Friday, June 11, 2010

New Sails

We purchased new sails from Neil Pryde and I got to really try them out last weekend, while taking some friends for a short sail.  We had a good 12+ knots of wind from the south and with the new main and Genny made between 6.5 and 8 knots continuously for a couple hours.

We did not stay out too long as our friends had their 3 years old with them and she was not too big on bouncing around.  She sure did like her swim in the creek off of the back of the boat though.

We saved  about half the price of local sails - including not having to pay taxes, as NP is in Conn.  The local Rep (Bruce Empey) measured for the sails and did a semi-custom design.  He put in foam for the Genny luff and custom sized it to 143% which he felt was the maximum sail we could use on our existing track.  The main as a larger roach and staggered full battans like the new racing sails.  I believe he used 7 oz dacron on the Genny and 8.5 on the main. 

As we have a jiffy reef system that supports only 2 reef points, he moved the first reef point up quite a bit and the second up to where the third would be.

Between the new sails and boom gallows, we are always excited to get the sails up.

Bruce also repaired out Asym that broke last year.  We have yet to try it out.

Once we get the kids done with high school graduations, Bonnie and I will take off on the 26th for 10 days of sailing aroud the southern Chesapeake Bay.  Yippeee....