I believe, there would be new enterprise round the corner. Helps small retailers exist.
It calls "diversification", Remind me 40 years ago, visit Moscow. Long Queue, waiting at butcher shop, here comes an ice cream, people buy icecream and keep waiting for meat to arrive.
Re: sailmakers, i think they will always be kept busy by the local racers not so much the cruisers.
I've seen the funniest things go down watching pig headed racers, here's a few:
The whole fleet under spinnakers with an obvious squall line coming, about 3/4 of them broached and about 10 spins turned into ribbons, it looked like a surprise birthday party.
Sydney harbour races coming out of middle harbour in a strong westerly one by one they came out running square with full mains to be knocked flat like lemmings.
Re: Winch on mast/horns. With the horns you have to go to the mast to slip the rings off or on so i'm there with the halyard and reefing lines and topping lift, all sorted.
With the groms, you might as well run them all back to the cockpit.
My new main has arrived from Fareast sails. It looks well made, fitting it will be the test. Cost landed $1395
Where is the best place to buy battens? I need 4, longest 3.2m. They are 40mm by 4mm.
Cheers
John
Thanks for the advice. It is the obvious place but I was hoping to buy them somewhere more convenient to my place. Whitworths don't do them, nor do Bias.
I have tried online and found a couple of providers.
Anybody tried to buy them online?
"Thanks for the advice. It is the obvious place but I was hoping to buy them somewhere more convenient to my place. Whitworths don't do them, nor do Bias.
I have tried online and found a couple of providers.
Anybody tried to buy them online? "
Whitworths can easily get battens, unfortunately you need a staff member with some knowledge of where to get them from which sounds like they were sadly lacking.
Next time you are in Whitworths or possibly would have more luck in their mailorder section. Get them to open up a DP catalogue were they get their hot knives and sun fabric from. The battens are cheap and domestic freight costs are not rediculous (unlike international rates for battens due to cubic freight rates).
Brett
Thanks Brett. I just spoke to the Crows Nest Whitworths Manager and he confirmed they could not help. He wasn't familiar with the DP catalogue but said they get their stuff from Bainbridges. Bainbridges cannot get me 40mm X 4mm battens in bulk lengths.
Gemmell sailmakers in Drummoyne can provide me with a 9 metre length in a coil for $117.
A bit inconvenient but that is my best bet at the moment.
And that would be one of the main reasons why we have a need to shop os for marine goods here in Australia. The staff in chandleries are for the most part poorly trained monkeys. John at Whitworths there is a great example of either too stupid or too lazy (more probable) to even look for the catalogue/price list that was dropped off to the store.
G'day Ken. Sounds good. Where are you located?
Cheers
John
PS I just saw your club on the stern.
Sorry, the lengths are OK, but the size is 20x7mm.
The $117 deal sound good.
I know I was charged more than that from the local (now out of business) sailmaker.
Cheers
Dusty
Thanks Dusty. It was good of you to give it a go.
What type of boat do you have?
Cheers
John
Hi Simon,
We have a Carter 33 Passage.
It has been fully restored over the past three years and the owner of the marina laughingly describes it as "the most original yacht in the marina, without any original parts on it."
Not quite true, there are a few things we have managed to retain in keeping with the era.
I hope you will like the FES sail as much as we do ours.
Dusty
New Far East Sails main fitted today. I didn't get a sail in but hoisted it on the mooring. It is a very good shape and fit and sets well. The clew and tack are correctly located and she looks to have a good shape. For US$1466 delivered, plus $120 for the battens, I am a happy camper.
That's very good news John.
All the people I have put on to them here in Hobart are very happy with there work.
Considering that they rely on YOUR measurements and never see the yacht concerned, there strike rate is unbelievable. The local sailmakers who travel down to the boat and do there own measurements don't seem able todo as good.
Happy sailing.
Dusty
The weekend is looking like it will be better to be watching footy on tv than sailing. I'm not working Friday so might test the new sail then. To answer the question, two reefs both pretty deep. The 1st is 1.6m and the 2nd 3.4m. Three reefs is too much too handle single handed so I went for two with the 2nd good for 30+ kts. After that drop it and if critical put up the trysail, but it would have to be really necessary.
G'day Graham. That is OK if you have single line reefing. I need to go to the mast to put the cringle on the horn then go back to the cockpit to get the halyard up and pull the reefing line in to get the clew down.
Having two reefs also reduces the number of ropes and clutches and I don't have to take one reef off the horn to get the third on.
I can see the reasoning to have 3 reefs if racing, the same as having a range of headsails to be able to optimise sail combinations. As a cruiser I don't need to worry about it.
Having said that, I would like to see your set up. If it isn't too much work I could be tempted to convert mine.
Hi,
We use three reefs in our main for cruising.
All controls lead back to the cockpit and to save that trip up to the mast until it's convenient I use a "cunningham" down haul.
Once the reef is set up and I think I/we are back in control. I usually walk up and place the cringle on the horn and reset the cunningham to the next reef point.
I hope this makes sense, because it is a good system that we developed when we used to race.
Dusty
Good idea. I use my Cunningham to reef but only because the horns are not well placed, the sail blows off the horn. I will set mine up to do the same and see how it works.
The photo is Ramona sailed by her previous owners under her previous name Katinka. I stole the photo off its website. Its taken in Bass straight. Looks like the No 3 blade headsail and possibly 2 reefs in the main. The main reefing lines are yellow, blue and red. Red to remind you things are serious. Yellow being the first. Looks like a blue sheet on the winch and I would say the first reef is still in and locked off on the jammers.
The 3 leech reef lines are rigged similar to a Cunningham eye with the blocks and attachment eyes positioned so that the new tack is pulled well forward as well as down.
Took the main for a short sail to see how it sets and reefs. The sail sets nicely, the reefs work well and sail shape when reefed is very good. The boat is faster and points noticeably higher. These are very good sails, highly recommended.
I expected a major improvement with a non baggy main but am genuinely pleased with the quality, fit and set of this mainsail.
My furling heady is a Rolly Tasker sail made in Phuket. I ordered it from the Woolwich Marina, the RT agent, while my rigger fitted the furler. It was reassuring having them measure everything up and be responsible for the fit. I went up one grade of cloth from that recommended, foam in the luff and UV strip and it cost about $2200. It sets very well even when furled a fair way in.
Obviously I haven't used the Fareast Sails headsail measuring process but the mainsail process was pretty thorough. I can't fault the set of the main.
Obviously, for those people who have read the first posting, I purchased our new furling genoa from FES and went on to recommend them here.
The measuring process is very thorough and advice is freely given when asked for.
Our FES headsail is of the highest standard and quality.
The usual disclaimer applies:- I do not have any financial or any other type of interest (other than a happy customer) in Far East Sails.
Dusty
