adding spectacles to an existing main

[SteveSarabande]

I am trying to get a rough idea of what the going rate would be for a sailmaker to add spectacles to two reefing cringles to an existing mainsail on an 8m yacht.

Anyone had this done recently?

 

[sailorman]

buy the rings & DIY

 

[SteveSarabande]

The ones i have seen have the rings attached with stitched webbing through the cringle. are you suggesting tying the rings on with rope?

 

[JayBee]

I am trying to get a rough idea of what the going rate would be for a sailmaker to add spectacles to two reefing cringles to an existing mainsail on an 8m yacht.

Anyone had this done recently?

I had this done a long time ago but can't remember the cost. For two reefing cringles the materials amount to four stainless rings and perhaps a metre of webbing, plus the sailmaker's time, say one hour.

 

[sailorman]

The ones i have seen have the rings attached with stitched webbing through the cringle. are you suggesting tying the rings on with rope?

get some webbing & hand stitch yourself

 

[JimC]

I've no confidence in my own stitching but I have done it experimentally with 8 mm rope and bunt-line hitches to the rings, shortened up as much as possible. It looks OK, haven't used it in anger yet though.

 

[SteveSarabande]

What are the rings called? My googling isnt locating anything suitable.

 

[JayBee]

What are the rings called? My googling isnt locating anything suitable.

They are called "rings"

http://www.baselinemarine.com/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=57&cat=Rings

 

[sailorman]

http://www.gsproducts.co.uk/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=37_236

 

[alahol2]

A much easier, cheaper solution is to just splice a ring of three starnd through the cringle. Used on the last 2 boats very successfully, cost... about zero.
I suppose you could also go for one of these new fangled soft shackles through the cringle.

 

[webcraft]

.
Remember the luff will be slightly longer when reeefed than previously - it might make a significant difference to the shape of the reefed sail as the leach cringle will remain the same. It might be worth DIY-ing with rope at least temporarily and trying it out before committing.

Just a thought, not based on personal experience - we had our main made with spectacles.

- W

 

[EBoat126]

If you're in Cardiff, try Josh at

http://www.severnsails.co.uk/

 

[wotayottie]

Genuine question but why would you want to do so? I have them on my main, I can only get one ring round the horns anyway so they achieve nothing much

 

[Lodesman77]

Genuine question but why would you want to do so?

Opinions vary, but among others 1) it's much easier than trying to get the cringle directly onto the horns, and 2) it should line up the pull on the sail better.

I have them on my main, I can only get one ring round the horns anyway so they achieve nothing much

Why would you want to get more than one ring on at a time?

.

 

[simonfraser]

Dunno how much tension u guys need on ur luff, but I distort my reefing holes with the spectacle rings as they pull off axis when hooked on one side only.
Have replaced them with single line in a small loop, dyneema, knotted.

 

[rob2]

If you're worried about your sewing skils for a DIY installation, then consider that the strain is actually taken by the webbing being laid upon itself to form a coil - the friction takes the load with the stitching only needed to keep the layers together.

I have spectacles on my new main (which I didn't ask for) and am contemplating taking them off as I use single line slab reefing.

Rob.

 

[SteveSarabande]

Dunno how much tension u guys need on ur luff, but I distort my reefing holes with the spectacle rings as they pull off axis when hooked on one side only.
Have replaced them with single line in a small loop, dyneema, knotted.

A loop of rope is my other option., maybe i will give that a go first.

At the moment there is no reefing system, so i am just working through the prices and options. The main has reefing cringles but there are no ramshorns, lines, blocks or anything on the boom. The previous owner just used a bit of old rope to tie in the reefs. I sail singlehanded mostly and need to make it quicker and easier.

 

[Lodesman77]

I have spectacles on my new main (which I didn't ask for) and am contemplating taking them off as I use single line slab reefing.

Why are you thinking of taking them off? Everyone's set-up is different, and clearly they don't work for simonfraser, but mine seems to work as intended and holds the sail nicely. I also use slab reefing - seems to me the reason to use them rather than to remove?

If I didn't have them I probably just use a loop of rope, although on reflection they probably help to avoid chafe to some degree...

.

 

[simonfraser]

You could set up a short line with hook for the reefing cringe tied to the mast base for starters.

 

[Lodesman77]

You could set up a short line with hook for the reefing cringe tied to the mast base for starters.

I tried that when I was temporarily without reefing hooks; it works fine but I found if I dropped it the length of the line then made it a bit of a pain (couple of feet on my boat)

.