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Wrinkles


PinoyPiper

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Hi all. I'd like to get your inputs on why my sails are wrinkling like this? (attached photo) what should I adjust to get the wrinkles out? snotter tension? sprit angle? 

 

First, I'd experiment with the tack line and add some tension there (to add tension to the luff of the sail) - because I can't tell from the pics whether there's enough luff tension yet.

 

Then reduce the snotter tension a little bit. at a time.

 

The sprit angle looks pretty good - but you can see that the snotter angle is not quite the same on the main and mizzen (prortionately) -- get the the sprit angle right on the main first, then work on the mizzen (the mizzen will be in the downwash of the main so it will trim differently)

 

Boat and rig looks great!  Nice!

 

My 2-cents

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I kind of agree with Peter. I put a strip of paper on the screen and it almost looked like the mast isn't bending sweet. Do you have enough heel inside the aluminium section? It almost looks like a dog leg in that joint. Probably just my perspective. To stiffen the lower part of your wood section you could run a carbon sleeve - say 2-3 ft. To tell how much exactly is beyond my ken. Personally, I would try a third of the section length on ONE MAST to begin with -and if it turns out too stiff I would work my way down with a sander until it looked good. I also have to tell you that my 17 year old sails look whole lot worse. Some things you can get used to given enough time and tight budget. I keep promising myself a better set for the 28.Good luck PeterP

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To stiffen the lower part of your wood section you could run a carbon sleeve

 

I did this on the main mast of my 30 ft Bolger folding schooner when we had overbend creases. It worked for a while but the difference in flex between carbon and wood eventually caused mutiple cracks in the carbon and the mast bent as much as before.

 

Cheers

Peter HK 

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Yeah I think it's a mast bend issue. due to to limited availability of quality aluminum tubing where I am I had to make do with bridsmouth for the top section, and aluminum pipe, (yes pipe, 3 to 4mm wall thickness) of unknown alloy and temper for the lower section. the top half bends as it should but the lower section bends very little or none at all. that "dog leg" was worse before I wrapped the 6" lower birdsmouth section with cf. 

 

DSC04075SM.jpg

 

Should I stiffen the top half? or try to find a lower aluminum section with more give? 

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The problem is trying to find the right balance between mast bend and the cut of the sail. I presume your sailmaker cut for a stiffer mast with an even bend and you have over bend creases. Assuming this to be correct then the best option would be to stiffen the top masts rather than change the lower, stiffer half as the sails seem to be cut for a stiffer mast.

As to options...?redo solid top masts ?cover with a lot of carbon fibre as a little doesn't work but this is heavy ?Cut them in half, rout them out to a thin shell and glue them together to use as a form for a carbon fibre mast ignoring the timber component for strength,

?use the very top of your current masts but insert an aluminium mid piece.

HTH

Cheers

PeterHK

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Before you rebuild your mast...............................

 

Increasing luff tension via halyard or down haul would be my first adjustment.

 

 

Ok, in the midst of all these sailors who are more accomplished than I, I think I'd first tighten up on the downhaul and see how that works.

 

My 2¢

 

 

LOL Gordy-me too

 

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What I see in the first picture, which seem worse in the smaller one, is the joint between the lower and upper sections. The upper portion doesn't seem to have all that much bend, nor does the lower section, though a kink is apparent at the joint of the two. How much "bury" of the upper section into the lower tube is there?

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Alan and Graham were sailing with me this fall when I remarked on the amount of mast bend on Skorpa. Alan suggested that I might consider routing the halyard through a couple of fairleads on the side of the mast. I do not mean to imply that halyard routing is causing the excessive mast bend, but running the halyards through some fairleads might be an easy way to take a little pressure off the mast. I have been trying to think of a way to run the halyard down the front of the mast. I do not know if this will make a noticeable difference.

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