On Fri, 02 Sep 2005 01:30:23 -0400, Ryk
wrote:

On Fri, 02 Sep 2005 00:45:17 -0400, rhys wrote:

Well, that's why I said "for my type of sailing", which is blasting in
and out of the yacht club basin and the shipping channel under power,
then not much motoring other than that. That's why it's a "sailboat",
or at least that's why I justify to myself the purchase of an
asymmetrical spinnaker that cost twice as a rebuilt Atomic 4 G

Wouldn't the right comparison to a rebuilt A4 be a re-cut genoa in
Egyptian cotton? ;-)

Har har. Or maybe a rack of British Seagulls strapped to the transom.

My favourite spinnaker cost me CDN$800 used and I don't think I could
drop a rebuilt A4 into the boat for twice that. Still, I don't think I
could really justify repowering with a diesel unless the A4 threw a
rod through the block or something like that.

I bought new and with an ATN snuffer and some other gear. I don't
regret it, as every other "new" sail on the boat is a recut racing
sail that didn't meet some rich guy's standards in his quest for a
name plate on a club trophy, but which regularly exceed mine.

My sailmaker is busy converting luff tape on a newish (but out of
favour) Dacron working jib to a hank-on. It will fit my boat within
inches of the "regulation" No. 3 and is snowy white and unstretched
and has been kept cool and dry for a few years. Cost to me: $100.

I have a Spectra/Mylar 140% "small" No. 1. Cost to me: $400, because
it needed a slight cut-down plus the hank-ons. This one I already use,
and it is fantastically better than the '80s blown out No. 1s it
replaces.

As for the A4, I have an entire spare rebuilt block with 30 hours on
it in the garage...due to my own stupidity in not realizing a
screwed-up waterlift can make you think you've got a crack between the
valve chamber and the cooling passages.

Oy.

R.