Furling Jib Cover?

[boaterjen]

Ok. It's coming together. Mike gave me same advice, per new one in 3-4 years. I"m getting they're not all made alike, but I won't use mine all that often, and certainly not in heavywinds like Mike has been known to do. Maybe I'll check around and see if there is a foot/leech cover that can reasonably be sewn on. IF not, then I'll keep it uncovered and replace with a more qualitysail in a few years and then cover that one?

You guys are very helpful.

On putting one on, Boat, I did it to my new 26M last month, and it worked out. There are instructions that come with your genoa/jib, and I just followed them, had a chip inplanted in my brain, got some hypnosis, grew a little coordination, and voila! It worked.

I just haven't figured out why the boat keeps blowing off its trailer, is all...

(Kidding)

[cruiser]

......................I bought a genoa from Judy B sails and it's a quality sail, but I still want to protect my standard Doyle jib. If Mike feels the Doyle jenny will stretch out, then buy the boat without a headsail and buy an aftermarket quality one from the beginning and protect it with a cover.
--Russ

Judy B has been very helpful with advise in this area on numerous forum threads. I can't find the thread on the web but here is the cut and paste from one of her replies to me:

"IMO, if you're going to reef the 150% down to the area of a 100% (which is at 80% of its linear dimensions), it should be built as strongly as a 100% or else it will stretch out of shape in a couple of days.
And if you reef it down to the same size as a 75% jib, it better be strong as a storm jib or else it will stretch out of shape in a couple of hours.
In near-calm conditions, a heavier cloth won't fly as easily as a lighter cloth. But in 20 kts winds, a stronger cloth will stretch less.
It's also nice to have reef patches along the leech and foot, to handle the strain at the corners of the reefed sail. "

That sounded like pretty good advise to me.

[Mac26Mpaul]

Yeah sorry Cruiser, leech not luff! ( leech and foot)
Thought it was sunbrella material, will have to double check on that. I had it done at Evolution sails at Labradore. Cant remember the price, think it might have been $260

I use the sock because it sits on the trailer in my yard for months on end in the sun. If it was on a mooring and I was using it every few days, then I probably wouldnt bother with the sock. I believe (hope) the stitching on the UV strip will last a lot longer by using my sock as well!

[cruiser]

Yeah sorry Cruiser, leech not luff! ( leech and foot)
Thought it was sunbrella material, will have to double check on that. I had it done at Evolution sails at Labradore. Cant remember the price, think it might have been $260

I use the sock because it sits on the trailer in my yard for months on end in the sun. If it was on a mooring and I was using it every few days, then I probably wouldnt bother with the sock. I believe (hope) the stitching on the UV strip will last a lot longer by using my sock as well!

Thanks Paul, that's really interesting. Perhaps my old standard jib may be able to be salvaged just by sewing a UV strip over the leech & foot - pretty sure the deterioration was on the leech but will have to check - that would make sense because when is is furled that first 12" of the leech and foot is protecting the rest of the sail. May even be able to look at cutting it down to storm jib size and still sewing the UV strip on, although I need to be careful as a storm jib should really be very, very strong I guess. Lots of food for thought

[cruiser]

.................Judy B has been very helpful with advise in this area on numerous forum threads. I can't find the thread on the web but here is the cut and paste from one of her replies to me:...............

Found the original discussion:
http://bbs.trailersailor.com/forums/mac ... read/47777

[Steve c]

I took my furling Jib to the sail shop and the Owner said the outside edge was too sun damaged to salvage ,as she stuck her finger through the sail with little
effort. She said if I wanted she could cut the bad part out and make it smaller. But her recommendation was to get a new sail with UV proof edging. The boat is only 10 years old,I should have installed the UV protection 5 years ago,,live and learn

[BOAT]

The black UV strip that runs the leech and foot is called Solacryl, but back in the day it was something else, something heavy. Because most of the sailing I have done was back in the 70’s I have only seen the black stripes on the really big boats with the Bainbridge cloth and the extra stitching. I’m sure they must make them for small boats now but to me it seems like a heavy sail construction for my little MAC but I would spring for the money to buy a really nice Genoa like that if you guys think it’s a good value. I’m not so sure I would go any faster with all that weight; back in the day that kind of sail was heavy. I can afford to put any sail I want on my boat, so if you guys have found a really good UV Genny worth the money I’ll buy it in a heartbeat – but I think Mike was using common sense when he told me what he told me about trying to protect the factory Doyle headsail.

I think Mike has a pretty keen sense of value based on his car and clothing and stuff – I think he’s just trying to tell me that I might be spending money that will not really do anything when I asked him about a cover. Mike was very honest with me about all the flaws, features and capabilities regarding this boat when he sold it to me. He reminded me of all those guys I used to sail with back in the old days when this trailer sailing stuff started out. Some dealers will just try to sell you everything they have on the shelf but Mike was not like that at all. I had to talk him into adding some of the options I did buy. He could tell I could afford anything I wanted, but he was really great and only recommended stuff he felt I NEEDED based on my type of sailing. I trust Mike. That’s the bottom line.

[Russ]

I can afford to put any sail I want on my boat, so if you guys have found a really good UV Genny worth the money I’ll buy it in a heartbeat – but I think Mike was using common sense when he told me what he told me about trying to protect the factory Doyle headsail.

I don't live in a disposable goods world and like things to last.
Don't buy the boat with a head sail. Buy one from another sail maker. I can personally vouch for http://www.judybsails.com They are better made and the sun protector is added at manufacture time and does't add very much to the cost. BWY seems to have a quality loft they use as well. I don't sail in 30mph winds and expect this thing to last a while. I have no expectation of replacing it in 5 years because it got wrecked from normal use.

I'm not sure what the arrangement is with dealers and Doyle, but if money is not the issue, buy a better sail. Frankly, a quality head sail isn't necessarily more expensive than the Doyle stock ones.

As far as making the boat go faster, it's a Mac, don't kid yourself. We don't buy them for speed under sail.

--Russ

[BOAT]

That’s what I thought too – so what is the math? What does the Genny cost? 400?

If it lasts 5 years and I buy another for 400 that’s 800 bucks. If the sails from DL or judy or BWY are the same price (?!?) then the faster I wreck this jib the faster I can get a better sail. But if there is no demonstrable difference in the performance between the sails then why bother getting another one? It’s a Braess’s Paradox.

I guess my point is that at my age I think Mike and I already figured this was a ten year project and I was planning the sail the boat pretty hard in a lot of places. When I told him about my past sailing he actually knew the people I mentioned. That’s why he insisted I get a spare tire on the trailer (I never even thought about it). Mike could tell what I was going to do with my boat.

Trust me, I’m not kidding myself about ANYTHING regarding this boat. I thought I made that clear.

[Dimitri-2000X-Tampa]

Well, my sails are over 12 years old now and they still work fine. Are they blown out some, sure? But unless I want that extra quarter knot or extra 5 degrees of point in race, who really cares. I'm going to buy some new ones one of these days, but its not really because I can't keep using the old ones. And btw, when I got the boat, the Genny had 3 years in the FL sun with no protection. It was crispy at the edge, and of course the sailmaker wanted to sell me a new sail, but I just had him put the sunbrella U/V cover on and it is still going now. Granted, the stiching is starting to fail now somewhat, but the cover has not come off yet and if you don't tear Sunbrella, I think it lasts forever. I'm quite sure I could either restich it or put it on a new sail and I'm sure it would easily go another 10 years. When I do finally get new sails, I'll most certainly keep my old ones as spares

[Mac26Mpaul]

Cruiser
I spoke to evolution sails. He said its a special UV insignia cloth ( he said there are a few different manufacturers but they get it from a company called Challange). I believe I payed $260 but he told me that you just need to measure your leech and foot and its $24 per metre fitted. http://www.evolutionsails.com/sail-loft ... t-location

My leech was what had the damage but yes, they do the leach and foot. My stitching was falling apart but so was the dacron itself. He held it in his hands and just gently pulled and it came apart.

[boaterjen]

I tell you what: I am pleased to hear of people who have sailed their boat until the sails start to fall apart. That's beautiful: live, live, live, every minute you're alive.

I'm thankful for the opportunity to enjoy life.

Jen

[BOAT]

Thanks for reminding us Jen - we got it good, that's for sure. It's good to be greatful

[cruiser]

Cruiser
I spoke to evolution sails. He said its a special UV insignia cloth ( he said there are a few different manufacturers but they get it from a company called Challange). I believe I payed $260 but he told me that you just need to measure your leech and foot and its $24 per metre fitted. http://www.evolutionsails.com/sail-loft ... t-location

My leech was what had the damage but yes, they do the leach and foot. My stitching was falling apart but so was the dacron itself. He held it in his hands and just gently pulled and it came apart.

Thanks for that feedback Paul. I will look that up as a comparison to using straight Dacron or Sunbrella. The straight Dacron is probably not a sensible option in our climate, although it would be much lighter than Sunbrella.

[yukonbob]

The constant flogging of the sock at dock has worn a hole through my jib. I've tried everything to stop it from flapping, i twist it up, tie the Jib halyard as high up as I can reach then back to the mast and tie the lower part to the front stantions and it still flaps away. The dime sized hole is 2/3rds the way up, and corresponding dark patches all the way across. This just means I get to call Judy and get her to make a matching jib for my kick a$$ main she sent me. Thanks again