better shape than a rolled Genoa, which would reef down to a storm jib size for heavier conditions. Is this a viable/sensible suggestion?
Thanks Nigel

Hi Nigel: There are no pat answers to storm jibs. It depends on conditions and where you sail. We have always carried two storm headsails. What is typically called a storm jib and then what we refer to as a hurricane jib for really severe conditions (this is usually about 60% of the size,and the same construction as the storm jib). I would suggest asking several local sail makers who have offshore experience (not coastal sailors) and who know what it is like when things get difficult. Regarding roller reefing your headsails, the loads are so tremendous in storm conditions and the risks to the boat so great if your RF gear goes astray, that it is better to have a dedicated storm jib or jibs as you are mentioning. However, we have always recommended our clients carry a smaller working jib to be set on the headstay before what could be a difficult passage. Good Luck--Steve

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Our boat is a traditional sloop, with a fin keel and skeg-hung rudder. (1981 Mariner center cockpit 39'--the keel sits a little more forward than you normally see, but she seems to sail fine in normal conditions.)

We had assumed we would try to squeeze the budget to find cash to install a removeable inner forestay and running backstays for the sole purpose of flying a hank-on storm jib there (with our planned trysail). However, our sailmaker recommends modifying a storm jib into a sail like ATN's Gale Sail, to set OVER the roller-furling headsail. While I had read that they weren't great re: center of effort being so far forward, he says it will not be an issue. He said he'd only advise the inner stay & backstays as support for the mast...and that we have a pretty beefy spar as it is so perhaps not necessary. We intend to sail Maine Bermuda Caribbean , then possibly to Europe at some point. We are a crew of 2 parents and a young child. We are on an EXTREMELY tight budget (i.e. most of our gear is being purchased second-hand) so we do not want to spend hundreds of dollars on something that's not really necessary.

On the other hand we want to be safe.... Do you have any thoughts or advice on this subject?

Hi Stacey: Let me pose a scenario for you--it is 0300, you are in the Gulf Stream, and an unforecast (or underforecast) frontal system is passing over you. The winds escalate from 25 to 45 knots in a matter of minutes. You roll the jib, set the trysail and now have to deal with some form of a storm jib.

At this point would you rather hoist the pre-hanked storm jib on its own stay with its own halyard, or wrap the Gale Sail around the rolled jib and hoist it with the spinnaker halyard? Keep in mind the wind is probably blowing against the Gulf Stream, so there are breaking waves--and you are working on the bow with one sail and in the middle of the foredeck with the other.

I think the Gale Sale is OK for onshore work, where the risks of really heavy weather are minimal. But for your proposed trip, I would go with the separate cutter stay and storm jib--and leave something else off to save $$$, something not so critical to your comfort and well being. The cutter stay will also break up the foredeck and provide a valuable place to hang on when you are at sea.--Steve

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Steve: I have become interested in a Code 0 furled sail as part of my sail inventory. Carol Hasse just finished a full batten main, cruising spinnaker, 100% jib and storm trysail for my Panda 40 cutter. Unfortunate I find myself always needing to beat to weather (especially in San Diego where I reside) and want the best solution for this problem. How versatile is the Code 0 sail, can I use it in winds greater than 10 knots? Will the Code 0 be effective on my heavy displacement cutter? If you were going cruising long distance and already had a cruising chute would this be your next and only other choice of big sail to carry along? Thanks in advance, Keegan

Hi Keegan: How close you can carry the Code 0 depends on its design parameters. The closer you can carry it, the less effective it will be further off the wind. The race boats are carrying these sails as close as 32-33 degrees apparent, in 3-6 knots of wind. But they are tricky to fly.

The one we have on Beowulf's bowsprit can go as close as 44 degrees apparent, but is marginally more effective at this angle than our small jib--up to eight knots true. At 50 apparent it really comes into its own.

