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Cutting Mainsail Down

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redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3474 Posts

Initially Posted - 12/22/2014 : 09:44:58

I'm looking at cutting the main at the reef line, give I usually got out during a storm front and what the hey I can raise the boom above head bonging level.. Has anybody done this??

Edited by - on

OJ
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 12/22/2014 : 11:03:11

You may recall when we had a new mainsail made, we had 12" lopped off the foot to raise the boom to a standard rig height. Your sail may not have optimal panel shapes when finished, but . . .

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redeye
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3474 Posts

Response Posted - 12/22/2014 : 11:08:47

Yepper.. the more I think about it... and it was/is a cheep mainsail... Something I bought from a lowcount, durty rotten discount dealer who will remain nameless... Oh wait.. that was another lowcound durty rotten dealer..

Anyhoo.. my local sailmaker will give me some advice I'm sure but it just seems like a good plan to reduce heel and make it less hard on the head...

It's a Great Mainsail.. just a little thin and the stitchin is coming out in the leech...

Edited by - redeye on 12/22/2014 11:09:20

DavidBuoy
Admiral

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USA
707 Posts

Response Posted - 12/22/2014 : 11:22:22

You're a standard rig right? Why not just leave it reefed? Seems like a pretty drastic measure, but you know your situation better than myself.

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redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3474 Posts

Response Posted - 12/22/2014 : 12:27:38

<< Why not just leave it reefed? >>

Well that is a consideration and I did that for a while, but I'm taking the sail in some repair work and if they leave it lose footed it would be little more that a cut and sew up the seam.

Less sail to have to tie up and bag..

Edited by - on

islander
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3992 Posts

Response Posted - 12/22/2014 : 13:12:39

Ray, It would cut down on the sail area and lower the sail and that equals less heel if you leave the boom alone but if you raise the boom, You raise the sail also increasing heel. Another words the lower the sail the less heel. Ether way it would be less that the full sail up. Does this make sense...

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redeye
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3474 Posts

Response Posted - 12/22/2014 : 17:16:40

<< Does this make sense... >>

Yepper.. good point.. definitely a higher sail creates more heel.. hadn't thought about that. I think I'll still get it cut, but the sailmaker's price will probably make my decision for me..

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islander
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3992 Posts

Response Posted - 12/23/2014 : 06:57:29

quote:
sailmaker's price will probably make my decision for me..

Got a sewing machine?

Edited by - on

sfsmith
Navigator

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USA
120 Posts

Response Posted - 12/23/2014 : 08:43:57

Several years ago I had our TR main cut down along the foot by about 10 inches. It was the original sail, fairly baggy, so I felt I had little to lose. It's worked out great. I converted the fixed gooseneck to a sliding one and use two sail track stops to keep it in position. The main drawback has been that I have to slide the gooseneck very low to access the track slot for putting on and taking off the sail. Not a big deal since the sail stays on all season. The extra headroom in the cockpit made the change well worth it for me. I still have two levels of reefing available.

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Stinkpotter
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Djibouti
9013 Posts

Response Posted - 12/23/2014 : 12:06:09

It seems to me that the increased height of the center of area (or "center of effort" won't increase the heel if the overall area is reduced. The remaining area is the same shape and in the same position--no increase in leverage from it. But it won't reduce heel as much as it would at the reefed height.

Howver, be careful about where this places your sliding gooseneck relative to the opening in the slot (kerf)--I think you want to keep it below. I wouldn't count on gate plates to hold it under stress.

Also, with a loose foot, this mod will require remaking the tack and clew reinforcements--not a trivial matter with a loose foot.

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redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3474 Posts

Response Posted - 12/23/2014 : 13:57:59

<< remaking the tack and clew reinforcements--not a trivial matter with a loose foot. >>

Yepper.. I figured I'd have the sailmaker cut at the first reef, using those reinforced clew and tack points. And thinking the sail boom height would be just below the gates, which may not make it high enough to be worth while.

The other point I wondered about is the wire pigtail.. would that leave the boom flopping around excessively when it is put away. Thinking I might crimp another pigtail. I've got a pilot friend that has one of those big crimping tools.

What I've always wanted to do is add another backstay, but then that is another project all together.

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dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 12/23/2014 : 19:50:55

Consider a Catalina 22 main as an option, instead of cutting your sail. The luff is 21.0 ft. or 3.7 ft. shorter than a C-25 std. rig main, but the foot is essentially the same, 9.66 ft. vs. 9.6 ft. Therefore the sail area lost, about 20 sq. ft., is almost all in the upper half of the leech edge. Draw it out on paper and you'll see what I mean.
If you are interested, I've got a used Waters C-22 main off of hull #4, mylar and in good condition, that the original owner had cut larger than class spec to race PHRF and maybe get an advantage. The luff is about 6" too long (so it would be 3' shorter than a C-25 SR main). I didn't realize it when I bought it on Ebay last year; flew it only once. I'd love to sell it and get a newer class legal main. It's yours for $250 plus postage, if you are interested.

