Batten source for 26X?

[richter372001]

Pretty self-explanatory, but, ...we somehow lost our battens (don't ask - I don't know either and did not notice) and need to buy another set.
Where can we get them? How much are they, anyway?

Thanks

[kmclemore]

We$t Marine sells generic battens and batten material - my guess is you'll find what you need there. The alternative is to go directly to Doyle Sails and get them there, but I suspect you'll pay more. Your nearest Doyle sail loft is:

Doyle San Francisco
2035 Clement Ave.
Alameda, CA 94501

Phones:
T (510) 523-9411
F (510) 523-9433

Email:
[email protected]

Contacts:
Bill Colombo
Rusty Canada

[Matt19020]

You can order them from West Marine I replaced 2 on my M this year. I believe they have them from $13-$18 a piece and they are a little better quality then the factory ones. Make sure you know the length you need. When I put the new ones in I ran a stitch of thread through a hole at the end, and sewed it to the sail. That will keep it from coming out again. Just check the thread mid-season I found it came loose and had to redo it...

[Ivan Awfulitch]

Get some stock from Sailrite. They have all sizes and lengths. Prices are pretty good, should be less than $10 each. I lost one of ours (I think it was too short, never fit right) and got some with the nice square end caps. A pretty cheap fix.

http://www.sailrite.com/

[richter372001]

Thanks, all of you: that was fast!!! West Marine and Sailrite seem like good choices, but I still need to know what sizes to get.
Anyone know the dims? Or at least the width? I imagine sawing them to size is within my skillset

[MadMacX]

The long battens are 30". I ended up with a piece that was just under an inch wide. I was told that width is not all that important. Stock battens are about 5/8" wide.

When I lost a batten I went to the local sail loft and the they fixed me up for under $10.00. I got a 5' piece of used batten material and made it into two battens. After losing my first one, I also drilled a small hole in each of my battens and ran a piece of sail thread through it to keep it in place. Not sure if you are supposed to do that, but the guy at the sail loft said it is quite common.

Pat

[richter372001]

Thanks, Pat, that's what I needed!

[Terry]

After losing my first one, I also drilled a small hole in each of my battens and ran a piece of sail thread through it to keep it in place. Not sure if you are supposed to do that, but the guy at the sail loft said it is quite common.
Pat

I have never heard of this before, but now that I have, I will try it. I have lost two battens since installing LazyJacks.

[MadMacX]

One other thing, after you cut the batten to length, make sure you sand the cut edge and wrap them with tape before inserting into the pocket. The cut ends are like a razor blade. I just used 3M white electrical tape and it seems to work fine.

Pat

[Retcoastie]

Where they go is "flying" when the sail is flopping in the wind. I saw one of mine take flight one windy day during a tack. Now, I have the pockets sewn shut and the battens stay in the sail at all the times.

[March]

I am ashamed to admit it, but I made a batten I lost out of a piece of plywood. I cut it , sanded it thoroughly (especially the ends), and lacquered it. It flexes just as well as the original I used as a template. It has lasted me for two seasons--always wanted to order some real ones, but I plain forgot about it

[opie]

I lost 3 of the 4 mains'l battens last year when I was still doing an accidental gibe once in a while. (I use a preventer when going dead down wind now.) Anyway, I now sail with no battens at all and I have sailed much more this summer than last (30+ days at least in all sorts of wind) and I don't miss them at all. Sail shape is sometimes a little cupped, but who cares? $13 a piece for a little stick that may or may not give me an extra 1/4 kt? If anything, I will look for a piece of wood in the garage because of the previous suggestion. Good idea. But for the rest of this season, can someone tell me why I need them, unless the answer is to not be embarrassed if a nearby sailor disses you? We Mac sailors have tough skins anyway, right?

[AWKIII]

I wouldn't be embarrassed at all. They used to be built of wood before fiberglass came around. I used to work in a loft as a kid and always marveled at how much work went into them. They were a real art.

Anyways, if you ever get caught short, we have them available on our web site.

Art