Association Forum - Sail Number?

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Sail Number?

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

JimV
Deckhand

Member Avatar

USA
20 Posts

Initially Posted - 10/13/2016 : 09:02:39

When I bought my C25 it had a new main with no sail number on the sail. Is the sail number the same as the hull number?

Thanks

Jim

Jim
Eugene, OR
"Caerulea" - 1980 C25 SR/SK #1720

Bladeswell
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
490 Posts

Response Posted - 10/13/2016 : 09:35:00

Hi Jim,

The short answer is yes it should be the same as the hull number. However, sometimes an owner may buy a used sail from another boat which means it could very likely have that boats number on it. I hope this was helpful.

Bladeswell

C25 TR FK Hull #973 1979 L-Dinette. So.Cal.

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

Members Avatar

USA
5851 Posts

Response Posted - 10/13/2016 : 10:51:01

Usually the number on your sail is the hull number. It identifies your boat, and the Coasties can often use it to determine who owns it, if necessary.

However, US Sailing also issues numbers that are used by racers to identify their boats. Other sailing associations also do so, such as the Royal Yachting Association. When a race committee is scoring boats as they cross the finish line, and two white colored boats of the same class cross the finish line in succession, the sail numbers permit the RC to correctly identify each boat.

Sail numbers are required for racing, but I've never heard of any legal requirement for them on a cruising boat, but it's a good thing to have them, in case the Coasties find your boat empty, and adrift.

Steve Milby J/24 "Captiva Wind"
previously C&C 35, Cal 25, C25 TR/FK, C22
Past Commodore

Bill Holcomb
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
769 Posts

Response Posted - 10/13/2016 : 10:51:53

Hi Jim,
Bladeswell is right on.
If you have a mainsail with no number on it and you want to race your boat, simply use the numbers located on the metal plaque on your transom below the tiller. The sail number helps identify boats as they finish - especially if there are a bunch of boats close together at the finish line. BTW - any sailmaker can supply you with the appropriate numbers - the numbers have stick-on backs that "glue" the numbers to the sail.
If you don't intend to race, there is little need for the sail number.
Bill Holcomb - C25 Snickerdoodle #4839

JimV
Deckhand

Members Avatar

USA
20 Posts

Response Posted - 10/13/2016 : 14:19:48

Thanks guys, that's exactly what I was wanting to know :)

Jim
Eugene, OR
"Caerulea" - 1980 C25 SR/SK #1720

Bladeswell
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
490 Posts

Response Posted - 10/13/2016 : 18:34:55

Hello again,

Thanks Bill and Steve. I had not given any thought to racing identification purposes. Not being a racer I didn't think in terms of the bigger picture. Thanks for helping .

Bladeswell

C25 TR FK Hull #973 1979 L-Dinette. So.Cal.

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
9013 Posts

Response Posted - 10/13/2016 : 20:13:50

And as far as I know, the USCG will go on the registration number at the bow on the hull, or for "documented" vessels, the name and hail-port. After all, something like 80% of vessels out there don't have sails, so don't have sail numbers. And sail numbers are only meaningful if you know the make and model. And over half the sailboats don't have sails up. Sail numbers are for racing. Period.

Dave Bristle
Association "Port Captain" for Mystic/Stonington CT
PO of 1985 C-25 SR/FK #5032 Passage, USCG "sixpack" (expired),
Now on Eastern 27 $+!nkp*+ Sarge

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 10/13/2016 20:15:56

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

Members Avatar

USA
5851 Posts

Response Posted - 10/15/2016 : 09:14:01

quote:
Originally posted by Stinkpotter

And as far as I know, the USCG will go on the registration number at the bow on the hull, or for "documented" vessels, the name and hail-port. After all, something like 80% of vessels out there don't have sails, so don't have sail numbers. And sail numbers are only meaningful if you know the make and model. And over half the sailboats don't have sails up. Sail numbers are for racing. Period.

If a sailboat is reported missing and the coasties are searching for it by air, they can identify it easily by the sail numbers. Registration numbers aren't nearly so visible from a distance, if the boat is displaying them at all.

If a nearby boat sees a boat in distress, he probably won't be able to see it's registration numbers or boat name, but he might be able to read its sail numbers, to report it to the coasties.

Sail numbers are a useful device for identifying a boat from a distance, regardless of whether you're a racer or cruiser.

Steve Milby J/24 "Captiva Wind"
previously C&C 35, Cal 25, C25 TR/FK, C22
Past Commodore

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
9013 Posts

Response Posted - 10/15/2016 : 14:07:15

True, if the sail is up. I don't recall seeing pictures or video of a boat "in distress" with its sails still up, but there probably have been some.

Dave Bristle
Association "Port Captain" for Mystic/Stonington CT
PO of 1985 C-25 SR/FK #5032 Passage, USCG "sixpack" (expired),
Now on Eastern 27 $+!nkp*+ Sarge

Lee Panza
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
465 Posts

Response Posted - 10/18/2016 : 20:55:20

quote:
Originally posted by Stinkpotter

True, if the sail is up. I don't recall seeing pictures or video of a boat "in distress" with its sails still up, but there probably have been some.

Now, if they had a number on that sail...

The trouble with a destination - any destination, really - is that it interrupts The Journey.

Lee Panza
SR/SK #2134
San Francisco Bay
(Brisbane, CA)

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
9013 Posts

Response Posted - 10/18/2016 : 21:12:13

quote:
Originally posted by Lee Panza

Now, if they had a number on that sail...

USCG: "Sector San Diego, M-five-one: We have three masts with sails sticking up--which one was the number of the Mayday call?"

Dave Bristle
Association "Port Captain" for Mystic/Stonington CT
PO of 1985 C-25 SR/FK #5032 Passage, USCG "sixpack" (expired),
Now on Eastern 27 $+!nkp*+ Sarge

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 10/18/2016 21:24:38

dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 10/19/2016 : 08:07:59

Ouch!

DavidP
1975 C-22 SK #5459 "Shadowfax" Fleet 52
PO of 1984 C-25 SK/TR #4142 "Recess"
Percy Priest Yacht Club, Hamilton Creek Marina, Nashville, TN

Sam001
Vice Commodore

Members Avatar

USA
441 Posts

Response Posted - 10/20/2016 : 12:42:10

Double ouch!!

Capt Sam, USCG Master Near Coastal
Isle of Hope, GA. Charleston,SC. Lake Murray, SC.
Aboard Bobbin - 1982 Standard Rig-Swing Keel #2963 Dinette Model
"On a powerboat you are going somewhere....On a Sailboat you are Already There!" Capt Sam

http://my.boatus.com//memberPhotos/6315398_1_25502.jpg

Topic

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.