My 384 hull 47 has a North mainsail that the PO had stored after 6 seasons of use. The luff is puckered up and even relatively strong halyard tension will not flatten it out. I tried reefing it down to the cringle and that produced no effect either. I am wondering what to do to fix this. Anybody have any ideas?
Puckered mainsail luff
- Thread starter cadiman49
- Start date
It sounds like a torn bolt rope. But you really can't diagnose a problem like that without a visual hands on. I would suggest taking it to a sailmaker. If you don't like what he says, you don't have to give him the job.
Does the sail have an adjustable luff? That would be a luff line probably coming out of the sail just above the cringle. If so, pulling that down should take care of the problem.
Are you sure that sail was cut for the M384? It could be to long.
Also make sure the topping lift is totally slack when tightening the main halyard.
Other than that I can't think of any other suggestions.
Larry
Does the sail have an adjustable luff? That would be a luff line probably coming out of the sail just above the cringle. If so, pulling that down should take care of the problem.
Are you sure that sail was cut for the M384? It could be to long.
Also make sure the topping lift is totally slack when tightening the main halyard.
Other than that I can't think of any other suggestions.
Larry
Wouldn't it be the other way around on the bolt rope? If the sail is crinkling along the luff and the bolt rope is adjustable then there is too much tension on the bolt rope and letting that tension off would put the load on the sail, flattening it out. Do you have an eye for a cunningham? If so, you could rig up a cunningham which should flatten that region of the sail. Another possibility is that the sail was cut to have the foot run through a sail track on the boom but that it is set up as loose footed. That could be a result of the sail being cut for a different boat as Larry suggested and bought used for your Morgan. Although my CM38 originally had a sail track on the boom but the PO had a loose footed main built to be loose footed.
Larry Brown
Larry Brown
Thanks guys for the input. The sail was custom made for the PO, as he was a salesman for North, and I assumed that it would be ideal for the boat. The foot is run on slides through the boom track, and there is no Cunningham, but there is a luff line (which doesn't do anything to change sail shape, and seems to be locked up in its sleeve) and a reefing cringle about three feet up from the tack. I'm kind of agreeing with Larry about the bolt rope, as it seems to be bonded or sewn to the luff. Another friend at the marina thought that maybe the tapes along the luff had shrunk over time during storage.
More info... The leach also has a tensioning line, and I can get some adjustment with that, but it naturally doesn't affect the luff. Slacking the topping lift also has no effect. There is at least 4" of travel available at the top of the mast track when hoisted tight. I've sailed a bunch of boats, and never seen this kind of behavior in a main. It may be a re-sew job. Do you guys have a feel for costs of that kind of work? Probably depends on lots of factors. The sail is in really good condition, and worth saving.
Best,
Rick Noddin
Best,
Rick Noddin
Often this happens because the bolt rope stitched to the luff stretches and shrinks at a different rate than the sail fabric. Sometimes storing a sail in a hot humid environment can cause distortion too (especially laminate sails).
As others have said, a cunningham can be used to stretch some of the wrinkles out. (as well as help adjust the draft) Tensioning the halyard often doesn't stretch out the middle of the luff and if your halyard stretches, it won't do much.
A sailmaker can fix the problem but it often requires cutting and re-stitching.
As others have said, a cunningham can be used to stretch some of the wrinkles out. (as well as help adjust the draft) Tensioning the halyard often doesn't stretch out the middle of the luff and if your halyard stretches, it won't do much.
A sailmaker can fix the problem but it often requires cutting and re-stitching.
Thanks Alan and Cheryl!
The sails were stored here in Florida for about 4 years, and probably experienced some high temperatures. The shrinkage is believable, especially with oriented plastics, having had a good deal of experience with oriented films and extrusions in the medical product field. Sample products in sales people's trunks sometimes got pretty weird in the summer.
Time to talk with the pros and get some quotes
Best regards,
Rick
The sails were stored here in Florida for about 4 years, and probably experienced some high temperatures. The shrinkage is believable, especially with oriented plastics, having had a good deal of experience with oriented films and extrusions in the medical product field. Sample products in sales people's trunks sometimes got pretty weird in the summer.
Time to talk with the pros and get some quotes
Best regards,
Rick
Rick, If it is a laminated cloth it is possible that it is delaminating. That would explain the puffy pockets while the sail is tensioned. When I answered you this morning I was thinking of a Dacron cloth. Reading Alan & Cheryl's remarks woke me up to that possibility.
Anyway, you will know soon enough.
Larry
Anyway, you will know soon enough.
Larry
Lee,
Comparing notes on the M384 would be informative. I don't spend much time on this website, so my contributions/replies may be sporadic - nothing personal!
