NEW ARNE TYPE SAILS FOR ZEBEDEE

It’s amazing how much time we spend tacking. We wanted better performance and Arne’s method seemed the easiest. We went for 10% camber in the lower panels, reducing to 4% then 1% in the triangular panels.

We obtained some black Odyssey III cloth 64 inches wide, V69 thread, 3/8 inch polyester bolt rope and 3mm polypropylene line for the inner bolt rope. We used our hand cranked Singer (cost GBP8), no walking foot, no zigzag and no reverse. Pauline’s uncle Paul Moretti put us up and let us use his living room and garage. We were fed like kings!

We extended the battens 8 inches back to the original 150 inches. For marking we used tailor’s chalk and silver felt tip pens.

We followed Arne’s method to the letter (Amateur Method B), including cutting 10 inches off the leech of the booms. We made the sails 152 inches wide to ensure sufficient slack to allow the camber to form. Slieve very kindly provided the camber figures, max camber at 35% chord for the bottom panels to about 45% for the triangles.

Stapling was particularly helpful when joining panels and for fitting the pockets. Use of a staple remover (very cheap) was very effective. We marked every sewing line to ensure accurate construction.

It took us 5 days to build both sails, including lots of unpicking of the triangles. I still don’t know how I got those so wrong!

We fitted throat hauling parrels and Hong Kong parrels. There were no major creases and the pressure on the battens seems fine.

We sailed in Trinidad for 3 days, wind varying from calm to F5 and gusty. There is a tremendous increase in speed when hard on the wind. Unfortunately the wind has been too flukey to measure the tacking angle. It is certainly better than before.

We ll let you know as we get more data, sailing in different conditions.

Arne Kverneland wrote:What a contrast to how we do it in Stavanger: Construct the sail, rig the sail and go sailing. Period.

Annie Hill wrote:Hi Arne

Well, there isn't one, really.  And I'm still tweaking.  Essentially, standard YHP, a luff hauling parrel and one standing luff parrel.  I'll post a photo on the photogallery which shows the set up of the LHP.  Still working on getting the boom set just as I want it.  Of course, I haven't had a chance to sail the boat for 3 months (!) what with caring for my friend and then hauling out.

Annie,

I am sure you get it right, but I think it will be generally easier to handle the batten stagger and diagonal creases with a vertical or a bit aft-raking mast than with the mast raking forward. I can't help wondering what is going on when I read about boats needing weeks of  tweaking and fuss to get the sails right. What a contrast to how we do it in Stavanger: Construct the sail, rig the sail and go sailing. Period.

Cheers, Arne

David Thatcher wrote:I suspect that the way the battens stack is more a function of sail design rather than mast rake.

I suspect that the way the battens stack is more a function of sail design rather than mast rake. On the original, every mistake made, version of Footprints old sail the battens were all over the place when the sail was lowered. When I rebuilt the sale to PJR guidelines the battens stacked exactly as they should. With the new fan shaped sail the battens stacked properly with the mast vertical, and they also stack properly with the mast now raked forward. I have only 3 degrees of rake against the 6 percent on Fantail. The forward raking of my mast was required to get the centre of effort of the sail where it should be for the boat, and also as David Tyler has observed these fan shaped sails seem to sit better on a forward raking mast. Fortunatly my sail seems to be working well with a fairly simple arrangement of the control lines and with no manipulation of battens required to get them to stack as they should. The only extra line over the old sail is the luff hauling parrel which I did not need on the old sail. Maybe because the sail was so heavy (16oz Duradon) gravity did that job for me. So on Footprints there is main halyard, yard hauling parrel which is not required for full sail as the yard sits hard against the mast anyway, and the luff hauling parrel which can require a bit effort due to the size of Footprints sail, but that is also about technique. Both Tystie and Footprints have 2 additional control lines connected to the boom which adjust the canting of the sail across the mast but there is no load on these lines. We do adjust our topping lifts, they are at a fixed length.

As per Annies comment above the boom sits at funny angles on the new sail and doesn't seem to do much other than stretch out the bottom of the sail. I still have the old heavy timber boom from the old sail. I suspect I could get away with some much lighter alloy tube for a boom, but because it sits in a sleeve at the bottom of the sail I never really see so I tend to forget about it.

I do have to say that David Tylers idea of putting all the sail spars; battens, yard and boom in sleeves is a great idea. Although it is a little more work when making the sail it is a very simple and clean arrangement when completed and especially when combined with the sewn in foam mast cushioning on the sleeves.