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Okay, it is late and I have better things to do but here I am all bleary eyed and I just can't let this question go...
This is a picture of, for lack of a better word, a batten lock. This is where the batten is secured to the mainsail.
My question is: How does it work. Maybe in the morning it will make more sense but with my sails draped all over my living and dining rooms (roomate moved out last week YES!) I can't figure out how this thing is supposed to work. I am a pretty low tech kinda guy and these new-fangled full battened sails are a mystery to me.
On a nonsensical and irrevelant note... These are the best cared for sails I have ever seen. I know crisp folds are not desired when folding sails but these were wrapped up by a true artist. It hurt to disturb them. Very impressive. I think the guys and gals at Fortune Inc in Falmouth are responsible Sorry, I forgot to take the photo (It is late after all)
I've not seen that kind of batten setup before, and can't quite tell the details from the photo, but is there a tab on the plastic adjusting end (attached to the strap) that slides into the plastic arrangement on the sail? It looks like there is a slot there.
If that's the case, I would opine that you insert the batten in the pocket, then slide the adjusting piece into that slot, and finally tighten the strap to secure it in place. With full battens, you can also adjust the tension on each batten to increase or decrease the amount of curvature they force into the sail. In general, you want them adjusted just so that there are no wrinkles in the batten pockets.
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The metal piece on the left side of the fitting is a strap that the batten presumably slides under. The fitting on the end of th strap is a little wedge-shaped but I can't see how the pieces of the puzzle lock together cleanly.
... Now that I am looking at it fresh eyed and bushy tailed I think I have it figured out. The batten slides in from the left under the metal clip with the nylon strap around it and the plastic fitting slides in from the left wedging itself into the fitting under the metal strap on the sail and then the nylon strap is tightened... That might work. I will give it a try.
Thanks for the input on adjusting the batten tension. I never would have thought of "tuning" the curvature with the battens like that.
So... batten compression can be adjusted at the luff?
As a carry-over from my beach cat days, I spend far too much time and energy on proper batten adjustment. The ability to make small adjustments at the mast is just super cool.
And if one of the upper battens is too stiff, it'll be an easy matter to remove it, give it a few licks with a sanding block, and shoot it right back into the pocket.
Actually, looking at that hardware again, it looks like a primary attribute would be the "quick-release" ability. If one were somewhat obsessive about the care and preservation of one's sails (anyone like that around here?), one could easily release these clips after the day's sailing and prevent the constant strain of the battens from distorting the sail shape over time. you know.... some of these full-batten mains that have been around for a while start to look like they're made of five pillowcases stitched together, rather than like one smooth shape.
My own batten pockets were somewhat modified when I converted the sail for the Strong track system this year. The old system used some very simple screws (about 1/2" diameter) at the luff end to tension and hold the battens in place. The battens (round fiberglass) were inserted from the luff end through the slide holder, and then the screw was inserted. Turning the screw could easily increase or decrease the tension on the battens.
The new setup sees the battens installed from the leech side, rather than the luff side as previously, and now they're held in place and tensioned with some sewn-in Velcro tabs. I admit that I was really scratching my head when I first installed the battens this year. I could see that the aft end of the inside of the batten pocket was lined with the opposite side of the Velcro, but couldn't for the life of me figure out how I was supposed to push this tab in there.
Finally, I discovered a little short batten piece that the sailmakers had included with the sail; this piece fits into a little pocket at the end of the tab and enables it to be pushed into the batten pocket, where the velcro grips it. Pushing the tab in further tightens the battens. There's a sewn lanyard on the tabs that sticks out of the end and allows them to be easily removed.
I hope for 10 years out of the main before replacement is required; I figure on five years for genoas, which means I should get a new one next year. We'll see about that...there are a few other irons in the fire now and going forward.
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Tim, where did you learn about the 5 year rule on the genoa? MSP told me 10 years for cruising which means I have 5 left but am guessing fewer since we sail so much in the summer. I'm already thinking Strongtrack and a sweet cruising laminate genoa and a bit smaller in size, too, probably 135% and getting a 155% a little bit later. Are you liking the Strongtrack system?
Cheers,
Clint
Clinton B. Chase
Tartan 30 #388 Cirrus
Portland, Maine
The 5-year deal is my own arbitrary thought on genoa life. Roller furling genoas tend to get baggy and wrinked after a while. Plus, I hate my genoa, so I'm making excuses to get a new one!
I see no reason to push a sail's natural life. They are too important. I'm seeing signs of age on my main, but I should be able to get several more years out of it successfully. When it starts to look too raggy, I'll get a new one (tri-radial next time, like the future sails on the Daysailor...).
Laminate sails are great, but I would definitely figure on a 5-year lifespan for those, max. They're best when new, but regular use and roller furling are not great for them--they wear out much more quickly, and become less good than traditional sails.
If I were you, I'd go tri-radial for enhanced performance and sail shape, but not laminate.
I love the Strong track. Highly recommended. The sail just "zings" down.
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I love the Strong track. Highly recommended. The sail just "zings" down
Yeah, giving you plenty of time to look over at others without lazy jacks, that have to wrestle fully battened mains all over the deck with that Big Fat Smug look of yours...
After the season I will say the batten adjustments proved to be rather touchy and I wouldn't recomend releasing the tension every time even though it would have made furling the sail much easier. I like the performance but my next mainsail may be battenless. It depends on how much the lazy jacks improves the sail stowage.
Lazy jacks are great. Track Slides are also great. Even greater than both are battens! Don't take them out. They help with shape in all wind conditions. There is no reason that you should have to remove them from the sail.
I think I mentioned my Lazy jack system in another thread, but it could be made with $15 worth of line and a few SS rings. It was put together by the previous owner, and they used rings and splices to build the system. It's very simple, but raising and lowering the main with them is a breaze.
I agree that battens do a great job of adding sail shape and allowing for a bigger roach. I won't do anything too quick but I did find furling the sails to be a big pain with those full battens flopping all over the place. Since the battens are slightly longer than the sail the batten is always trying to stretch out and flip to one side or the other.
My understanding is that battens also create a disproportionate amount of wear and tear on the sails. Since I am a cruiser and not a racer (Tritons are not exactly competitive though they can surprise you) I am always looking for the simpler and easier system.
Lazy jacks are going on the boat this winter. That way I can begin to erase the painful memory of Tim's look of absolute ease everytime he came to the anchorage and had his sails down and stowed in about ten seconds all while maintaining a smooth (and can I say suave) nonchalant pace to the whole activity.
Okay, I will keep the battens until I replace the mainsail. Thanks.
The lazy jacks will cure your desire for battenless, other than the valid arguments for a battenless mainsail that were presented in another thread here during your absence.
Full battens are definitely a pain when lowering the sail...unless you have lazy jacks. The jacks make all the difference, trust me. As I've said before here, I resisted lazy jacks for years, but became an instant convert. Perhaps that explains that "smug" (as you said) expression on my face when lowering the sail!
If you have no need or desire for removable lazy jacks, you can build a system for only a few dollars. Even the more complicated self-built retractable/adjustable system like I use can be built for short money, as the hardware required is such small size and so minimal.
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