Wot! No battens?

[EASLOOP]

Wooden boat. Years in the renovating, minutes in the sailing.

What can I expect from my mainsail with all the battens missing?

be glad to hear your views.

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

lots of noise, and plenty of pitying glances......

 

[EASLOOP]

Bother. As long as the sail doesn't flog itself to death.

 

[BAtoo]

Wouldnt reccomend it; if there is any wind it will quickly damage the sail; it wont set and you wont get any idea how your boat will sail. If all else fails some strips of thin ply will do...
Hope it all goes well.

 

[Mirelle]

Have not used a batten in thirty years...

...because I have owned gaff cutters with vertical cut mainsails. A very different thing.

I would agree with the advice above - use battens, of some sort at least.

 

[grahama]

Re: Have not used a batten in thirty years...

but i've heard that some cruising folks specify sails without batterns as they cause more wear points on the sails??

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Re: Have not used a batten in thirty years...

yep.... but thats fine if its designed in.... but if a sail is cut for battens, then not using them will destroy sail shape, and most likely damage the sail....

Usually the leech can't support itself and curls back over causing horrible motoring, and the load is taken on a straight line between the clew and the mast head, where the sail isn't reinforced sufficiently, and hence will probably stretch the sail....

 

[Salty John]

Re: Have not used a batten in thirty years...

Yes, but the sail has to be cut correctly. I cruised for three years with a battenless main, with no headboard. It was great from a maintenance point of view, but also because you could hoist it and lower it off the wind. The sail should have no roach, that means you lose sail area. As it happens my boat carried a lot of weather helm and the smaller area helped correct that. Definitely not for racers!

 

[Guest]

I will bow to the experts - but say that I have sailed boats for years with and without battens ... regardless of the sail.

Battens traditionally are here to support a roached sails leech - they serve little other purpose than support.

Later battens have been developed to extend outside that job ... so if you have modrn sails - then I wouls suggest put them in ... if the sails are older conventional - I would go for a sail and enjoy it ..

Of course I will now be shot at dawn for being so daft !!

 

[sailorman]

its perfectly ok as long as
1/ 8 fenders deployed, whilst sailing
2/ nice new shiney red life jackets + Tilley hat
3/ jolly roger flying preferably from stbd crosstrees (above royal club burgee)
4/ de-faced blue Ensign
5/ Fully inflated rubber dubber slung up the transom with bows tied to back stay

good sailing /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[William_H]

i am with Nigel here. In a wooden boat it is not likely to have a huge roach which would be unsupported. Even if it is and has a lot of leach flutter I have lost battens isn a race and it doesn't matter much. I don't think one trip would hurt the cloth too much. My jib no1 seems to fluttter a lot in the leach and while I should do something about it it doesn't seem to matter much.

Go for a sail it is important to get out there doing it. good luck and remember "sailing is all crisis management" olewill

 

[Robin]

Somebody PLEASE.....

....donate EAsloop some battens!

There must surely be someone not too far away who has spare battens gathering dust in the garage? I had several sets but have gradually cut all mine up for paint stirrers after we switched to fully battened sails, don't have anything suitable left.

Why spoil the ship for a haporth of wood or grp batten? The sail will set horribly, look dreadful and it certainly won't do it any good even if nearly knackered anyway.

BTW for those who say some cruisers use battenless sails, sure they do, but the sail is cut with that in mind, with a hollow leach like a headsail or an in-mast reefing sail.

 

[EASLOOP]

Thank you all very much for taking part in the thread. I will be thrashing the hull in the medway estuary on Tuesday proving the hull under stress so I will have the opportunity to see what happens to the sail (older conventional sails they are). I will certainly measure up for the battens and make some up for future days.

Once again,
Thank you

 

[Guest]

Re: Wot! No battens? ----- let me expand a bit ...

I said - go for a sail - don't worry about it.

Meaning don't hold back for the want of a few bits of wood or plastic.

But at some time of course it's better to have them and fit. But that can be done over time ... in fact you can buy batten kits so that you cut and finish ends as you require. Tip > engrave and use permament marker in the engraved letters / numbers marks on batten end - and then small permament same mark on sail - that way you have immediate ID of which batten which pocket !