As far as what sail to add with the cruising chute, since you already have the broad reaching situation covered with the cruising chute, the Code 0 should probably be made to fly well at tighter angles. But my guess is that anything closer than 38 to 40 degrees would be very difficult to steer to in a cruising context. Probably best to talk with a sail designer who has experience designing these sails for different wind ranges and se what they suggest.--Steve

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Hello Steve: We are the owners of Tera Nova which we have renamed Mango Tango. We are sailing her around the world and are currently in Malaysia at Port Dickson Marina. We plan to join the Raja Muda Regatta in November. We have done a complete refit since buying the boat in 1999. We added A/C and a generator, changed motors to a 110 HP Volvo, and repainted and many small changes including carbon fiber pole and electric halyard winch. We have averaged, since leaving on our trip, 195 miles per day when sailing. The boat is just terrific we just have not seen any boat as owner friendly, fast and comfortable. We would like to install an asymmetrical spinnaker and would like your advice on a bow sprit. Thank You.

Hi Terry: From my perspective, unless you want to sail very agressively, I would go with a roller furling cruising code 0 sail (with roach along the leech), and tack it to the end of the anchor roller. You can use one of these from about 50 apparent on down. At tight angles it will be better than an asym. kite, and of course way easier to fly. Only around 80/90 apparent will you take a hit on boat speed, and then not much. At deep angles I would fly it to leeward, perhaps sheeted through the end of the main boom, and then use the working jib on the pole to windward. One of the keu issues in the sail design would be making sure that in this condition the code 0 leech did not close off with the back side of the mainsail. Regards--- Steve

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Steve, Thanks for sharing your extensive knowledge and experience in your book series. Accompanied by your videos, they are assisting us in mastering the significant learning curve. Last year, after careful consideration of your discussion of maxi roach full batten mainsails, we made the jump and invested in a new main and car system for our Endeavor 38. Wow! A substantial increase in performance, plus a new sense of confidence in a wide variety of sailing conditions. The new main provides enough drive that we routinely use a much smaller headsail and we have reduced weather helm. However, our battens continue to be a source of frustration. When reefing, furling, or raising the mainsail, the battens bend and flop out of the lazy jacks, dragging the rear third of the sail material with them.

In addition, starting in moderate air, the battens seem to be overly flexible and don't seem to respond enough when flattening the sail. Additionally, the battens donÕt appear to be stiff enough to control the sailcloth as the main lays on the boom. Our initial diagnosis is that the battens are not stiff enough given the sail size, aggressive roach, and cloth weight (7.5 oz). The fundamental question is how do you tell when you have arrived at the right batten stiffness? I suspect our sailmakerÕs choice of batten material (pultruded 1 5/8Ó glass) was based on the availability of standard materials. If the analysis is correct, what is a source for stiffer battens? Dave

Hi Dave: Glad the maxi-roach main is helping.

Regarding stiffness, there are a series of issues here--and no clear cut formulae. Let's look at the easy question first.

Regarding batten stiffness and working within the lazy jacks, this is a function of lazy jack design. We favor simple designs, just two legs usually, rigged off the lower spreader on a two-spreader rig. This makes it easy to get the sail past the lazy jacks quickly when hoisting. Batten stiffness should not be a major consideration when the sail is within the lazy jacks themselves--if the position of the lazy jacks on the boom are right (note:we are on mark XX on BEOWULF's lazy jack system).

Sail stiffness is another issue. There are two components to this. One is supporting the roach of the sail. The second is keeping the sail from flogging when reefing, etc. Sail area, roach, and the number of battens are the variants.

The first thing you want is to always have the roach properly supported, i.e. not sag off to leeward or have the batten go into an "S" curve. Beyond this, anything you do with increasing stiffness is extra weight aloft, for modest gain in handling. How far you go in extra stiffness is a function of how strong your winds are. Note that with overly stiff battens, it will be tough to get shape into the sail in low apparent winds. As to stiffer battens, there are all sorts of carbon, sandwich, solid and tubular battens. Most sail makers have a variety of sources. We have solid carbon/epoxy battens in BEOWULF, supplied by North. Our old battens were pultruded vinylester, solid rectangles, and were also very stiff. These came from Bainbridge (who sell only to sail makers). Hope this helps--Steve

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I am currently looking at a 54 Hylas to be used for coastal cruising in Florida and the Bahamas, very little extended blue water. A lot of daysailing. Would you recommend a furling boom or in-mast (vertical battens)? Are the in-boom furlers relatively trouble-free? Thank you. Richard

Hi Richard: In-the-masts furlers are considered easier to use than in-boom, which require close monitoring of boom angles when furling and unfurling. Neither system is trouble-free. In-the-boom is much more efficient, with a much lower center of gravity and less windage. But honestly, I am not a fan of either, as they are both heavy, costly, and subject to operator error. For ocean crossings, I think a conventional system, with proper full-length battens and slab reefing is better. The in-boom/mast systems are fine, though, for coastal work. There is a much more detailed discussion, and lots of photos, in our Offshore Cruising Encyclopedia. Steve

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Hi Steve, I note in your latest book thay you suggest using 2 mm UHMW for chafe patches. I have a Kelly Peterson 46 and am having my sacrificial jib panel replaced. I want to redo the spreader chafe patches as well but my sail maker doesn't know where to get the UHMW material. He is game to try this, but thought if he can't find it, maybe heavy (40 mil) dodger window material would work well. Any thoughts where to get the UHMW or does the dodger window material sound good? Thanks, Carl

Hi Carl: Re: the source for UHMW--click here for another Q & A covering that. Re: using it for the jib--not sure it is a good bet here due to the stiffness and weight. My choice would be dacron. But for anything to do with the main or mizzen, it is the best. Steve

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Dear Mr. Dashew: I have been using a roach/leech overlap of 20% with no problem of backstay passage, and I have found this conservative, and have had no chafing problem over a six- or seven-year period. Have you used higher percentage overlaps successfully?

I am currently considering the use of a single diagonal batten just down from the head of the sail to get the leech well out, and then downward, with the battens having up to a 50% overlap. By that I mean that if the distance from luff to backstay is one meter, the batten would be 1.5 meters long.

Watching videos of my sail passing the backstay in slow motion plus years of experience show me that the sail "peels" across the backstay from bottom to top. Therefore, once the sail assumes a rounded shape, the battens slide easily across the backstay. Do you think 50% overlap will work, and is this a maximum?

A final question: Have you used roller booms on any of your boats? I am using a roller boom, and this raises some additional issues in the event you have experience or thoughts on maxiroach sails and roller booms. Thanks in advance for your comments. Lowell

Hi Lowell: I don't think you can make a blanket statement about the maximum roach overlap that will work. It is a question of backstay angle, and of course how hard the wind is blowing. What we have found is that you can get a lot more roach past the backstay than you would normally imagine possible!

If you push the design envelope here, my suggestion would be to add in a first short reef, which would drop the sail low enough so that it would clear in light airs, and when motorsailing. I assume you've already got UHMW chafe strips on the sail. If not, these will help too.

On roller-furling booms, the only advantage I can see in these is they eliminate the need to use a sail cover. If the top of your boom is seven feet off the deck, and hard to reach, and maybe overhangs the cockpit, it may make sense. However, everyone we know who has used these says they require careful operation and are subject to all sorts of problems if not kept at the correct horizontal and vertical angles. Bottom line--assuming budget is not an issue, and you do a lot of daysailing, they may make sense. But for sailing on offshore passages I would rather have a conventional boom with slab reefing. Steve

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Sir, I am considering the purchase of a 1992 Beneteau Oceanis 440. The boat has in-mast mainsail furling. In addition to what's already been written on your site, I remember reading somewhere recently some new ( flexible enough to be rolled, stiff enough to shape the sail ) battens. Do you have any idea whether such a product really exists, and whether it works? With best regards, Murat

Hi Murat: Regarding the full vertical battens--I have seen the ads, but have no direct experience. I'll ask around and see what I can find. In the meantime, I can tell you that we use short vertical battens in the leech of our roller furling jib--they are about a meter long--and they work great at reducing leech flutter and making it possible to get rid of most of the normally required leech "hollow". Regards, Steve

We also referred this question to DAN NERI, one of the world's top sail designers. Here is his reply.

The writer seems to be refering to "roller-battens", a product distributed by Harken that is essentially two lengths of spring steel (like a collapsable carpenters ruler), stacked with their concave sides facing each other and inserted into a tube of webbing. When the package is allowed to uncoil it is stiff but as soon as it is bent the steel parts collapse and can be rolled.

Roller battens are more appropriate for furling headsails than they are for stow mainsails. The battens have a tendency to kink, and then to actually rip, if they are allowed to flex back and forth in the same place. This is a problem even on headsails because the batten collapses as soon as it is bent and, once collapsed, it can flutter and flex just like a sail with no battens. When the stowmainsail is roller reefed, the highest exposed batten is going to be collapsed and fluttering. If that batten is partially inside the mast cavity and partially outside the cavity, the batten is sure to kink.

Tapered fiberglass battens, installed vertically (starting at the leech edge and running towards the foot of the sail, parallel with the mast) are a better solution for supporting the leech area of a stowmast mainsail.

Dan Neri

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Can you tell me anything about a self-tacking jib for a sloop of 68 feet? The boat is being converted from racer to world circumnavigator cruiser. Thanks, Fred

Hi Fred: Self-tacking jibs are fine for day-sailing. But our feeling is that for offshore work there are too many limitations in how they are sheeted off the wind. The low flew height required by this approach really creates sail control problems once you have the apparent wind aft of about 65/70 degrees.

Our approach is to use a non-overlapping jib, or one which barely overlaps the shrouds--like a 105% sail (final configuration of course depends on forward triangle dimensions and overall rig). With overlap eliminated, these sails are easy to tack. You can leave the clew higher so the sails leeds well when further off the wind.

On the last jib we did for Beowulf--which has very wide spreaders--we have a 95% forward triangle configuration--with three full-length battens in the leech, parallel to the headstay and one batten in the foot, also parallel to the headstay. These allow us to have a better sail shape and more area, without compromising on the roller furling (the alternative are big hollows in leech and foot). Regards--Steve

We also referred this question to DAN NERI, one of the world's top sail designers. Here is his reply.

When you decide on a self tacking jib the trade off for the ease of handling is that the width of the sail is compromised. Assuming that your boats chainplates are in line with the mast, or close to it, a non-overlapping jib sheeted to normal fore and aft tracks can be built with an LP measurement of about 92% of the foretriangle length. The clew of a sail built that big would be about 2' above the deck and it would extend as far aft as the lower shroud permits when you are sheeted in to go to windward. The sheet lead block on the fore and aft deck track would be positioned about 18" aft of the mast on your boat.

Now, if you substitute a radiused self tacking jib track, the sheet lead block will be about 6" forward of the mast at the upwind position, so the sail will be 2' more narrow along the foot and along the LP measurement line. Because you are going cruising on a race boat, your rig probably has plenty of horsepower, so the loss in total sail area is not the biggest concern. However, as the jib gets more narrow on the girths, it becomes less effective for use with the jib sheet eased. Very narrow sails are only effective when they are sheeted very tightly. For a frame of reference, you can determine the Aspect Ratio of your sail by dividing the luff length by the foot length. If the sail is more narrow than about 3.1:1, (luff:foot) it will require constant attention to the lead position to keep the top third of the sail trimmed correctly.

For this reason, you want to make your track extend as close to the rail as the deck will allow. Once you reach the end of the track, you will need to use a secondary sheet that is lead to a padeye on the rail. You might find that at about 35-40 degrees apparent wind angle you will need to go to the outboard lead position. Then at 45-50 degrees you will have to move the sheet from the inside of the lifelines to the outside of the lifelines.

If your sailing is going to be mostly passagemaking, as opposed to daysailing, you might find that a conventional fore and aft track arrangement, with a less high aspect jib, is actually less hassle than a self tacking jib.

Regards, Dan Neri

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Dear Linda and Steve: Two years ago I bought a steel kit form Bruce Roberts to build a voyager 495 (L.O.A. 49 '- 4") With a longish keel.

About one year ago I bought, directly from you, your book and CD "Offshore Cruising Encyclopedia" which, by the way, is the book I've have learnt more from. Pity I didn't have it before.

You totally convinced me with what you say about mains with big roach. Apart from the technical explanations, your comments about them are: "There is absolutely nothing you can do to an older cruising boat that will increase performance as much as one of these sails, regardless of how much you are prepared to spend."

You have (or at least had) 82% of the rectangle of the luff and foot filled with sail in your actual boat BEOWULF and add "We now realize that we can go farther, adding more horsepower for little cost."

Exactly two days ago I contacted Bruce Roberts (he is the one who really knows my boat) to ask him to produce me a new sail plan with a main of the same characteristic as the one you had on BEOWULF.

I've just been in your web site, as I wanted to buy some more books from you, and you can imagine my surprise when I've seen that you have just got a new main and mizzen of considerably different design than the original sails.

