Boat Building Forum

Find advice on all aspects of building your own kayak, canoe or any lightweight boats

Re: Other: Mast & Sails
By:Charlie
Date: 11/23/2007, 8:11 pm
In Response To: Other: Mast & Sails *Pic* (John Monroe)

I thought about making a sail so I bought "The Sailmaker's Apprentice" by Emiliano Marino. This is the bible of sailmaking.
There is not cheap way to reproduce what a competent sailmaker does. A lot of what results comes from the choice of fabric, the orientation of the weave and the shape of the panels,etc. When you use a piece of blue tarp you can't get any of that. The tarp material has no stretch. It may help to cut some of the outer edges with an outward curve called "roach" but where and how much is a matter of experience. Batwing sails are also battened. Again, where and how much?
Balogh sails are low aspect performance sails. Tall and thin. Not a good place to start a sailmaking hobby.
You need a sail that has a center of effort that has proper relationship to your daggerboard. If this ( called lead) isn't correct the boat will sail poorly
and could even be unsafe. A sailboat that won't tack isn't worth a bother.
The fact that you are using outriggers is another problem. Is it a monohull or a catamaran? I know they are set up differently but I don't know the specifics.
What you are trying to do is rather complicated if you want something beyond just making the boat go. A lot of people do it and are happy with the result. But they don't know if they are getting full performance from their homebrew sail or not.
I doubt that you can get enough off this website to get you thru' a high class sailmaking job.

: Does anyone know how the Balogh mast pieces assemble together without a pin
: or depress button sticking out that would stop the sail rings from sliding
: up and down the mast? I guess you could not pin them at all and the mast
: downhall rope would keep it all tightly together when under sail. And I
: would guess the mast wall tube thickness is 1/8 inch?

: I’m thinking a well shaped batwing sail could be made by nailing 2x4’s to the
: outside shape of the sail, then laying across wing foil shaped 2x4’s where
: each sail panel is sewed together. This would make a mold for the airfoil
: shape. Each cloth panel would then be laid from the edge to the first foil
: shaped 2x4 and tacked in place, then the next one and so on. The first
: tryout sail could be made of cheap Tyvek or poly and if proven then good
: Dacron. Battens would be added at some of the seams. Any problems with
: this thought?

: John

Messages In This Thread

Other: Mast & Sails *Pic*
John Monroe -- 11/22/2007, 3:52 am
About your sail *LINK*
Dave G -- 11/23/2007, 8:57 pm
Re: About your sail
John Monroe -- 11/24/2007, 4:38 am
Re: Other: Mast & Sails
Charlie -- 11/23/2007, 8:11 pm
Re: Other: Mast & Sails
John Monroe -- 11/24/2007, 4:08 am
Re: Other: Mast & Sails
Bill Hamm -- 11/25/2007, 1:47 am
Re: Other: Mast & Sails
Charlie -- 11/24/2007, 12:46 pm
Re: Other: Mast & Sails
Mike Savage -- 11/24/2007, 3:19 pm
Re: Other: Mast & Sails
Charlie -- 11/24/2007, 6:05 pm
Re: Other: Sails *LINK*
Daren -- 11/24/2007, 3:01 pm
Re: Other: Sails
Charlie -- 11/24/2007, 5:50 pm
Re: Other: Sails *Pic*
John Monroe -- 11/25/2007, 3:55 am
Re: Other: Sails
Charlie -- 11/25/2007, 10:11 am
Re: Other: Mast & Sails
Bill Hamm -- 11/24/2007, 2:54 am
Re: Other: Mast & Sails *LINK*
Daren -- 11/23/2007, 10:10 am
Re: Other: Mast & Sails
John Monroe -- 11/25/2007, 4:08 am
Re: Other: Mast & Sails
John Monroe -- 11/24/2007, 4:30 am
Re: Other: Mast & Sails
Bill Hamm -- 11/24/2007, 2:43 am
Re: another sail website *NM* *LINK*
Daren -- 11/23/2007, 9:20 pm
Re: Other: Mast & Sails
Bill Hamm -- 11/23/2007, 1:26 am
Re: Other: Mast & Sails *LINK*
John Monroe -- 11/23/2007, 6:03 am
Re: Other: Mast & Sails
Bill Hamm -- 11/24/2007, 2:48 am
Re: Other: Mast & Sails
Bill Hamm -- 11/24/2007, 2:38 am
Re: Other: Mast & Sails
John Monroe -- 11/24/2007, 4:26 am
Re: Other: Mast & Sails
Bill Hamm -- 11/25/2007, 1:32 am
Re: Other: Mast & Sails
Mike Savage -- 11/24/2007, 6:26 am
Re: Other: Mast & Sails
John Monroe -- 11/25/2007, 2:50 am
Re: Other: Mast & Sails
Mike Savage -- 11/25/2007, 7:35 am
Re: Other: Mast & Sails *LINK*
TOM RAYMOND -- 11/27/2007, 12:41 pm
Re: Other: Mast & Sails
Bill Hamm -- 11/25/2007, 1:34 am