Edited by - dmpilc on 12/23/2014 20:00:41

Stinkpotter
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Djibouti
9013 Posts

Response Posted - 12/23/2014 : 20:16:21

I can't help thinking about some aesthetics here... Flying an unreefed main at several feet below full hoist looks a little weird to us old salts, and at full hoist, a boom 8-9' above the cockpit sole will look weirder. The SR boom should ride just under 6' up--how much higher do you need it? Some other model's sail might be a lot closer than the c-22, and still leave you with a spec sail for when you host the Nationals at Lanier.

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 12/23/2014 20:35:40

redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3474 Posts

Response Posted - 12/26/2014 : 07:13:02

Wooh.. you guys are killin mee....

Try Mylar.. host the Nationals..

I think I'll try the mylar but slide on the Nationals

Edited by - on

dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 12/26/2014 : 10:31:36

Send me an email if you are serious about trying the sail.

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islander
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3992 Posts

Response Posted - 12/26/2014 : 12:48:19

quote:
I did.. sent the email through the forum ..

Last I knew its not working or at least it didn't a while ago.

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dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 12/27/2014 : 15:45:55

Ray did send me an email via the forum and I did receive it. We are now emailing directly.

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Last Fling 71
Deckhand

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USA
19 Posts

Response Posted - 12/29/2014 : 07:55:20

I have an 89' WK/TR.
3 months ago I had 12" taken off the top of my mainsail. The sailmaker re-shaped the sail and put on a new mainsail halyard attachment plate.
(forgive my lack of proper sail terms) I then put a sliding gooseneck on my boom and raised it 12", so I would have some headroom in my cockpit. By doing this, I retain my reef points and the original mainsail foot configuration. It works fine and I now have good visibility forward, when sailing and coming into my slip.

Edited by - on

redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3474 Posts

Response Posted - 12/29/2014 : 10:10:44

Headboard..

Sounds like a plan... something I might do...

Edited by - redeye on 12/29/2014 10:11:19

alfreddiaz
1st Mate

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USA
30 Posts

Response Posted - 12/29/2014 : 13:13:22

Author,

I am considering a different approach, but basically the same thing. From what I can tell, some J-24 mainsails have almost the same foot length but about a foot shorter on the luff. If I could find a used J-24 sail at the right price, I would buy it and then convert my gooseneck to a sliding one. I wasn't certain I could do this to the gooseneck, then I read that Solomon and Last Fling added sliding goosenecks. I am wondering if anyone has tried using a J-24 on their C-25.

The advantages of going this route would be (1) I can still keep my TR mainsail as is, which is great for lighter winds (2) in heavier winds I could go with the smaller J-24 sail and use the lowest boom setting on the gooseneck, (3) I would also end up with an extra mainsail in case I ever blew one out.

Disadvantages: (1) Those J-24 sails are expensive (2) It looks to me that the J-24 sails attach to the main via a rope that runs through the mast, while C-25s use a plastic sail slide, so you would have to add the slides to the J-24 sail, (3) I am not certain if the construction, weight and shape of the J-24 sails is appropriate for C-25s, (4) There would be the problem of the sail guide hole being too low (which I think Solomon mentioned, but I think it could be fixed by grinding away another guide entrance slot further up the mast.

So there is my solution, which has yet to be tested. If I can just get a hold of the J-24 sail, I would give it a shot.

Al

Edited by - on

Davy J
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1511 Posts

Response Posted - 12/29/2014 : 13:31:01

quote:
If I can just get a hold of the J-24 sail, I would give it a shot.

Here you go......

Masthead Enterprises shows 4 or 5 J24 mains, from 295-375. Click the link and enter 25' in the mainsail search

https://www.mastheadsailinggear.com/UsedSailSearch.aspx

Edited by - on

redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3474 Posts

Response Posted - 12/30/2014 : 09:26:15

Bacon Sails also had a used j24 main...

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Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9013 Posts

Response Posted - 12/30/2014 : 10:41:57

You should be able to run a bolt-rope up the C-25 mast if the rope isn't too large. The disadvantage is it isn't as easy--it needs to be hand-fed into the opening, and pulled out to douse the sail, whereupon the whole thing ends up on the deck.

Nonetheless, a used J-24 sail could be a good buy--racers discard some pretty good ones in order to be as competitive as possible. Find out about the cost of adding slugs--it might make the whole transaction worthwhile.

Edited by - on

redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3474 Posts

Response Posted - 12/31/2014 : 08:12:02

Slugs... yepper.. that was my first thoughts.

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