Good points Bill! I pretty much understood all that. My hope was to get a set of the same general build quality as the originals. Same sized grommets, same level of re-enforcements, same battens, same location of the reef points (2 of them on the main), chafe patch on the jib where it rubs on the bow pulpit, and same general cut and shape. The new main I purchased has full battens and extra roach that hangs up on the backstay. Sail slugs provided didn't work well and the sail is cut pretty flat. The working jib goes all the way to the masthead and is borderline too long, as I can just barely tighten the luff snug. For whatever reason, I've never been able to get as much speed out of the new set (matched main and working jib from the same sailmaker) as the blown out originals. Boat also heels more. Sometimes you get em right and sometimes you don't. Seems to me there is a fine line between what works and what works well. I guess my thought is you start with what you know worked well, and go from there. Howard Wcpritchett@aol.com wrote:
Don't take my previous post being about what a sail maker knows or doesn't know. It was to point out that blown out sails can't be used for an exact pattern. Sail makers know it but those who aren't in the trade don't. It doesn't produce 100% duplicates as when new. Sail makers cut the shape to what they estimate the stretched/shrunk material was when new. It's the same as using old dodgers, bimini tops, etc for patterns...nobody (in the trade) considers them accurate or uses them for patterns.
In my humble opinion it's better just to tell the sail maker what boat it is and let him ask questions to cut sails that suit your needs. Most lofts (since the 1970's) plug the mfg's sail plan plus other desired numbers into a computer program for panel dimensions...and local lofts know what cuts work in local conditions best.
Bill P.
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