David Tyler wrote:Two things that I need to fix this winter:
- ...
- The batten pockets have foam and webbing fenders on them in way of the mast. Using Arne's method of making pockets, the pocket is able to rotate about the batten, even if there are webbing loops at the leech and luff to support the batten there. So the pockets have been contacting the mast above where the fenders were sewn on, and have worn through. This is a definite disadvantage of this way of making the pockets. On Footprints' sail, we made the pockets in a different way, with the lower edge of the pocket sewn to the lower panel, and upper edge of the pocket sewn into the seam between panels (still without needing to pass a roll of cloth under the machine). With two points of attachment, the fenders should stay between the batten and the mast, and I've not heard from David Thatcher that he's had any problems here. I should remake my batten pockets according to this principle.
David,
I am aware of that the batten pockets may rotate about the battens - I've lived with them since 1994. The simple solution is to make the whole batten pocket at the mast from very thick and strong material. I have used thick PVC for batten pockets on a couple of sails, last time on Edmond Dantes, as shown here. With foam around the batten, inside the strong batten pocket, this should last for a good while. Besides, with Amateur method B, it is dead easy to either rip off the pocket and add a new one, or to simply sew a new pocket on top of the worn one at the damaged area.
The "Footprint method" will of course work as well, but is a lot more difficult to make.
Cheers, Arne
PS: Now I had to check my write-up (Chapter 5 of "The Cambered Panel Junk Rig"), and yes, in the description of Amateur Method B, I recommend using PVC canvas at the mast.