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Tell me about your battens....


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So, Tennant described building battens in the plans using lengths of PVC pipe and inserting a smaller diameter pipe in the aft end to stiffen the leech.  No dimensions or anything.   Sort of a trial-and-error process I suppose.

 

Right now, I have some pretty floppy glass battens that tend to reverse-camber toward the leech when I put the boat under pressure upwind.  I have attempted to mitigate this by stiffening the existing floppy battens with some additional Hobie battens along the after portion,   In one batten, I did the PVC pipe thing and that seemed to create a better, but not great shape.  I've reduced the issue by about 50% 

 

What are you guys using for battens?  I have fairly large batten pockets that can easily handle PVC pipe of roughly 3cm diameter.   When you have a sail built, are the batten specs called out by the sailmaker?

 

Again, My sails were sewn by the builder in his basement and I'm looking for an interim solution for the next year or so after which I hope to buy a new main.

 

If it isn't obvious, my goal to improve upwind performance.  

 

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We have one of those old mains. The cloth is stretchy and the top wont ever sit very well.  Don't look up, crank on the main , just look at the head sail which should be strapped in hard and have a narrow slot.

 

Boat speed is your friend, push your boat speed over ten knots, send your heaviest crew onto the bow and fly a hull.

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EXCELLENT!   I suppose that sometimes the best action is "don't look up!"

 

I did run out and buy several lengths/diameters of PVC this morning.   I want to enter a cruising class 18 mile race in July, and need at least a modicum of sail trim.   So I'll keep fiddling with it.

 

The NOR calls for roughly 10K upwind, 10K downwind and 10K of reach to the finish.   Rinse and repeat on Day 2.

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I have had really good battens from day one but the first set of sails were undebuilt dacron sails (1986, remember?) and good battens can not save bad sails :-(

 

We found another sailmaker, one who knew what he was doing, who re-cut the main and reinforced its leach and we ended up with a useful if not good sail.

 

/Martin

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Any good sail maker should be able to supply you with much better battens. It does look like very old technology you are referring to. 

An economic way to get heavy non tapered battens is to buy a whole coil, often about 30m. Good for the lower part of the sail at least. 

I would have thought you'd be after 25mm x 10mm or so, solid pultruded battens. You can buy them pre-tapered. Tapering them yourself is a heinous task. Itchy and horrible! Don't do it. They aren't that expensive.

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