Old Genoa - Recycling

[SteveIOW]

After 28 years my furling genoa has finally "had it" and I've ordered a new one. The very worn UV strip was removed altogether 3 years ago and the weather has since taken it's toll on the leach and foot. Apart from these areas the remainder of the sail is still in surprisingly good nick and held it's shape too. I was wondering whether it would be possible make a smaller "spare" genoa by removing the worn leach and foot and creating a new reinforced clew. I have an old Singer sewing machine which I use for repairs to sprayhood, stackaway, dinghy cover etc but am no expert with it and it doesn't do zig zag stitching. My first thoughts are to cut back the leach and hem over to create slot for existing leach line. Hem over foot or add foot tape. Add sail cloth overlapping reinforcement triangles for clew strength.( my Singer may struggle with all those layers so may have to get out the faithful Speedy Stitcher Sewing Awl (not that speedy!)). Fitting the large clew eye for the sheets could be a problem. I assume sailmakers use a hydraulic press with matching formers.

Has anybody out there done this themselves? Is it worth the effort? What are problems?

I wouldn't add a new UV strip as the sail would be stowed as a spare, not on the furling foil.

Any advice gratefully received.

 

[lpdsn]

As part of the deal for a new sail the sailmaker offered to re-cut the old one for free, so I took him up on the offer. It has really proved itself. I've used the old sail over the winter and I quite often do a sail change in port when the forecast is looking a bit iffy. Means I don't have to sail with a part-furled headsail and it means the expensive new one doesn't take a beating.

In fact, when it eventually goes I might get a new one of that size, or buy a second hand racing sail.

Not sure how easy it would be to do yourself. There's an art in cutting a sail with a hollow leech. In fact the sailmaker who did mine expressed the opinion that many younger sailmakers who were brought up with sail design packages would struggle.

PS I should say the old sail was 11 years old when re-cut.

 

[prv]

No comment on the feasibility of the project as a whole, but a couple of thoughts on the clew cringle.

There's a traditional technique for sewing them in, followed by a crimped inner that protects the thread. This is easier to form than crimping the whole ring, and I believe can be done with a hand tool.

Alternatively, use a plain stainless ring secured by two or three strips of webbing sewn to the sail:

Note from the stitching how the webbing on the underneath of the sail goes in between the strips on the visible side, doubling the area of sailcloth taking the load.

Pete

 

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

PRV beat me to it.
Re sewing it, I sometimes get away with turning the wheel on my machine by hand. If hand sewing, especially where you have four or five thicknesses at the clew, you could try 'pre-drilling' the holes with a sharp awl and then following with the stitcher or with a threaded needle inserted from each side. Double-sided tape will keep the patches aligned.

 

[William_H]

While Zig Zag is desirable I think straight stitch is OK if well spread out. (long stitch). Re the leach. I have a jib made for a biggish dinghy with no hem or leach cord just a heat sealed edge. No flutter with no mass on the leach. Just a bit of hemming extending from head and clew by about .5 metre. You might be brave enough to try that. Along with a slightly concave leach. If it is a bad idea you can cut the sail down a bit more and fit usual leach cord. Yes as said tape and rings for head and clew. olewill