I'm really worried now: Have you found anything wrong with them? Could you tell me anything about the new design of your sails? I suppose you are very busy but I would be terribly grateful if you could answer me as soon as possible (the cheque to Mr Roberts has already been sent and now I don't know whether I have to cancel the order).

All the best, Jose

Hi Jose: Re BEOWULF's new main and mizzen, the roach profile is almost the same. The changes that have been made are to help it twist off better with wind shear--based on lessons learned from the America's Cup, Whitbread, etc.

As to your own boat, the only way to get as aggressive a roach as BEOWULF has is to use swept spreaders (BEOWULF's are 25 degrees) so that you eliminate the backstay. However, this means you cannot run square to the wind. That is OK for a boat that is very fast and pulls its apparent wind forward--but does not work as well on heavier designs.

It is probably best with Roberts to stay with a fixed backstay, so you can run downwind when conditions warrant--and to work with a sailmaker who has experience with past-the-backstay designs--who can optimize the roach profile of the mainsail for you.

You might try contacting Dan Neri--dan.neri@worldnet.att.net--on this subject. I'm not sure if he has the time, but he is the most experienced sailmaker I know in this area. Regards--Steve

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Hi Dan: One of our friends has a ketch-rigged Deerfoot 72, and he is the process of getting new sails for her in New Zealand from the North loft. She has somewhat less than half the stability of Beowulf, and her rig is less aggressive in terms of potential for roach (she has standing backstays on both spars). I would like to get your comments on the pro's and cons of the different fabrics which have been offered. Regards--Steve

Hi Steve, There are 3 spectra fabric product lines at North Sails. They are basically tiers that range from highest performance to lower performance/price. High Performance in Spectra means more spectra and less dacron components, so more of the weight of the fabric package is made up of high modulus fiber. The tiers are:

1) Gatorback Spectra (what your current sails are made out of)
2) SR Gatorback Spectra (the SR 395TX fabric on Jim's quote)
3) SR Spectra (the 11.0 SR fabric on Jim's quote)

North cloth weaves 6 styles of spectra taffeta. The first 3 styles are very tightly woven. They have the highest spectra content of any taffeta in the industry. The other 3 styles are a little less tightly woven, the equivalent of what Dimension and Bainbridge use. Each group of 3 are comprised of light, med and heavy weights. The different weight spectra fabrics are made up of combinations of these styles and other components (mylar film, X pattern scrim layers, polyester taffetas in some cases). The Gatorback fabrics use only the very tightly woven components (first 3 styles) and the SR fabrics use combinations of the other 3 styles. The difference in construction is pretty subtle between the Gatorback and SR Gatorback tiers. In the weights required for Beowulf and Wakaroa both tiers of fabric are made from two layers of woven spectra taffeta(spectra warp and dacron fill) with film and an X pattern scrim sandwiched between them.

Comparing the 395TX and the 11.0SR fabrics in Jim's quote- both are the same weight (11 oz), but the 395TX has a higher spectra content (39,500 denier per inch compared to 33,000DPI). By comparison, your sails have a spectra content of 39,000dpi but the fabric weight is 9.6oz.

I know this is all very confusing and by attempting a simple explanation I think it might get even more confused. It is probably best to just reduce it to a cost/benefit argument. For the extra money of the 395TX Jim will get 20% more spectra at the same weight. The additional spectra translates into less creep so the sail shape will be marginally more satisfactory. On the other hand, either product is going to be orders of magnitude better than the sails he is replacing and the 7 batten construction and low aspect ratio are both in the plus column for shape retention. The SR 395TX also has the X scrim that gives the fabric a little off threadline support and an extra measure of rip stop strength. Both choices are on the very conservative side in terms of fabric weight and strength, especially considering the construction methods that NSNZ will use (assuming they are using the same spec as for the Sundeer 80 sails). If it were my money, I would have a hard time justifying the extra cost of the 395TX.

The dacron vs 11.0SR choice is a little easier. The 11.0SR is good for 4 years of sailing, the dacron more like 6 years. The 11.0SR sails will be flatter and more open leeched in breeze and better performing on all points of sail.

I hope that helps. Dan

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Dear Linda & Steve, Thanks for your really interesting Weather Handbook, which we began reading. It will certainly take some time...Together with our local sailmaker we are constructing an extra-roached mainsail, which will be ready in spring (this is not California). However, he did not know where to get UHMW fabric to protect this sail from chafe. Can you give us some help, maybe another name for that or a company which sells this stuff in the old world? Many thanks in advance.

UHMW stands for Ultra High Molecular Weight (plastic). It is used to line dump trucks, for chain skids and rollers, bearings and all sorts of other things. The material we use for chafe protection for the backstay with aggressive roaches and where battens chafe on shrouds is thin--typically about 1/16" or 1.5mm. This is sometimes available with adhesive backing, after which it is sewn on using normal sailmaking machines. It sometimes help to put a layer of sticky back cloth over the UHMW to protect it from the sun. Two sources you might try in the USA are Laird Plastic at 800-873-8410 or Lamont Corp in Clifton, NJ at 973-772-6262. Good luck.

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Steve, a local sailmaker proposed an intriguing idea for improving sail efficiency on our Freedom cat ketch. He thought that a sleeve that would imitate the effect of the old 2-ply sails would be extremely effective. He would make it out of some light cloth and it would stretch back about 2 feet back thus eliminating the inefficiency created by our telephone pole-style mast. Do you think this might be an easy way to pick up some speed? TIA for any input. Regards, Dave

Hi Dave: Wraparound leading edges have been used at least since the 1960s (on multihulls). If you get all the issues worked out, it will yield a much better lift-to-drag ratio. However, my understanding is that they make raising and lowering the sail more difficult. For firsthand data on this try talking with Gary Hoyt and Newport R and D in Newport, Rhode Island. Gary developed the original Freedom concept and if anyone has a handle on this issue, he will. Good Luck.

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Dear Mr. Dashew, I have owned a copy of your original Offshore Cruising Encyclopedia for several years and refer to it constantly. I have grown to respect your perspective and advice, and follow it most of the time. The best advice you have given that I followed was regarding the WH Autopilot. We have a Westsail 43 (beam 13', WL 33.3', displacement 18 tons, full keel, tall rig) and have run off in 40+ knot winds and quartering seas for six days and never touched the helm. I have been very interested in your philosophy about sail design and am in need of new sails. I would appreciate your advice about A full batten, large roach main sail for my boat. I fear that this kind of sail on my boat may be like putting a Ferrari engine in a tractor. We currently have a no-batten main and have had good luck with it especially when reefing off the wind. Due to our tall rig we must reef early. I fear this may be a problem with a full batten large roach main. I have considered putting a tacking reef in this type of sail so that in short tacking situations I could reef in order for the roach to clear the backstay. I am sure that you are very busy, but I would really like to have your opinion on this subject.

Thanks for a great publication. Sincerely, Ron G., Baja, Mexico

Bottom line--the less efficient your rig, hull, and keel, the more positive the impact from a fully battened, full roach sail. The results on a Westsail should be substantially positive--especially if you now use a hollow leech (battenless) sail.

Most people also find that there is less weather helm and less heel, due to substantially reduced induced drag and improved drag angles.

Your idea of a tripping reef--for tacking or jibing in really light airs--is a good one. We've done that on many of our boats too.

As to reefing with the full battens and large roach, once you get your lazy jacks set up correctly, you will find reefing easier. The battens hold the sail quieter when it is feathered, and help to keep in constrained within the lazy jacks.

Data on chafe protection for the sail and backstay is in your copy of Offshore Cruising Encyclopedia. Also, you might want to get in touch with Dan Neri at North Sails. Dan is the sailmaker with whom we've worked over the past decade to develop any of our new cruising sail concepts (dan@nmo.northsails.com).

If you change let us know how things work out.--Steve

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Hi, I have searched my copy of the Encyclopedia for an answer to this question and not found it. My wife and I learned this past summer while chartering a 34' sloop in the San Juan's that the boat was just not big enough for us. So we have started taking out larger boats (up to 46' so far). However, we are finding that many are not set up for shorthanded sailing by a couple over about age 50, especially in Monterey Bay outside of Santa Cruz.

We have been considering the kind of equipment we want on our future "own" boat, and have been looking into electric and hydraulic assisted sail and rig handling equipment (winches, vangs, backstays, etc.).

My concern though is about backup in case of hydraulic and/or electrical system failure. I have figured backups for the electronic gear, but have not found information on how to backup these major "muscle assisting" systems. I am interested in your thoughts. Thank you, Jim

Hi Jim: Good question, and one with which we wrestle all of the time on our own designs. Our philosophy is simple: Make sure you can sail the boat in heavy going without the powered winches.

