2017 & 2018: Sail Repairs & Canvas Work

Ongoing Saga: # 6

Mainsail Outhaul Car.  I found that this was partially broken and thought I could have it welded back together.  Not so and I had to purchase another one.  Turns out that the replacement part was much better engineered than the original part, so happy to fit a new, more robust fitting as it is very important in handling the mainsail when furling and unfurling.

Mainsail Flattened.  The mainsail had become more full over the years with age, stretching, etc and so I had a sailmaker in Lagos, Portugal flatten it a bit.  It’s better and, more important, it furls better ie it's easier to unfurl.  It used to occasionally stick and take a bit of effort to unfurl.  There has never been a problem with furling funnily enough.

Dodger/Bimini Joiner – Velcro Edges.  The ‘joiner’ covers the gap between the dodger and bimini and is attached when needed utilizing zips, which leak when it’s wet.  I decided to attach flaps over the zips and sewed some edging with Velcro attached so that I had a more water tight join, certainly much better but not perfect by any means.  The joiner is a terrific bit of kit and makes a big different to shelter/comfort in bad/wet weather.  The added Velcro flaps made it even more effective.  Vitally, this ensures my  iPad & navionics continues to function, by keeping the water off the screen (see more comments on the iPad under Comms & Electronics).