Close your eyes or visit the sailmaker?

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tillergirl

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Managed to break 6 of the 13 sail slides on the boom today. Well I think it was today. The sail actually set quite well (it's a MAB) half loose footed and the foot is well secured fore and aft if the other had gone - but they didn't.

Question is - do I forget about it until the end of the season when the sails go in for cleaning and sail around with a loose footed main or do I whip off the sail and drop it in the sailmakers? I know, I know, I should replace them myself but when it gets valeted this winter I am sure the sailmakers will replace my inept attempts at whipping on the sail slides.
 
As Tillergirl has said, I would remove the rest and play with the outhaul. I have a friend who lost all the slides on his mast in a strong wind, apart from the upper and lower. The resulting stresses were too much for the rig which went overboard.
 
That's not very reassuring you know! I think the boom end fittings are more than fit for it but...... Actually I was thinking, the original 1964 mainsail is in Mum's garage. I might whip that out and try it until the end of the season. I have always thought it was a better sail!
 
Although its not quite the same I had that on a charter boat in Greece many years ago, three of the mast slides went , one after the other. It was OK until the next days blow, then there was a series of pops as the rest snapped followed by a bang as the mainsail split neatly in half. As we were just approaching the anchorage this was well, if embarrassingly, timed.

So I guess I would err on the side of caution and dig out the old main from the garage.
 
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