In most cases, the lack of powered winches means things happen more slowly, and you have to be more ahead of the weather.

Our Beowulf is a prime example. She has five electric winches for sail handling. For short day sails, or for warping onto a tight dock, they are wonderful. However, for ocean passages they are merely a convenience, not a necessity.

Our sheet, halyard, and reefing systems are all geared (winch and block wise) so that we can handle the boat when it blows.

An opposite example would some friends who have a hydraulically operated in the mast furling system. They do have a manual override in case of hydraulic failure, but it is so cumbersome and slow that the concept of reefing or putting the sail away for the two of them in heavy weather is not realistic.

So, just make sure you can reef, jibe, and tack on a day when the onshore flow is pumping on Santa Cruz Bay and you'll be in good shape.

Couple of final thoughts. We are not fans of hydraulics for powering winches. We feel they are expensive, costly, and more complex than electrics. Regarding what you can handle, a large part of this decision is based on your own experience level, and your physical condition. As long as you are in good health, age is not going to be a huge factor. Good Luck with the search--Steve Dashew

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What is the best way to rig the control lines on an ATN spinnaker sleeve?--Robert.

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Dashew: Bought the Encyclopedia and read it cover to cover. It is truly the best boat book around, or, more accurately, an entire library. I've got a Pearson 424, one of the ones sold as a sloop, really a ketch w/o a mizzen. It also has a Hood Stoway main with no roach, so we are a bit short on sailpower esp. to windward. Recently I've seen references to a vertical batten main built in England (www.maxiroach.com) that seems to be getting good reviews in boat tests on British boats. The roach they show looks modest by your standards, about that of a standard full-batten mail. My question is this: If these folks have in fact solved the chafe and jamming problems of putting battens on a roller-furling main. Do you think it would be possible to put a really big roach on this type of sail? With my mast in the ketch mast position, and the boat designed for the sail area of a mizzen, I've got plenty of clearance at the backstay. Roller-furling main has to be flat anyway. I'm having a little trouble figuring out if the vertical full battens would support the roach area any differently than horizontal battens do. Local sailmakers here in Annapolis don't really want to talk about this. Thanks for your thoughts on this--Quent

Hi Quent: Vertical leech battens for roller-furling sails have been around a while now. We've just had them added to our working jib. As to how much roach they will support, this is very much a question of experience, and how the sail is shaped.

I would check with the guys in the UK and see what they have been able to do. If you want to push the edge of the design envelope, inquire about being more agressive, and if it turns out you've gone too far, find out what is involved in recutting the sail.

That's usually how progress is made with sails--you push as hard as you dare and maybe a little beyond, and then back off if it doesn't work. Often you can find a sailmaker who will work with you on this as they are interested in more efficient cruising sails.

Let us know what you find out. Regards--Steve Dashew

1) What are your thoughts on the merits of roller-furling mains, especially the leisure furl boom systems which allow a better cut main with full battens?

2) Center-cockpit boats--Is the benefit of a better aft cabin and a small after-deck worth the wetter, more motion at the helm that results from being higher up and more forward?

Hi Scott: Re: roller-furling mains--the inside-the-mast systems are very heavy, add much windage from the very big spar sections, and require battenless, hollow-leech sails which are slow and draggy. However, they are easier to use than the in-boom systems.

The in-boom systems get rid of most of the negatives of in the mast, but are very tricky to use in heavier conditions. The boom must be at a very precise horizontal angle and no further outboard than a close reach.

Both systems are costly.

I realize I am in the minority here, but they don't make much sense to me, unless the design of the boat has an oversized mainsail, with the boom way high in the air, making it hard to furl and cover (which is a dumb way to design a boat in the first place, but that's another story).

Re: center cockpits, there are many tradeoffs here. Steering is more difficult to do well because of the distance and direction change issues. You are going to be wetter closer to the spray coming off the bow. There is more motion because you are substantially higher than in an aft cockpit. And, the interior is broken up by the foot well.

On the other hand, with a mid engine room this is directly below the foot well, the space issue is mitigated (although it is noisier). You get an interior with as natural break in the middle to isolate guests and owners from each other. And, if you are using a Jordan Series Drogue in heavy weather, the companionway is not as vulnerable.

