Make your own cruising chute?

[gtuson]

I've been wondering whther it would be straightforward to make my own cruising chute(using someone else's as a model. )Just cut panels the right way and sew them together with tape luff etc ...right? Anyone out there ever tried it?

 

[michael_w]

I'd have thought it would be a very expensive and time consuming way to make a lightweight tarpaulin.

Nylon is a bu**er to work with, and the shape is pretty complex. It aint a sack.

 

[William_H]

I am all for DIY however I understand that much of the cost of sails is in the cost of the material. So the savings are not so much.
I did make a light weight jib for a 30ft cat long ago. It was made of light weight dacron and the panels were simply cut sqare to the luff. It was sewn up on a domestic sewing machine.
Now days you can get double sided sail joining tape that an make assembly much easier. I helped a friend build a huge spinnacker with this stuff but you still need a lot of space and be really organised to cut and assemble the panels.
I suggest you get quotes for the material first before ceciding. good lcuk olewill

 

[john_morris_uk]

I can nominate a few people who I saw in Florida whose knicks would make a cruising chute for a modest boat.

 

[1317]

Shoot, a Golden Arches 'chute. Fry it on the portly side.

 

[ianabc]

Perhaps the material cost can be mitigated by starting with a used SYMETRICAL sail and altering that to make an asametrical sail.

It's been done before and I'd like to see details..... who's going to be first to alter a spinaker?