Hi, I just got my Weekender yesterday. It was built in 2001 and needs serious refinishing - including new sails. I am a Puddle Duck Racer (
http://www.pdracer.com) by nature and by practice, and so like poly tarp sails. I have found Polysails from httop://www.polysails.com to be fantastic.
The Polysails website shows 2 types of Weekender sails - regular and large. My inclination is to get the large and put in some reef points, but what exactly are the dimensions of a Large Weekender sail?
Dave, of Polysails, told me he was not sure how the larger size was being used - was it just that people were making Genoas instead of using the club footed jib?
I want to order a sail kit, but without knowing what I need to do to be able to both make and use the larger size, I am reluctant to spend the extra $10.
Any practical info on using a Genoa? Has anyone created a larger main? What are the dimensions?
Andrew
It's very common to upgrade the Weekender with a 120 - 130% genoa and I suspect this is the "large" kit from polysails. I don't think folks are installing a larger mainsail on this boat. This would at least involve a longer boom and gaff, if not a new stick and standing rig as well, which is a lot of guess work, for the average builder to get right. Many have modified their rigs, some have enlarged, added a topsail, twin headsails, etc.
Making a new, larger sail plan for this boat isn't terribly difficult, but there is a level of understanding you must have, in order to get the helm balance correct.
Yeah, I have been playing with different sail rigs on my Puddle Duck Racers, so I am comfortable with the concepts. I was just wondering if I could capitalize on the efforts who have doen this before.
Andrew
Ahoy Andrew, welcome aboard. We have a "puddle ducker" amongst us... that would be Scott Widmier who took some hardware home from the last PD World Championships. 8) Don't be afraid to try some stuff.... we've tried alot of stuff. :lol:
Scott beat me out of the winner's circle at the PDR World Championships. He got 3rd and I got 4th.
http://waderweb.com/events/060515pdrwc/w..._start.htm
So my big plan is to go with a 150 Genoa with a jib furler instead of the club foot jib. I have ordered my kit from Polysails and it should show up next Wednesday or Thursday.
I know nuthin' from jibs, teh one I flew on my Newport 16 was store-bought. As far as I can tell, my Weekender is a standard build - but I'll get final measurements as soon as I can. (the boat is being stored at a friend's house)
Can anyone give me some hints as to dimensions and stuff for a 150 Genoa? What jib furlers do you like? I have a ton of questions.
Andrew
The jib on a gaffer isn't near as effective a sail as it is on the Bermudian rig. A 150 gennie on a Weekender, will move her CE too far forward and your helm will go lee, which is very uncomfortable and not conducive to performance potential. In very light air, you may be able to benefit from a 150, but as winds build over 5 knots it will loose it's usefulness. On Bermudian rigs you need several headsails, changing them as wind strengths change. This is a function of the tall, narrow sail plan found in high aspect rigs, which moves the CE well outboard with heeling angle increases. The low aspect gaff rig, used on the Weekender, is far less susceptible to this. It's unlikely you'll be able to sheet it close enough to the centerline of the boat to make effective windward progress. The shrouds will not permit tight enough sheeting, because the mast is well forward in the boat. You could bring the 150 inside the shrouds, but then you'd have to luff, move the sheet lead outboard of the shrouds, then bear off, all just to sail from a close hauled to close reach course change. A 130 will provide fine light air performance on a Weekender with less difficulty from sheeting angles and lee helm. A 120 will handle better with very slightly reduced light air ability.
Many Weekender owners are using what they call "lappers" which is a 120 or 130 genoa to the rest of us. A spinnaker is an option, symmetric or asymmetric, maybe even a balloon jib or topsail, if you feel nostalgic. If you want more performance from a Weekender, you need a bigger main, taller mast and longer sprit, in short a redesigned sail plan. Ultimately, performance is less rig related then hull form drag, which the average Weekender has quite a bit of. If Weekender is built light, rigged light, windage is kept as low as possible and the underwater profile refined and generally cleaned up, she would have better abilities, with just the stock mainsail and a genoa. Her run is flat enough to plane, but she develops too much drag underway and the rig has quite a bit of windage. As a result the power generated by the sail plan isn't enough to over come these short falls, but the owner can do much to clean this up and many have.
Andrew,
Been sailing with a larger headsail on a Weekender for three seasons now on Capt. Jakes "Fire Escape".
He has a "Lapper" which is essentially a 120 Genoa. Anything larger than this will give you nothing but fits as far as handling and rigging is concerned. With the shrouds mounted on the rails as Paul mentions it presents some real challenges and awkward rigging/handling challenges if it were any larger. It is a wonderful size to handle and is a lot of fun to sail with under light to moderate winds. It doesn't get any better than this.
As far as helm balance, this is about as nice as it will get at this size. Very little Weather Helm under light/moderate wind. Gets moderatly strong as the winds get heavier. About the time you would be reefing the main you would be going to a smaller jib anyway and that restores a good balance to the helm in windier conditions.
I'm doing the same thing on my Weekender "Spiritwind".
My dimensions are as follows:
luff is the same as standard jib,
Leech 141"
Foot 108" with a 6" roach approx 1/3 back of the tack
Capt. Jake's is the same but for the foot. His is 105" I think!
Both of ours have luff wires sewn into them for furling. That is 1/8" 1X19 stainless wire. It is easier to sew in some additional foam stripping when making it up to fill in evenly when furling it.
You might want to just do that initially if you are sewiing it up yourself even if you don't use it initially for furling. I don't have grommets in the luff edge I had screwed on plastic hanks which just leave a small hole when removed. I can replace them at any time should I choose not to use a furling spool.
Capt. Jake made up a UHMW furling spool for his and it works beautifully. I am using a Harken small boat furling system. Picked up on e-bay for $70. Brand new.
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Thanks, Barry. This is the kind of info I need. I plan on doing mostly lake sailing here int he Mid Willamete Valley, but also at least one trip to the San Juans every summer and some coastal sailing. Every once in a while, i think of writing a travel book on sailing down the Oregon coast - port hopping.
I got the mast, yard, boom, rudder, hatchs and seat covers painted over the weekend. The sail kit from Polysails should come on Wednesday. I should get the boat here at my house Wednesday or Thursday. Work will then begin on the interior.
Andrew
Hiya Andrew! Scary thing about that PD race is that you were catching up to me despite getting tangled at the start. Folks, watch out for this guy...he ain't no slouch when comes to sailing fast.
I didn't respond earlier because I had no idea regarding sails on a weekender. I do know I have seen many different variations and that the long keel (rather than a high aspect board) seems to make the weekender less susceptible to changes in rig than a boat with a centerboard or daggerboard. However, that does have limits and if you really want a 150 lapper then I would make an experimental one out of blue tarp and ducktape before making a more permanent one.
Have fun building!
So Paul, you mention cleaning up the under water profile of the Weekender for better preformance. Could you be more specific? Or point out previous post with details?