I bought the boat last year about this time. It had two previous owners, and had been stored on the hard for four years. The last PO used her only seasonally to go to the Bahamas, so she hasn't had a lot of use, and she's in pretty decent shape. All of the electronics, except the VHF and radar were either non-functional or no longer supported by the mfrs. Most of the "maintenance" done had been "band-aids" intended to enhance her value for sale, so important stuff like plumbing, electrical, engine systems, sails, metal preservation, exterior finishes, etc. were either original and about to expire, or deteriorated to a level beyond skin deep. So it has been a search and discover experience, with some surprises, like undisclosed collision damage to the pushpit and gelcoat on the hull. Kinda like buying a used car. She's definitely not a lemon, but she does need a thorough going over. The PO wasn't up front with the negative stuff, and the surveyor did a poor job of evaluating things - didn't open the electrical panel or look into the bilges. She looks great from 50 ft. away! I had planned on updating systems over the last year, but have been discovering enough additional defects that I lost trust in the PO's claims of "excellent condition", and I must spend probably until next Spring getting her into good enough shape to feel confident in her condition. Yeah, I'm a bit of a perfectionist, but I can slip a little, short of being sure she is blue-water capable. I want to pull the mast for a full evaluation, pull the rudder (waterlogged now), replace the cutless bearing (which was 5200 bonded in), re-pack the shafts, modify the bimini frame so it doesn't chafe the backstays, and replace the damaged wire rope. She also needs a proper propane locker - almost half built, and some work on the oven/range. The wind generator was not rebuildable, and the shore power battery charger is dead, so have to budget those in too. All of the portlights, except the large aft pair had to be re-bedded and needed new seals. I upgraded the bow light and stern light to LED's as well as all the interior lights. Still need to check the mast mounted lighting and probably upgrade those to LED's. The teak trim on deck is in good condition, with no rot, but one of the cap rails was dinged by something strong and a short section should be replaced. The rest of the trim is solid, but should be re-finished. I manually scraped off all of the old Cetol which was baked on so well that a heat gun wouldn't melt it without charring. So all of the trim is that nice gray, weathered tone now. Haven't decided yet, but I may leave it that way. Despite the imperfections, I still love the boat, but I'd sure like to get in some more sailing time instead of rebuilding all the time! Ha ha! Oh well, it keeps me out of the bars! An occasional sail on the St. John river is really enjoyed.
Tell me more about your boat!
Comparing notes on the M384 would be informative. I don't spend much time on this website, so my contributions/replies may be sporadic - nothing personal!
I bought the boat last year about this time. It had two previous owners, and had been stored on the hard for four years. The last PO used her only seasonally to go to the Bahamas, so she hasn't had a lot of use, and she's in pretty decent shape. All of the electronics, except the VHF and radar were either non-functional or no longer supported by the mfrs. Most of the "maintenance" done had been "band-aids" intended to enhance her value for sale, so important stuff like plumbing, electrical, engine systems, sails, metal preservation, exterior finishes, etc. were either original and about to expire, or deteriorated to a level beyond skin deep. So it has been a search and discover experience, with some surprises, like undisclosed collision damage to the pushpit and gelcoat on the hull. Kinda like buying a used car. She's definitely not a lemon, but she does need a thorough going over. The PO wasn't up front with the negative stuff, and the surveyor did a poor job of evaluating things - didn't open the electrical panel or look into the bilges. She looks great from 50 ft. away! I had planned on updating systems over the last year, but have been discovering enough additional defects that I lost trust in the PO's claims of "excellent condition", and I must spend probably until next Spring getting her into good enough shape to feel confident in her condition. Yeah, I'm a bit of a perfectionist, but I can slip a little, short of being sure she is blue-water capable. I want to pull the mast for a full evaluation, pull the rudder (waterlogged now), replace the cutless bearing (which was 5200 bonded in), re-pack the shafts, modify the bimini frame so it doesn't chafe the backstays, and replace the damaged wire rope. She also needs a proper propane locker - almost half built, and some work on the oven/range. The wind generator was not rebuildable, and the shore power battery charger is dead, so have to budget those in too. All of the portlights, except the large aft pair had to be re-bedded and needed new seals. I upgraded the bow light and stern light to LED's as well as all the interior lights. Still need to check the mast mounted lighting and probably upgrade those to LED's. The teak trim on deck is in good condition, with no rot, but one of the cap rails was dinged by something strong and a short section should be replaced. The rest of the trim is solid, but should be re-finished. I manually scraped off all of the old Cetol which was baked on so well that a heat gun wouldn't melt it without charring. So all of the trim is that nice gray, weathered tone now. Haven't decided yet, but I may leave it that way. Despite the imperfections, I still love the boat, but I'd sure like to get in some more sailing time instead of rebuilding all the time! Ha ha! Oh well, it keeps me out of the bars! An occasional sail on the St. John river is really enjoyed.
Tell me more about your boat!