In general, I do not care for center cockpits. However, if properly done, they can be nice on boats over 45 feet (14m) or so. Regards--Steve

In your Cruising Encyclopedia, on page 96...Dr. John Letcher is quoted saying in essence that induced drag is inversely proportional to the Aspect Ratio of a sail.

I have in front of me 2 sailplans for the same 39 ft boat:

a) Roached mainsail (74.5 %): P = 14.743 m; Area incl. roach: 55.2 m2; hence AR = 3.94

b) Standard cruising mainsail (62.5%): P = 15.777 m; Area incl. roach: 49.6 m2; AR = 5.02

There seems to be a contradiction to the efficiency comments for the roached mainsail as expressed in your book, since the standard mainsail with higher AR would have less drag than the roached mainsail.

Dear Oswald: The issue is one of "effective" aspect ratio, rather than pure geometric ratio. The roached main has a much better tip shape and hence less tip loss which is a major contributor to induced drag.

The triangular sail, with its poor distribution of area, and point tip, has huge losses at the top and lots of induced drag.

So the effective aspect ratio of the roached sail will be much higher than that of the triangular sail.

Hope this helps--Steve Dashew

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Mr. and Mrs. Dashew,

I am in the process of reading both your Encyclopedia and Storm Survival books (I keep flipping back and forth between them). Not only am I extremely impressed with both of the books but with the two of you and your long and successful marriage. In the end this of course will be your greatest accomplishment.

I am 52 years old and don't have the greatest of hearts. I have sailed for many years and have decided that it should be possible to equip a boat intelligently for single-handed long distance passagemaking (even if that means sailing primarily in the Trades). My purchase will be in the 32-33 ft. range as that is about the largest size that I can afford to equip to a very high standard. By high standard I mean the very best of the basics done in the best way, not fancy systems that might add more complexity than I could manage. I want a simple but bulletproof proper passagemaker.

My question is in the area of sail selection. I realize that you are a big fan of cutter rigs, and I agree with you, but one of my favorite boats is the Hallberg-Rassy 31 Monson which doesn't have a foretriangle that is suitable for a second stay. If I am equipping a sloop I would be very interested in your recommendation for sails in order of priority. I would like to have a furling sail on the forestay that can handle most conditions and so that I am only going to the bow in light conditions to bring down the furling jib to put up a light air genoa or to put up a second jib for down wind sailing. In very heavy weather I imagine that it will be a case of following your active tactics until I need a rest at which I would heave to or deploy a Jordan rig off the transom.

I am sorry for the long and involved post but I wanted to give you some background and some of my current ideas if it will help you with your deliberation.

Thank you very much in advance, David

Hi Dave: I used to like cutters in larger single stick rigs--but today, with the materials available I prefer a mainsail driven sloop--especially one which can sail on mainsail only.

Sail inventory depends a great deal on where you plan to passage, and how important light air performance will be.

The comments which follow assume you have limited powering range, so need good light air performance, and will be sailing in higher latitudes form time to time which means versatility in a blow. In order of priority:

1-Storm trysail sized so you can use it into the 65 knot wind range by itself.

2-Mainsail with two reefs, with a nicely shaped roach and at least the top two battens full length, and other battens double normal length (better yet all battens full length). Lift outer end of boom when reefed so you don't drag it in big seas when reaching.

3-Working jib sized to be able to carry it in 25 to 30 knots of wind with reefed mainsail. Clew cut high so is efficient when reaching and doesn't scoop water. Consider leech battens which are parallel with the luff to improve shape (if the jib doesn't overlap shrouds). Our friends the Neris have a nice roller reefing working on their 38' Calvin. Shape isn't perfect, but looks a hell of alot better than what we've seen in the past.

4-Equivelent of a #5 jib for the headstay for use in boisterous weather and if the main jib is damaged. You might set this sail before leaving Bermuda for the mainland. About 65% of the forward triangle.

5-Drifter for use in light airs upwind and to augment speed downwind. High cut slew so effective at wide angles. Possibly free flying if you can fit it with Spectra luff rope and roller furling drum. Otherwise, for the headstay.

Good sails are the most important ingredient to safe, comfortable,and fun sailing and at the top of our list--right after massive anchors!

Good Luck--Steve

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