Loose footed or bolt rope sail?

[Tintin]

My new (to me) Benny 325 boat has a main saik with bolt rope onto the boom. The previous owner raced so did not have lazy jacks and stack pack. I solo mainly so want them.

My old boat had a stack pack where the material went into the bolt rope boom groove around the bolt rope.

Local sailmaker is saying I need to go loose footed to get a better sail shape and avoid the complete PITA of trying to get the stacky and bolt rope hauled along the boom groove.

I can see the sense, but then thought "well what about flattening the sail with the kicker to reduce heel and weather helm".

Should I go foot loose and fancy free, or stick with a bolt rope?

 

[Redshank Evo26]

My new (to me) Benny 325 boat has a main saik with bolt rope onto the boom. The previous owner raced so did not have lazy jacks and stack pack. I solo mainly so want them.

My old boat had a stack pack where the material went into the bolt rope boom groove around the bolt rope.

Local sailmaker is saying I need to go loose footed to get a better sail shape and avoid the complete PITA of trying to get the stacky and bolt rope hauled along the boom groove.

I can see the sense, but then thought "well what about flattening the sail with the kicker to reduce heel and weather helm".

Should I go foot loose and fancy free, or stick with a bolt rope?

Being a racer im not familiar with stackers and the like. However, I do have loose footed main sails in place of the original bolt rope version, it makes playing with the sail shape far easier. Im not quite sure what your concern over flattening the main with the kicker is? It works just the same as with a bolt rope.

Anyway, I hope that helps a little.

 

[William_H]

I agree with Redshank there is no point in having a bolt rope in the foot. It will hinder sail shape adjustment ie when giving more camber but does no good. olewill

 

[CET1]

Both of our main sails on our Sunfast 36 are loose footed. on one the clew is fitted to the boom by a single extra large sail slide the other by a 25mm strip of webbing with Velcro attached to it. You could try lashing your clew to the boom and leaving the bolt rope out to see how your sail performs. From our experience both systems work and changing sail shape is made easier.

 

[PhillM]

I moved from bolt rope to loose footed. I agree that it makes changing the sail shape easier. For example, when flattening the sail I only need pull against the sail instead of the friction of the bolt rope + sail.

 

[pagoda]

I moved from bolt rope to loose footed. I agree that it makes changing the sail shape easier. For example, when flattening the sail I only need pull against the sail instead of the friction of the bolt rope + sail.

Our original main was bolt roped along the boom. When I replaced it a few years ago the sailmaker suggested that the sailbag/stackpack could be slotted onto the boom using a bolt rope for most of it's length. The outhaul end of the new main was fitted with a nylon torpedo slider , and the rest of the main was left loose footed. That killed 2 birds with one stone. The outhaul is more readily adjustable, and the stackpack bag is secure. I can't see any great problem with sail shape, the kicker still works, outhaul is better. Slotted main booms on racing dinghies are still around but pretty old school, lots are loose footed these days. To no obvious disadvantage.

 

[Tintin]

Thanks everyone. I have the confidence now to go loose!

 

[Dipper]

Thanks everyone. I have the confidence now to go loose!

When you reef the sail is loose footed. Another vote for loose.

 

[vyv_cox]

We have a bolt-roped sail with a 'shelf' that increases the fullness dramatically when the outhaul is slackened. Seems to work very well.

Have just installed a new stack pack this morning. The secret to putting it on with the bolt rope is to put the cover on first, tie each end. Push the cloth into the slot and push your sail battens in to make sure the slot remains. Then put the bolt rope into the slot and pull it aft. Friction is no more than it is with the normal slot.

 

[johnalison]

I was a little surprised when my replacement main came without a bolt rope, though I could see the point. In the event, it makes handling a little easier and adjusting the clew tension easier too, so its all plus as far as I am concerned.

 

[MikeBz]

Loose footed is also handy if you fly a spinnaker without a snuffer - you can do a 'letterbox drop' pulling the spinnaker up & over the boom between it and the mainsail. This keeps the spinnaker nicely in the lee of the mainsail and constrains it during the drop.

 

[ditchcrawler]

Loose footed is the way to go.I have a bolt rope sewn to the bottom of my stackpack and it works fine.The foot tension on the main is easy to adjust.

 

[Pinnacle]

Loose footed is the way to go.I have a bolt rope sewn to the bottom of my stackpack and it works fine.The foot tension on the main is easy to adjust.

+1

 

[john_morris_uk]

Loose footed is the way to go.I have a bolt rope sewn to the bottom of my stackpack and it works fine.The foot tension on the main is easy to adjust.

Another agree from me.

Our new mainsail is loose footed and the sailmaker modified our stack pack so that it has its own bolt rope and will still fit in the slot in the boom.

 

[JimC]

Is it possible to have a bolt-roped sail converted to loose-footed?
Does this do away with the need for a flattening reef?
On my bolt-roped sail I pull the outhaul hand-tight when fitting the sail at the start of the season and never touch it again, but I do use the flattening reef a lot for de-powering the sail e.g. in strong winds and when hard on the wind.

 

[Rhylsailer99]

Aha now I look forward to fitting my new loose footing sail to replace the old bolt rope one.
My first thought was the sail doesn't look right now reading the above comments as put my mind at ease.

 

[PeteCooper]

Is it possible to have a bolt-roped sail converted to loose-footed?
Does this do away with the need for a flattening reef?
On my bolt-roped sail I pull the outhaul hand-tight when fitting the sail at the start of the season and never touch it again, but I do use the flattening reef a lot for de-powering the sail e.g. in strong winds and when hard on the wind.

I had mine converted from bolt rope to loose footed and it didn't cost anything like as much as I expected. Well worth doing.

 

[Stemar]

When I fitted a (home made) stackpack to my Snapdragon, the slot in the boom was too small to take the stackpack and the sail, so the pack got a boltrope and we just left the foot of the sail loose. A webbing strap round the boom and through the clew and a beefed up outhaul held things together and it worked at least as well as the original arrangement - far better, in fact, as I ditched the round-the-boom reefing as well.

 

[Boathook]

Another agree from me.

Our new mainsail is loose footed and the sailmaker modified our stack pack so that it has its own bolt rope and will still fit in the slot in the boom.

Sanders sails did the same for me.

 

[zoidberg]

Is it possible to have a bolt-roped sail converted to loose-footed?
Does this do away with the need for a flattening reef?
On my bolt-roped sail I pull the outhaul hand-tight when fitting the sail at the start of the season and never touch it again, but I do use the flattening reef a lot for de-powering the sail e.g. in strong winds and when hard on the wind.

Yes.
A year ago I ordered a loose-footed ( specifically ) new main from J****lls. Ten months later it turned up with a bolt rope, a 'Cunningham' ring for flattening, and eyelets let-in to the sail at 3 heights. Yes, I know what they were for. No, I specifically detailed I didn't want such things.

The sail went back, then returned without the bolt rope. Proper tabling was along the foot as expected. How it sets remains to be seen.

The two other (head)sails ordered at same time, but not built, were cancelled. My deposit was returned.