05-13-2010, 06:02 AM
I have the polytarp kit and am wondering if I should follow the shaping directions or not. Seems like the curve and darts would speed up bagging.............any suggestions?  thanks  bruce
05-13-2010, 06:02 AM
05-13-2010, 06:34 AM
They'll help in lighter airs though...
We've used flat-cut sails for years with little trouble, but then the flat-cut tarp shapes up pretty well. There's a bit of stretch in the material and it just seems to work ok. That said, properly cut sails pull better in light wind.
Your call, but I'd see if any one chimes in with experience about shaping tarp sails.
Mike
We've used flat-cut sails for years with little trouble, but then the flat-cut tarp shapes up pretty well. There's a bit of stretch in the material and it just seems to work ok. That said, properly cut sails pull better in light wind.
Your call, but I'd see if any one chimes in with experience about shaping tarp sails.
Mike
05-16-2010, 10:19 PM
I use poly tarp sails to test rig configurations or the effectiveness of different combinations, so not using "rounding" and all the other tricks to control shape, defeats the purpose of trying them in the first place. Poly tarp is is usually more stretchy in one direction then the other, so you need "darts", rounding, battens and other sail maker's elements to get the best you can out of them. Well shaped sails don't have to stretch as much, which keeps them in good condition longer too. It also has a lot to do with the quality of the poly material you've selected as well. A 10x10, 3.6 ounce, 800 denier will stretch like crazy, compared to a 14x14, 1200 denier 5.5 ounce material.
On a related subject (sort of) I recently supplied a set of plans with the following mast section in it. It's actually for a powerboat mast and boom, to lift cargo onto the aft deck, but it works just fine as a sailboat spar too. It's a traditional way of making a round mast, usually assembled in halves or as a three sided box. The lap joints and finish nails are just to hold things in alignment while the goo cures. It's as strong as a birdsmouth (very slightly weaker) and some find it less intimating then the birdsmouth.
On a related subject (sort of) I recently supplied a set of plans with the following mast section in it. It's actually for a powerboat mast and boom, to lift cargo onto the aft deck, but it works just fine as a sailboat spar too. It's a traditional way of making a round mast, usually assembled in halves or as a three sided box. The lap joints and finish nails are just to hold things in alignment while the goo cures. It's as strong as a birdsmouth (very slightly weaker) and some find it less intimating then the birdsmouth.
05-17-2010, 09:39 AM
thanks for the input.I'll do as per instructions.......................bruce