Sail cleaning - restoration...

[Sandy Claws - IC Hull #121]

This year I had my mainsail cleaned and restored by Sailcare using their Lemauney process. I can't say enough for how amazing this process is. When I received my sail I thought they had screwed up and sent me someone's new sail. It was absolutely beautiful! I'm very happy with the process & their serice. By the way, they run an annual 10% off fall special in September - October. I didn't know this and had it done in the spring.

The sail was not only clean, but soft and pliable again. Before the process, it was rough. The process works as advertised.

Sailcare measured my mainsail as follows:
         36 ft.-4 in. X 19 ft.-0 in. (359 sqft)         $0.95/sqft    price: $341.05
They also performed additional repairs:

• SEW NEW STRIPES AND INSIGINAS $100.00
• SEW NEW  TELLTALES $20.00
• RESTRING LEECHLINE $44.00
• 1.5 HR SMALL, OVERLAY ON THE LEEECH $66.00

Insured shipping was about $35

from Good Old Boat about Sailcare:

Other alternatives:
Finally, if you have all the sails you need but they are just a little tired, there is an economical way to breathe new life into them. SailCare will take your old sails, inspect and measure them, determine if any repairs are needed, and check the cloth for sun damage and deterioration.

Your sails are cleaned and impregnated with new resin. SailCare saturates the cloth with the resins and sets the resins with controlled heat. A fungicidal agent is added to inhibit mold growth. A water repellent as well as a UV protector is also added.

Remember that this process will not restore a bagged-out sail to its original shape. It will just clean and resin the existing shape. Sails must be setting with a satisfactory shape to be worth sending them off for this treatment. The sail will be returned clean, nearly wrinkle-free, and much stiffer.

The cost of treatment is between 11 and 12 percent of the cost of a new sail from a U.S. loft (excluding any repair costs or modifications made to the sail). SailCare is a full-service loft.

[Sandy Claws - IC Hull #121]

Finally took time to get the spinnaker dimension measurements:

• Sailmaker: UK
• Shape: asymmetrical
• Additional features: spinnaker sock to easy dousing the spinnaker

Dimensions:

Port (red)	31 feet 0 inches
Stbd (green)	32 feet 8 inches
foot	16 feet 8 inches
Sail area (est.)	275 sqft

[MonsterK]

I have this spinnaker set up along with a small jib.  Do you use your spinnaker often and if so do you have a favorite set up? 
Thanks!

[Sandy Claws - IC Hull #121]

Unlike the 30ft versions, the 28' Intercats did not come with a jib. I took the liberty to assemble one from a sail-rite kit. I have two jib/spinnaker halyards, but have not raised both at the same time yet.
For the spinnaker, I usually tack to the middle bow cleat and then fly it either Port or Stbd of centerline. No pole. The guy runs to the port /stbd midship or aft cleat keeping the foot 8-10 feet above the deck. 

I still am not satisfied with my sail trim skills and look forward to more practice. I make excuses to fly the spinnaker. Sometime when I shouldn't. It's a lot of fun and the screw-ups make for good stories. Like the time it was up, rounded a point and the wind jumped from 11 knots to 28 knots. Single handed, over-powered, and my weight on the bow caused the bow to dig (deep). If it were a hobbie cat, it would have pitch-polled. Pucker factor was a solid 10.5. This is when the sock comes in handy. Turned the boat to spill the wind and slow down just long enough for me to pull the sock down with the sail flailing wildly. These are the makings of a good ER visit. Luckily there were no witnesses. You can keep a secret can't you 

I'm sure others have other such tips for flying spinnakers while singlehanded.

[MonsterK]

You're brave to run that setup single handed!  I won't tell anybody.  I've had the luxury of having my two "sailing camp" trained teenagers beg me to set the spinnaker/gennaker.  I just tell them to yell what tack they want and I let them do the rest.  They fiddle with it until its really pretty.  The most I'll run single handed is the main and jib together. I've thought about building a small bowsprit to help with the spinnaker and possibly support another forestay for a bigger jib.  I would love to get the spinnaker worked out more scientifically but I think my mainsail reefing needs to be worked out first.  I'm still in the process of refiitting my boom etc. after a late fall mast refinish and standing rigging replacement.  My boat is moored in a fairly exposed location and the El Nino' winter has really cooled my jets for boat work.  Will finally get to install the Boom kicker!

[Sandy Claws - IC Hull #121]

Boom furling? I thought you HAD to have a rigid vang for that system to work. You may want to address leveling that boom before scraping the furlling. Or maybe we could work out a boom swap!
I'd love to have a functional boom furler. Which brand and vintage is your boom furler?

[MonsterK]

No boom furling...I still have the original Isomat rig in my boat.  So that does have the "single line" in boom reefing set up which uses the shuttle (my term) inside the boom.  I had rigged before but found unworkable due to too much friction.  I believe this was because a previous owner had rigged everything with 1/2" or even larger...its hard to tell once it gets old.  Anyway, I've purchased color coded stay-set in 7/16 and will try the set up again that way.  If it doesn't work out i've got to get a fairly handy way to pull in a reef or two on the main, even if its just dome well placed attachments for some velcro closed sail ties or straps.
BTW, I used to have a diagram of this reefing system from an Isomat vendor but lost it in Katrina. I haven't been able to get another copy but if you or any of the other owners have one I sure would like another copy.  I can figure it out eventually but why re-invent the wheel?