Loose Footed Mainsail

[drysuit2]

When I ordered a new sails, a few years ago, I asked for slugs on the foot, and no full battens on my main. However when the sail arrived it was a loose footed main, with blue trim lines as well. I sailed it for one season, then asked my sail maker to ad slugs along the foot, and remove the ugly trim lines. I guess I’m just a traditionalist as far as my Cape Dory goes. I still think my original bronze winches looked and worked better than my stainless self tailing winches. And I try not to add any hardware that looks like it was manufactured later than the early 80’s.

Truth be told. I think the whole loose footed main thing is just because they are easier to make and manufacture than an attached main.
Now that my loose footed main has been retrofitted with slugs along the boom, I get funny un-flattering scallops along the foot when I ease my outhaul. Some thing I never had on my original mainsail. So I have considered removing the slugs. Making the foot fit right, involves extra compound curves. But, I also find that my leach opens up better now, with the boom slugs installed.

[Frank Vernet]

Ballast stones! A shockingly ill use of invaluable storage space. I recommend several cases of Mediera in lieu. It travels extremely well - indeed, I know of some vintages that have made multiple circumnavigations...with little to no ill effect..certainly none noticeable after the first case.

[Oswego John]

Hey, Sea Owl,

That's pretty neato, FOOT LOOSE and fancy free.

O J

[mahalocd36]

Truth be told. I think the whole loose footed main thing is just because they are easier to make and manufacture than an attached main.

That's what we were told when we ordered new sails from an "old-time" sailmaker. He said if we weren't planning on racing, stick with the attached foot. We ended up sticking with the slugs.
I guess we are just traditionalists.

I also never understood the argument that "there's no force on the slugs anyways, that it's all at the tack and clew". On our main anyways, the slugs are definitely taking some of the force, you can tell by looking at or feeling them when the sail is full of wind.

I think people just have to do what they feel comfortable with and think is better for them.

[Dean Abramson]

I had to get to the bottom of this.

So I called up Larry Ellison, the owner of the America's Cup contender, Oracle. He said, "you know, Dean, we really would like to have won the America's Cup... But there was no way we had the budget to afford a bunch of slugs along the boom. So we just went with the loose-footed cheapo main that the sailmaker wanted to sell us."

So there you have it. ;-)

Dean

[SeaBelle]

Reminds me of that Venetian saying: "New money and dog's balls are always on display"

[Frank Vernet]

Well, THAT settles it for me! I'm so relieved.

[oldragbaggers]

Our foot will be attached. And our jib will be on a boom too, attached. Thanks for the advice, opinions, conversation, entertainment and laughs. I've started to become.....attached.

[John Vigor]

Reminds me of that Venetian saying: "New money and dog's balls are always on display"

Gee, are we really allowed to say dogs' balls on this board? Wish I'd known that. I've been trying to be ever so polite, apparently under the misapprehension that Cape Dory owners were gentle folk with impeccable manners, and now I'm mad that I missed so many chances to say what I really meant, in the fashion of a true blue sailor man.

Course, I can't actually remember any of things I wish I'd said, so I guess it doesn't really matter now. But next time I'm not gonna hold back, specially to those who believe in loose feet and locked props.

John Vigor

[Stan W.]

And our jib will be on a boom too, attached.

My 28 came with the original club jib and it was loose-footed. I believe the only reason the club boom has a slug/bolt rope track is that it was a stock extrusion which also was used as a mainsail boom on smaller boats. I don't know the pros vs. cons on loose vs. attached foot on a club jib, but I'd need a pretty good reason before I departed from Alberg's and Cape Dory's original intent. What does your sailmaker say?

[Jim Davis]

This way you change the shape as you sheet it in. You want it fairly flat on the wind and baggy off. The way the boom pedistal is placed does this for you without operator intervention.

[oldragbaggers]

We do not have our jib boom at this time. The boat came with a roller furler. The previous owner is trading us the original jib boom and sail along with some other equipment for the roller furling sail. I had ASS-umed that the foot of the jib would be attached, but it appears I was mistaken. However it comes, the original design, is what we will be using.

[wingreen]

I guess I’m just a traditionalist as far as my Cape Dory goes. I still think my original bronze winches looked and worked better than my stainless self tailing winches. And I try not to add any hardware that looks like it was manufactured later than the early 80’s.

Now, there's a philosophy I can sail by! Just tell me where to get all the retro hardware - that stuff's getting pretty hard to find.

Truth be told. I think the whole loose footed main thing is just because they are easier to make and manufacture than an attached main.

I think this is a bit faddy, but not necessarily a bad thing just because it's faddy. The "park avenue boom" (so-called b/c it was as wide as Park Ave.) accomplished the same thing by allowing the slugs to slide laterally on the boom. I seem to recall reading somewhere that they didn't offer much performance improvement, and so were abandoned. If they've found a way to improve performance using the same principle, then it's a fad I can live with.

[drysuit2]

Port Washington tends to "push" all the old independent boatyards out of business. So when they start throwing all the boats from the 70's in the dumpster, I show up with my sawsall and salvage what I can.

If I 'have' to buy new, I just stay away from the techno looking stuff.
Both Spartan, and R&W, have pretty traditional looking hardware.

I have enough hi tech, carbon, go fast gear in my windsurfing quiver to empty my bank account. For me: my Cape Dory is about slowing down.
Anyone know where I can get some traditional oilskins?