I'm fed up with rowing.

[richardandtracy]

I\'m fed up with rowing.

My tender's inboard (me) is fed up with rowing. I want to add a sail. The cheapest material I can find is a lightweight nylon re-inforced polythene film tarpaulin (£9 for a sail that'll end up a 39 sqft triangle). Has anybody got any experience using tarps as sails?

[Helpful!] Comments greatfully recieved.

 

[castaway]

Re: I\'m fed up with rowing.

Years ago (1980 ish) I had one as a storm sail a windsurfer. Some one had obviously had the same idea as you and was knocking these out at rock bottom prices.

As we used to sail all year round I some truely awful weather it occasionally came in useful.

Afraid I cant remember how it was joined along the seams I guess glued or heat.

Another idea is to use a old windsurfer sail, every one has loads of these in their lofts!! Check out Free ads etc. or place a wanted ad on this forum.

Regards Nick

 

[AndrewB]

There was a series in PBO ...

... in the late 1970's that described the building of a sailing dinghy for £10 as a bet. He used polytarp sails. Glued and sewed as I recall. Worked out much better than expected, and he particularly liked surprising people with the 'see-thru' type, long before monofilm sails became familiar. But I believe they didn't last that long. Maybe PBO can dig out the issues?

I think you are right though that blown-out and discarded terelene/nylon sails from a dinghy are a better bet. Its pretty easy to recut these smaller to an acceptable standard for this sort of use, leaving out the grotty bits from around the edge of the original. Modern windsurfer sails wouldn't be so easy to re-model.

 

[dickh]

Re: I\'m fed up with rowing.

My first foray into sailmaking was at age 14 when I converted a PBK homebuilt canoe to sailing with leeboards, fixed outrigger, half a Int.14 mast and old sheets for sails sewn together on my mothers old Singer. Worked well but was difficult tacking up the Grand Union Canal...
I should think the think the tarp material you mention should be OK but make sure you get goood quality - some I've seen as cheapv as you say are rubbish and won't last 5 minutes. As long as you sew it as a proper sail it should be good for a few seasons. However have you considered going to a boat Jumble where you can often pick upa complete rig with mast sails etc.
You are in the Medway, isn't there a jumble at Chatham at the end of the season?
OR (apologies for suggesting this to a purist) have you considered a cheap outboard? a Seagull you should get for under £50.
Good Luck.

dickh
I'd rather be sailing...

 

[richardandtracy]

Re: I\'m fed up with rowing.

Purist? !?
Not Me. I'm a cheapskate. If the hazel growing in my garden was straight enough I'd have my mast, boom & yard by now. But it isn't (sigh) and I like the nuts. I've got no objection to an engine, per se, but the stern of my tender's all boarded in. If you've seen Annie Hill's book "Voyaging on a Small Income" you'll know the Hill's tender was a Bolger "Tortoise". Mine's a slightly bigger version called a "Brick" or "Big Tortoise". Can't fit an outboard easily (hooray - it's cheaper that way...).
I think I'll go for outdoor carpet tape (no holes to start ripping).

As for the boat jumble, at Chatham. I haven't seen adverts for it yet. My wife works at the University of Greenwich next to the dockyard & hasn't heard of one this year.

Regards

Richard.

 

[yachtcharisma]

Re: I\'m fed up with rowing.

Looks as though the jumble's moved to Paddock Wood, 3rd November - see http://www.boatjumbleassociation.co.uk/

Cheers
Patrick

Sailing a Corribee in Plymouth
vzone.virgin.net/patrick.fox

 

[Gaffer]

Re: I\'m fed up with rowing.

Get Tracy to do the rowing............

 

[spark]

Re: I\'m fed up with rowing.

A friend of mine swears by Tyvek building paper - the stuff they use on the outside of timber framed house kits before erecting the block wall. It's very tough and doesn't seem to fray at the edges. I think he uses glued seams (not sure what glue but you could experiment). No use if you want to stuff the sail in a sail bag but ideal if you roll it around the mast.

 

[richardandtracy]

Re: I\'m fed up with rowing.

I've tried that one already, it doesn't work!

Richard.

 

[richardandtracy]

Re: I\'m fed up with rowing.

I've heard of Tyvek being used before, but have never heard any unbiassed views (always from those who've used it themselves). I think I'll try to find some locally & give it a bash.

Richard

 

[Trevethan]

Re: I\'m fed up with rowing.

I reckon a windsurfer rig would do the job nicely.

Sort out a mount for it, presumeably through a thwart, then a line off the wishbone clew to a small pulley on the rudder as a sheet.

Another line from the clew to the top of the mast and down would let you stall/"furl" the sail.

Nice thing about the wishbone rig is it keeps the boom out of your way. Even with the sail bnot in use you don't have sail and boom getting in the way if you are rowing.

 

[tr7v8]

Re: I\'m fed up with rowing.

Have a mooch around Duckworks.com and Bolger and do a search for self build boats. Several people in the US make these style of sails and their is info there if you look.

Jim
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[Idlerboat]

Re: I\'m fed up with rowing.

Grab an old wipper snipper (weed wacker) or what ever you call them in the UK,chop the leg down whack on a home made prop. Fill the crown gear housing with marine grease and you have the cheapest (free ?) outboard engine around.

marty_dean@yahoo