cutting down a squib sail

[dylanwinter]

my father in law popped his clogs a couple of months ago and I have spent the weekend painting his house and clearing out the garage

his last boat was a squib - and I found an old squib main - in pretty good nick

it would be great for my upriver rig

loose footed and straight onto the mast - halward at the top, no boom and a couple of extra rings to keep the luff close to the mast

- but it is too long in the luff

The sail is 22 foot along the luff and reckon my mast is about 20 feet

so I need to take 3 feet off the bottom

so one option is to flog the main to a squib sailor as it is

or

get the bottom cut off and the rings added along the luff to help keep it close to the mast

any suggestions about a sailmaker who might be prepared to take on the job?

Dylan

 

[Daydream believer]

Lonton & Gray , Burnham on crouch in the high street.easy to park if delivering. Shut Friday 's PM & weekends but Ian will take delivery to his house in Mayland if you ring first
Ian Gray is a squib sailor so may have best ideas on how to cut it if you ring him first

 

[Searush]

Why not do it yourself, Dylan? A normal domestic sewing machine will handle a simple seam along the foot & use some of the cut off excess to reinforce the tack & clew. Handsew if the thicknesses get too much for the machine & to stitch in the cringles.

It doesn't need to be cut perfectly does it? It's a temporary set up for pottering rather than your ticket to a Regatta Series clean sweep & International fame. It also won't have a lot of strain on it so the standard of stitching is not critical.

A row of punched cringles down the luff will allow you to lace the sail on.

 

[Lakesailor]

I looked at a similar job.
You are involving the two most complex parts of a sail, the tack and the clew.

There are instructions on the net and even Youtube instruction vids, but it's a labour of love.
If putting it out to a sailmaker you can expect the cost to reflect the work involved.

Flog it, it should be a good fit for a Europa, and buy something the right length.

 

[alahol2]

If you haven't got a backstay to worry about it may be easier to take 3 foot off the head. Give yourself a big roach.

 

[William_H]

If you haven't got a backstay to worry about it may be easier to take 3 foot off the head. Give yourself a big roach.

Agreed. I don't know what a "Squib" is presumably a simple Bermudan main or perhaps one on a gaff. Either way as said it might be easier to cut the head off. You can then cut the roach to suit either with or without back stay. A mainsail head usually has a pair of plastic head boards these are rivetted or bolted on to the sail. You will need to double up or triple up the sail cloth for some distance down the luff and leach then bolt on the headboard. A piece of 12mm copper pipe can be fitted in and flared to stay in place to take the chafe of a halyard shackle. Yes you can do it with a combination of domestic sewing machine and hand stitching.
good luck olewill

 

[michael_w]

The proper way to reduce the luff length is to cut down the leach, not slicing off the foot. OK, you've got to lift and move all the batten pockets, but you retain the broadseam shaping that starts in the tack area and any shape from the luff. Cut off the foot and you'll end up with a completely flat sheet of sailcloth.

 

[Searush]

The proper way to reduce the luff length is to cut down the leach, not slicing off the foot. OK, you've got to lift and move all the batten pockets, but you retain the broadseam shaping that starts in the tack area and any shape from the luff. Cut off the foot and you'll end up with a completely flat sheet of sailcloth.

You'll have to explain that to me. The fullness of a sail is usually created by curved seams. Cutting the foot off & making it loose fotted will do the job for him fine. But, as others have said, cutting the head off & remaking that is a lot easier if the shape can be kept reasonable. In effect you cut the required length off the top & then taper down the leech as far as necessary.

Batten pockets will only need ties on them & the head could actually be sewn back on to the new top of the sail provided it was well sewn all round, but a better job is to remake the head using the old headboard. Dylan is only using it to potter up the river with, he will not be beating around Cape Horn in a F10 will he?