From: allen.edwards@spacebbs.com (Allen Edwards) 
Subject: ABOUT REINFORCING SAIL SE
Message-ID: <941.1615.uupcb@spacebbs.com>
Date: Sun, 7 Feb 93 11:19:00 EST
Organization: SPACE BBS - Menlo Park, CA - 10 Lines + 4gB - 415-323-4193

-> Having experienced the effects of sail stretch, I was wondering if it
-> might not be a bad idea to reinforce panel seams with lengths of 3/4"
-> dacron tape (folded in half to 3/8" width) which could be sewn into
-> the seams- this would seem to minimize sail stretch as presumably
-> much of the sail tension would be distributed along the low stretch
-> dac ron seams- does anyone have an oppinion concerning possible cons
-> in such a design?

Well, for what it is worth... My experience is with sails as in ocean
going sail boats.  With a sail for a boat the sails always stretch as
the power is great.  They are designed for a certain amount of stretch
and have the correct shape only with the right amount of wind.  If you
do put a reinforcing tape which does not stretch as much as the sail you
get a distorted shape with the sail stretching and the tape not.  Makes
for a less then desirable shape.  I had such a reinforcing tape on my
jib and my sailmaker called it a "break", not what I wanted.  But, to
her credit, it did stretch out to match the sail after some use.

So, I guess what I am saying is, the shape of the sail is better if you
can get all parts of the sail to stretch the same.  Otherwise, you are
making a sail that will only work in one wind speed.

Good luck,

Allen
                                                                                                             
----
SPACE BBS - Menlo Park, CA - 10 Lines - BoardWatch Top Ten BBS
415-323-4193 (v.32bis) - 4gB (50,000 files) + Wx, UPI News, etc.



 = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =