Chopping the top off a sail

[Kelpie]

I have acquired, for what seemed like a bargain price, a never-used cruising dinghy mainsail complete with two rows of reefs. I bought it for my Wayfarer but it turned out to be a bit small. Still, I hung on to it with the idea that I would use it when singlehanding- although I've never actually done that. So it's still brand new, never used, just run up the mast to check the size.

I've now downsized to a Wanderer (14ft version of the Wayfarer) and was crossing my fingers that this sail might fit. It nearly does. The foot is a bit longer than a Wanderer sail, but the boom is long enough to get it on and tension the outhaul right up and there's still an inch or so to spare. However the luff is about 4" too long (assuming I want it as tight as possible).

Should I...
a) get a bit chopped off the top (4"... can't be that big a deal, can it? Maybe fit a bigger headboard to support the leach?)
b) fit a cunningham cringle and use that to tension the luff (but that will leave the boom drooping, I think?)
c) just use it with the first reef set, and save it for windy days (but my Wanderer already has a reef in its mainsail so I would probably just use that rather than swap sails)
d) fit a second gooseneck on the mast, 4" below the existing one (and bang my head during every tack)
e) find out what boat the sail is supposed to fit, sell it, use the proceeds to buy a proper Wanderer sail.

The last option sounds fairly sensible. The sail is clearly not intended for an outright racing class, as it has two rows of reefs (unusual in a sail so small) and no cunningham. It has a bolt rope along the foot and a Rutgersonn headboard. No other makers names anywhere. Any suggestions?

 

[Colvic Watson]

I did it on the Kipper - 10" taken off the top after a change of boom arrangement. No setting problems. a big cruising main and cost £80.

 

[Thistle]

You may find that the alteration will be more expensive than you think: most of the work in a sail - and therefore the cost - is in the corners. The cost of cloth and of running straight seams is small in comparison. Do you know anyone with a Wayfarer mast they don't need?

 

[NormanS]

I had rwo genoas slightly shortened by a local sailmaker. Can't remember what it cost, which is probably an indication that it wasn't a lot.

 

[dylanwinter]

I had rwo genoas slightly shortened by a local sailmaker. Can't remember what it cost, which is probably an indication that it wasn't a lot.

this bloke is a genius - and cost effective

http://www.paulnewellsails.com/

he cut a snipe sail down for me

kept a brilliant shape

D

 

[William_H]

You can do it yourself as I have done for a mainsail for Keel boat. The difficulty is in the setting of large eyelets and of possibly having to add more doubling panels at the corners.
So in my case i needed to cut the main down by 6inches or so. It seemed easier to remove the headboard and cut the top off. The leach was cut to a taper and folded over to make a hem for a few feet dwon the leach. In replacing the headboard in the new position the headboard in itself provided the eylet. I bolted the 2 sides of the headboard together with 4mm screws and nuts easier for me than setting new rivets.
If you can get new eyelets and a re able top set them then you could cut the foot down. So much depends on what you can do and what is available. Certainly easier than trying to sell the thing and reef s are always good on a dinghy. good luck olewill

 

[Kelpie]

I'm not thinking about doing this myself, I think that could be a recipe for ars*ng up a perfectly good brand new sail.
Crusader told me that I might be looking at up to £100 and that it would involve pretty major surgery, something about the leech cloth being different to the rest of the sail. Seemed a bit involved for what amounts to chopping off the bit of the sail currently taken up by the headboard.
I've emailed Newells, see what they say, thanks for the tip Dyl.