Oz,

You know Neal claimed he had a shelve in his old main. I'm thinking now
that his old main was so blown out that he is under the impression that
the blown out section of his bolt footed main was mistaken for a shelve.

I'm not sure I didn't have a lot to do with him getting involved with a
true fitted shelve main. When I ordered my new main from North I
forgot to mention the shelve and it came without. Do you think he got
the wrong idea when I mentioned my oversight? I'm beginning to think
this is his first Free Footed main he's ever own. He doesn't know how
the hell it works and what it can and can't do. I've tried to clue him
in on it, without success.

Ole Thom

Thom
If you will check the pictures of Capt neal new sails you will see
that the main is not free footed.
JR





Thom Stewart wrote:
Oz,

You know Neal claimed he had a shelve in his old main. I'm thinking now
that his old main was so blown out that he is under the impression that
the blown out section of his bolt footed main was mistaken for a shelve.

I'm not sure I didn't have a lot to do with him getting involved with a
true fitted shelve main. When I ordered my new main from North I
forgot to mention the shelve and it came without. Do you think he got
the wrong idea when I mentioned my oversight? I'm beginning to think
this is his first Free Footed main he's ever own. He doesn't know how
the hell it works and what it can and can't do. I've tried to clue him
in on it, without success.

Ole Thom

JR,

That picture of his Hong Kong Main shows a shelve. JR, a shelve fitted
main is a Free Footed Main. The shelve is ONLY to prevent air from
creating a vortex,

Is you look at that picture you will see that the airfoil shape carries
to the very bottom of the sail, then the shelve (which is open) carries
straight across to the boom. Just like a "shelve" the reason for its'
name.

JR, think of your own main REEFED. You have a free footed sail with the
access sail folded and loosely tied to the boom . It should never be
tied tight enough for support.

Thom
Sorry my mistake, I had just never heard of a mainsail that was
attached to the boom with a bolt rope be described as free footed.
JR

Thom Stewart wrote:
JR,

That picture of his Hong Kong Main shows a shelve. JR, a shelve fitted
main is a Free Footed Main. The shelve is ONLY to prevent air from
creating a vortex,

Is you look at that picture you will see that the airfoil shape carries
to the very bottom of the sail, then the shelve (which is open) carries
straight across to the boom. Just like a "shelve" the reason for its'
name.

JR, think of your own main REEFED. You have a free footed sail with the
access sail folded and loosely tied to the boom . It should never be
tied tight enough for support.

I don't know Thom...... the only quick glance I had of Capt. Neal's photos
didn't seem to show a free footed main like mine.... I always thought he had
a bolt rope along the boom. I'm probably wrong about the configuration.

As well I don't think my main has a shelf and it's a free footed design with
full battens. I had it recut to that from the original North Main.

CM



"Thom Stewart" wrote in message
...
JR,

That picture of his Hong Kong Main shows a shelve. JR, a shelve fitted
main is a Free Footed Main. The shelve is ONLY to prevent air from
creating a vortex,

Is you look at that picture you will see that the airfoil shape carries
to the very bottom of the sail, then the shelve (which is open) carries
straight across to the boom. Just like a "shelve" the reason for its'
name.

JR, think of your own main REEFED. You have a free footed sail with the
access sail folded and loosely tied to the boom . It should never be
tied tight enough for support.

http://www.optiparts.com/spars.html


"The SILVER boom bends more than the GOLD boom.
The bending boom will flatten and depower the sail which enables the
lightweight sailor to go faster in more wind."

Since your boom is bent opposite to the bend referenced above, it could only
mean that your sails have higher power!

Muffin Man


"Capt. Neal®" wrote in message
...
Dear Group and Lurkers,

The usual bunch of babbling buffoons in the group's Peanut Gallery
has been making fun of my well-repaired boom. They include Whining Oz,
Gay Gaynz, JRBadbreath, and Crotchety Ole Thom.

They seem to criticize my sturdy boom on the basis of two things mainly.

1) It is heavy ruining light air performance.
2) It is slightly bent thus ruining sail trim.

They cannot claim it is weak because it has held up under more than
ten years of hard sailing since I repaired it and it is still far stronger
than the original extrusion was. It is so well sealed that there still is
not a speck of rust or corrosion to be seen.

1) Allow me to debunk the 'heavy' claim. The pipes I used as internal
sleeves
weighed a total of ten pounds. This means the boom is ten pounds heavier
than usual. The epoxy I slathered them with when I slid them home with
the help of a 2X6 sealed them and glued them to the boom but the epoxy's
weight is insignificant. Some say this extra ten pound will ruin the sail
shape
in light-air sailing. Simply not so, as more than ten pounds of downward
force is placed on the sail when the mainsheet is hauled down as it must
be even in light air. All the slightly heavier boom does is make it
slightly
easier to sheet in the mainsail.

2) Allow me to debunk the second claim concerning a slight bend ruining
the shape and trim of the mainsail. Simply not so. Just look how racers
intentionally bend their mainmast with fancy backstay pensioners in
order to flatten their mainsail for better performance. My boom
accomplishes the very same thing because of the bolt rope in the boom
and the shelf foot which closes when the outhaul is tightened. The bend
has no effect upon the sail shape when the outhaul is eased because
then the shelf foot opens up and the sail relaxes along the boom and
foot but when the outhaul is tensioned, the shelf foot closes and the
bolt rope in the boom tends to flatten the sail. This is such an efficient
system that, frankly, I am surprised nobody has thought of it before.
The first racer who decides to use a bent boom and a bolt/rope shelf-
footed sail will do well because he will have a definite advantage over
staid and unoriginal minds (or lack thereof) as demonstrated in the
ignorant individuals listed above.

These two simple explanations demonstrate how lacking in knowledge
everyone except Gilligan is when it comes to knowing what makes a fast
boat like "Cut the Mustard" even faster.

CN

Yeah Oz,

Water they can collect. Sailing here in the Pacific NW I'm very aware of
it. So is everyone that sails with me. On my old boat,which had the
shelf when I said ; "Ready to Tack" they would scamble to windward as
soon as I said; "Helm's Alee" As the boom swung across the cockpit the
shelf would turn itself inside out with the wind and dump a load of
water in the cockpit and Lee side seat. One dousing trained them very
rapidly.

This Main sails a lot drier.

Ole Thom