Any sailors listening?

[nomadpete]

No, it's not the lead up to another SSM joke.

 

I've just bought myself a 20' trailer sailboat. Buyer remorse set in when I found the price of a new headsail. Please don't berate me for failing to do my research. I'm already beating myself up about it.

 

Anyway, does anybody know where I might buy a cruising headsail for a reasonable price?

 

 

[Methusala]

Talk to Farri about it. He sewed new skins for his Drifter. I remember a mate who built a little ply dory and his wife sewed the sails for it. I forget the name of it. New Zealand design. Stitched the chines with copper wire and then glassed inside and out. The idea was to give it some flex in the hull. Interesting idea. Don

 

 

[Marty_d]

No, it's not the lead up to another SSM joke.I've just bought myself a 20' trailer sailboat. Buyer remorse set in when I found the price of a new headsail. Please don't berate me for failing to do my research. I'm already beating myself up about it.

 

Anyway, does anybody know where I might buy a cruising headsail for a reasonable price?

Did you buy in Tassie or the big island?

 

You don't need a mast... you need room on the deck for your Lightwing...

 

 

[nomadpete]

Bought it local, from a blow-in that blew back to the mainland.

 

Haven't forgotten the Lightwing. Heading back to finish it next month.

 

I just caved in to the irrisistable urge to start another project. There's probably no cure for it, but I sometimes get frightened that one day I'll wake up with nothing to do. No chance of that happening now though.

 

 

[nomadpete]

Thanks Methuselah, I'll talk to Frank. But he is a little far away, way oop north, like.

 

 

[planedriver]

Talk to Farri about it. He sewed new skins for his Drifter. I remember a mate who built a little ply dory and his wife sewed the sails for it. I forget the name of it. New Zealand design. Stitched the chines with copper wire and then glassed inside and out. The idea was to give it some flex in the hull. Interesting idea. Don

That sounds like a Mirror dinghy, 11ft long with blunt nose designed by the late Jack Holt for the Daily Mirror newspaper in London. I built one with a couple of mates in a classroom on the third floor at night-school in London back in the early 60's. A great little boat which used that construction method. When it was finished we had to take the window frame out and lower it on ropes down to the playground.

 

About 70,000 of them have been built.

 

Mirror (dinghy) - Wikipedia.

 

 

[nomadpete]

Yes, popular.

 

The stitch and glue process is quick, easy and results in a strong composite hull. Method is very popular for boats up to about 18' long.

 

 

[planedriver]

We used to go out fishing in The English Channel (must have been mad). Ours was powered by a 3hp British Anzani Pilot outboard which only just beat rowing, sometimes. Water-skiing wasn't an option,

 

 

[Methusala]

It was about 4.5m long with a small cabin. Sloop rigged...maybe a Hartley. Definitely not a mirror dinghy.

 

 

[Yenn]

I think the smallest Hartley trailer sailer was 16' or 4.9m

 

Quite broad beam, hard chine, plywood on thin frames with big gussets.

 

 

[nomadpete]

Richard Hartley (a NZ'er) designed many boats. The trailer sailers went from 14' to 21'. They were multi chine. The concept was to offer an affordable entry level boat that a handyman could build in his garage, to take the family sailing. The 16' is most common, and there are still Hartley sailing clubs going strong after all these years. I recall there was even a TV series (call it a 'build' blog) tracking the build of a Hartley16.

 

 

[spacesailor]

Cruising head sails are easy to make,

 

Lots of information around when I was young(er),

 

Richard Hartley went from wooden wonder's, to designing larger Ferro-cement world cruising yacht's that took the boat world by storm.

 

spacesailor

 

 

[spacesailor]

How did you go, asking the misses to sew the NEW sail, Just use cotton (thread) with a five-stich setting in the sew-machine, and tape around the perimeter.

 

You can buy "roller-reefing parts from "Whitworths" catalogue.

 

spacesailor

 

 

[nomadpete]

No luck getting my dear wife to do it.

 

However, on close inspection I found the old headsail was only rotten along the luff. It was roller reefed, and the edge exposed to the sun. Turns out it was too big anyway (according to the previous owner). So hopefully we can trim it back a foot or so and sew a new strip along the luff. I'll get a sailmaker to quote - should be a lot cheaper than a new sail.

 

Thanks, Space

 

PS

 

I've been distracted by higher priority work on the Lightwing. Pleased to say it is assembled and flying.

 

 

[Marty_d]

I've been distracted by higher priority work on the Lightwing. Pleased to say it is assembled and flying.

That's good news! Well done!

 

 

[spacesailor]

ANY shade-sail or canvas-cover maker can cut & sew those sails usually cheaper than a "sail-maker".

 

spacesailor

 

 

[nomadpete]

Good point. Thanks Space

 

 

[nomadpete]

Thanks Marty. It's been seven years in the pipeline. As you well know, family comes first.

 

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[Marty_d]

She's lovely - I like the colour scheme!

 

When do we see her in Tassie skies...?

 

 

[nomadpete]

Not sure about taking it to Tassie, Marty.

 

Didn't You promise to buy a long skinny paddock to park it in?

 

No, once I finish doing the magical MARAP procedure (to make the Bolly prop legal), I'll be putting it on the market. I'm sure there is a Lightwing lover out there that'll give her a good home :-(

 

 

[David2ayo]

Comparing sailmakers with shade sail makers is a bit like comparing a cabinet maker with a carpenter. The sailmaker should be the better choice, whether the extra cost (and performance) is worth it, depends on the function. I have great difficulty in convincing my brother (ex racing sailor with a number of Sydney - Hobart runs under his belt) that it is worthwhile having a washing machine on board a cruising catamaran. If you are intending to race the thing, and have a possibility of winning, spend the dough. If you're out to enjoy yourself, get someone who can drive a sewing machine to cut off the bottom 300mm. And don't put a washing machine in a trailer sailer. If the clothes stink, eat more garlic.

 

David

 

 

[spacesailor]

The sail IS made !

 

Just needs a new tape & maybe a "bolt-rope" if the roller-reefing is that type.

 

The cost from a sailmaker is out of proportion to the work required.

 

been there done that ! & not satisfied with his work.

 

spacesailor

 

 

[Marty_d]

Not sure about taking it to Tassie, Marty.Didn't You promise to buy a long skinny paddock to park it in?

 

No, once I finish doing the magical MARAP procedure (to make the Bolly prop legal), I'll be putting it on the market. I'm sure there is a Lightwing lover out there that'll give her a good home :-(

She's a beautiful looking beast Peter - should have no problem getting a buyer.

 

Not much luck on that long flat strip thing, but Kate has got me a couple of numbers for people who fly out of Sandfly - one day I need to ring them and find out what the go is.