Loose Footed Main Conversion

Daverw

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I’ve been reading that many are now converting from main sails that are on bolt rope on the boom to loose footed.

As my main is currently off the boat, if I looked at doing this does the sail need modifying or can you just fit at the tack and clew and leave the bolt rope out of the groove?
 

Poignard

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I’ve been reading that many are now converting from main sails that are on bolt rope on the boom to loose footed.

As my main is currently off the boat, if I looked at doing this does the sail need modifying or can you just fit at the tack and clew and leave the bolt rope out of the groove?
My newest mainsail is loose-footed and it differs from the previous one which had a roped foot by having its foot reinforced by a doubled tape with a tensioning cord inside it.
 

lw395

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I’ve been reading that many are now converting from main sails that are on bolt rope on the boom to loose footed.

As my main is currently off the boat, if I looked at doing this does the sail need modifying or can you just fit at the tack and clew and leave the bolt rope out of the groove?
To get the best sail shape, you will want to change the reinforcement around the clew.
A) it may need to be stronger to take the full leach tension on the cringle
B) it should feed the tension into the body of the sail differently, a bolt rope spreads the load, just hanging the boom off the cringle may distort the sail.

Also, the foot may flap horribly.

But for some sails it might work fine.
 

xyachtdave

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That's a good point I'd never thought of!

Although my loose footed mainsail which replaced a bolt rope main hasn't broken anything...yet
 

mbroom

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My old Mirror dinghy had a loose footed main in 1972... back then some classes such as the Minisail wanted to change to a bolt rope foot! Why change just for the sake of it, unless you are racing?
 

Rappey

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Another point to consider is how the loading on the boom changes. The foot of the sail speads its load along the length of the boom. Loose foot it and the load transfers to the end, possibly risking snapping the boom if the main sheet arrangement is on the cabin roof ?
 

Daverw

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Main sheet is near the end of boom, one question also why do people seem to be moving to loose footed?
 

mbroom

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Main sheet is near the end of boom, one question also why do people seem to be moving to loose footed?
I agree, I can’t see the point at all. For racing, it makes clew adjustments a bit easier and allows the spinnaker to be dropped between the sail and boom. My last cruising boat had a bolt rope foot, my current has a loose foot. No difference whatsoever for cruising.
 

Romeo

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I’m quietly amused. My father’s boat (1937-60) had a loose footed mainsail.

And so has mine in 2020.

One thing that doesn’t get mentioned as often as I think it should is that the kicker be it rod or rope is now pulling on the middle of the boom, unopposed...

I was similarly amused when doing my yachtsmaster theory, when the talk was on reefing. The speaker explained that modern boats had slab reefing, and that roller reefing was very oldfashioned. Up until then, and sailing a boat built in the 30s with slab reefing, I had always thought of roller reefing as quite new fangled. Funny how fashion comes and goes.
 

lw395

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I agree, I can’t see the point at all. For racing, it makes clew adjustments a bit easier and allows the spinnaker to be dropped between the sail and boom. My last cruising boat had a bolt rope foot, my current has a loose foot. No difference whatsoever for cruising.
It's much easier to bend on a big loose footed sail if you're on your own!
The reefing lines can just tie around the boom.
It makes the stackpack simpler?
It's what pops out of modern sail design software?
 

[163233]

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I didn't get it done, but mine has a loose footed main.

The foot seems to be a slightly different shape, curving downward in the middle, on mine at least.
Also seems to need a bit more of a stand-off from the gooseneck at the tack, I bunged a 3 or 4" shackle in and it seems to get a slightly better shape. I don't know what the original idea was.

I think I should have a strap around the boom through the clew as well as the outhaul though, is this right?
 

Kukri

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I didn't get it done, but mine has a loose footed main.

The foot seems to be a slightly different shape, curving downward in the middle, on mine at least.
Also seems to need a bit more of a stand-off from the gooseneck at the tack, I bunged a 3 or 4" shackle in and it seems to get a slightly better shape. I don't know what the original idea was.

I think I should have a strap around the boom through the clew as well as the outhaul though, is this right?

Yes. And the strap should be massively strong. At least, mine is, and it came from Sanders, who are as good as anyone.
 

Poignard

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I’m quietly amused. My father’s boat (1937-60) had a loose footed mainsail.

And so has mine in 2020.

One thing that doesn’t get mentioned as often as I think it should is that the kicker be it rod or rope is now pulling on the middle of the boom, unopposed...
Within a couple of weeks of me getting a loose-footed mainsail it snapped my boom in two. The break occurred at the point where the kicking-strap attachment was rivetted to the boom.
 

[163233]

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Yes. And the strap should be massively strong. At least, mine is, and it came from Sanders, who are as good as anyone.
A lot seem to multiple wraps of velcro webbing.

It looks like they're either multiple wraps through the clue and velcro'ed or some other fixing holding the ends together.
How do the fixings work?
 

mbroom

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It's much easier to bend on a big loose footed sail if you're on your own!
The reefing lines can just tie around the boom.
It makes the stackpack simpler?
It's what pops out of modern sail design software?
I’ll concede the reefing lines ?
 

Daydream believer

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I doubt that a bolt rope foot does provide a great deal of support to the boom in every case. My mainsail boltrope foot is quite baggy to give flow to the foot & one can feel some loose sail, unless the clew is hauled out tight. When I am off the wind I ease the clew & tighten the kicker a bit to replace the downward pull of the mainsheet. In that situation there is slack sail in the foot. Rolling in a big sea there can be quite a bit of leech tension.
As soon as I go to first reef ( which is not a great sail reduction) the weight on the sail is probably greater & it is then acting as a loose foot. At that point i would expect the load on the boom to be higher than with a full sail in light air.
My last sail had a 1/3 bolt rope & that was better as I could let more slack in the foot.
 
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