Sail Cloth Weight

The archives hit all around my question but I’m still not sure. Best cloth weight for Main and stays’l? I plan on using cream colored Hayward Clipper cloth; it comes in 7 or 10 oz. My sail maker suggests 7 oz but “double up on the leech on the main and stays’l if you don’t mind the sail being darker on the last panel, or go with the 10 oz”. For discussions sake let’s say I am going blue water sailing. (on a mission to find Shanti)

Dave, im no expert, but IIRC 7oz is pretty standard mains’l & stays’l weight for our boats. The other thought is light airs and that 10oz main might really suck. Seems as though I’ve heard of people building “mifters” or “mainsters” - a light weight main for light airs.

I’m no expert either !

However, ELLIOTT / PATTISON SAILMAKERS INC. were apparently the original makers for
Sam L. Morse and they offered me the main and staysail in 8.3 oz Dacron.

www.epsails.com
Loft: 949 645-6697
Cell: 949 275-3302

Dave:

Our main and staysail were built with Hayward ~ 8 oz tanbark Sunwing Classic UV stabilized sailcloth. We think the jib was made from the same fabric.

Richard Haywards, a 300 year old company that made sailcloth for Lord Nelson’s Navy, was purchased by Heathcoat several year ago. Since then, the website stinks.

The main advantage Haywards UV stabilized cloth is the UV inhibitor is in the yarn, not the sizing.

Rod

Dave:

Our main and staysail were built with Hayward ~ 8 oz tanbark Sunwing Classic UV stabilized sailcloth. We think the jib was made from the same fabric.

Richard Haywards, a 300 year old company that made sailcloth for Lord Nelson’s Navy, was purchased by Heathcoat several year ago. Since then, the website stinks.

The main advantage Haywards UV stabilized cloth is the UV inhibitor is in the yarn, not the sizing.

Rod

I just sold my boat, it had the original 8 oz sails, still in good shape after 103,000 nautical miles.

10 oz would be a bear to handle, and too heavy for light air.

Thanks all for informative and amazingly fast response( you guys must carry your laptops in your back pocket). I sure am glad I asked… I was leaning in the wrong direction. I’m going with the 7 oz.

David,

I’m a bit late weighing in, but I bought a new full batten, loose-footed main in 2009 in 7.7 oz.- a UK Halsey Batmain with Strongtrack. Seems completely right for the boat. I agree 10 oz. would be too heavy.

Derek
BCC 23 “Gertrud”

We are interested in your loose footed Main. Did this improve sailing characteristics? and how does it affect the reefing points? any other issues? Can I convert from fixed to boom successfully with what changes do you recommend?

nathaniel berkowitz, sausalito california

tel: 415 331 3314 fax: 415 331 1854

    email:nathanielsf@yahoo.com

— On Thu, 6/2/11, BCC Forums bccforums@samlmorse.com wrote:

From: BCC Forums bccforums@samlmorse.com
Subject: [BCC Forum Post] dereklundy: Re: Sail Cloth Weight
To: bccforum@samlmorse.com
Date: Thursday, June 2, 2011, 8:42 PM

Author: dereklundy
Username: dereklundy
Subject: Re: Sail Cloth Weight
Forum: BCC Forum
Link: http://www.samlmorse.com/forum/read.php?5,10597,10606#msg-10606

David,

I’m a bit late weighing in, but I bought a new full batten, loose-footed main in 2009 in 7.7 oz.- a UK Halsey Batmain with Strongtrack. Seems completely right for the boat. I agree 10 oz. would be too heavy.

Derek
BCC 23 “Gertrud”