Fluttering Leech

[Lakesailor]

I've just been out for a lovely sail on the lake. Sunshine and a South Easterly 2 to 3. Maybe gusting 4.
My genoa is quite old and I think I've blown it out a bit with winter sailing. The leech flutters when close hauled and sets up a vibration in the forestay. (Roller reefing Plastimo.) It's not so bad as I bear away, but it doesn't point up too well to begin with and I like to try an make some progress. The boat's a small, old, Valiant 18. There isn't a leech line to tighten in the sail. Backstay tension could be improved, but that's not the cause, the leech is actually flapping.
<ul type="square">Do I live with it?
Do you have any little tricks to help sudue it?
Do I (gulp) buy a new sail?[/list]

Come on you value for money experts.

 

[ashanta]

You may want to look at the angle of the sheet in relation to the sail. Assuming you can adjust the genoa track, look and see if the clew is being drawn at an angle which draws the clew back evenly. i.e. if the angle is too far down the foot will be loose and the leech tight. If the angle is too far back the foot will tight but the leech will slack (causing it to luff).
Other than this i think you have tried everything and the sail may be passed it's sell by date.

Regards.

Peter.

 

[Lakesailor]

Thanks. I have tried the genoa car in different positions. When it's forward the leech is tight but the tension is actually forward of the leech tape, which is what I think you are saying. It's jerked.

 

[ashanta]

If you can imagine an a line from a mid point on your forestay through the leech at the point of the clew extending in the form of your sheet, you should have the correct angle for sailing at best to windward. If this still doesn't cure the problem(as you say you don't have a leechline) then you need to replace. Before you do ask the sailmaker how much it would cost to fit a leechline?

Regards.

Peter.

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Never liked leech lines much.... I've always found that they tend to hook the leech... stops the fluttering.... but doesn't help the sails performance!....

If this is a furling genny, have you thought about having a replacement or new UV strip sewn in?... this might well stiffen up the leech enough to hold it firm again?

 

[ghost]

how confident are you with you're own needlework?
make a fine triangular wedge cut forward, 3 inches long and approx. with a half inch gape, from the leech in the direction of the main stress/load lines procure some spare cloth of a similar weight and cut out a cats paw about the size of you're own hand for reinforcement, one each side.simply pull these together and glue and stitch the paw patch on - double stitch -.
The pretty factor depends on you're patience and the result can look quite professional without the scooping effect that leech lines give.
I have done this a couple of times with wicked results on my old fireball and on someone else's 505, both high stress tight jibs.
The amount of wedges to nip out depends on the amount of sag you have, usually three equally spaced with the centre wedge in the centre of sag.
If you were going to ditch the sail anyway?
if you do go for it and do it well you will be constantly reminded of it each and every time you sail, you'll be chuffed.

 

[ashanta]

I would agree that if you have to apply the leech line hard enough to curl the sail (leech edge) inwards then it has a negative effect. If you can place just enough tension to stop the flapping without changing the shape then it's an advantage. If he wants improved performance and the sail is knackered then there will not be an answer other than replacement. If he's happy messing about then sailing off the wind more will be OK.

Regards.

peter.

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

One other comment....

You will not believe how much difference a new set of sails will make to your upwind performance...

 

[Lakesailor]

Well. That's fairly conclusive, and not unexpected. My local sailmaker (about 400yds away) is Steve Goacher. He has altered this sail a couple of years ago, but I think he would wet himself laughing at the thought of repairing it now.
He has quoted for a new sail so I think, as you all suggest, it looks like time to get the purse out.

 

[Avocet]

Steve sewed a leech line on my genoa (32 years old at the time!) a couple of seasons ago and it works fine. It's true it tends to hook the back of the sail a little but it was a very cheap fix to exactly the same problem that you've got. I really ought to have commissioned a new sail but this has eked another few seasons out of it and for the amount of sailing I get done these days, I'm perfectly happy with the results. From memory it was only something like £20 or £30!

 

[William_H]

Leach flutter is a real pain. it is the same effect as flutter on the wing or tail of an aircrft and that is very destructive. The weight of the cloth in the leach has a big effect. I have one jib off an 18ft skiff which was made with no hem of any sort on the leach. Except for the corners the leach is a heat sealed cut of dacron. No flutter. Amother fix is to make the leach hollow cut so that tensioning the leach tends to pull the leach out of the sail holding it stiffer.
So if you don't have a UV strip and you are going to throw the sail away. Try cutting off the hem on the leach for all but the top and bottom 6 inches and cut a hollow in the leach about 2 inches deep in the middle curving out to nil at the top and bottom. Seal the cut edge with a hot soldering iron or even a small flame. Or you could put some short battens in the leach but of course this is not good for rolling. Just a few thoughts regards olewill

 

[Lakesailor]

I'd thought of getting a leech line put in but if it didn't work it would have been a waste of time.
I wouldn't mind the shock of being able to point a bit higher either so perhaps this is the time for a new sail.

I might also try the home-fix idea, just for fun!

It's not that I'm tight, but it's been so cheap to run (compared to rebuilding cars) that I've become fond of the economy of a small sailboat.