Happy Dance!! New 135 Genoa Happy Dance!!

[Kevin Henderson]

    (Wish we had a Happy Dance Smiley)   

I just picked up my spiffy new 135 Genoa from Ullman Sails here in SD yesterday.  Can't wait to get out there this weekend and break it in.

My tired old 150 which had been repaired (stitched) in October from a blown out UV cover and the leech line exposed will be retired.  I suppose it is usable in a pinch but she is still pretty thin and frayed.

Anybody have suggestions what to do with an old sail?


BTW... Ullman usually has a sale in the fall for pre orders for new sails delivered in March-April with a substantial discount of 40%.  I'm already looking forward to ordering the new Main in the Fall.

[Ken Juul]

If you have a sewing machine you can make just about anything you want from the old sail.  Ditty Bags, duffels, anchor riding sail, hammock strap to go around the furled head sail are a few of the things I have sewn.  Boom tent and dingy sun cover are still on the list.  I have access to a sailrite machine if needed, but most of these were done with a '70s vintage Sears ziz zag.

Ask around, some clubs that race dingy's accept old sails that they can make into training sails for their dingy fleet.

[Kevin Henderson]

Great idea about checking with the clubs ken.  I'll check with NYCSD and see if they could use it. 

Then again, I can see it now...
Nice quiet afternoon at home.  The wife is away shopping.  She comes back home earlier than expected and hears the rhythmic sounds of a sewing machine whirring away.  Curious she enters the room and sees the room filled with billowing white canvas and tidy little satchels organized along the table... and me... hunkered down sewing away.  All I can hear would be ... "WHAT IN THE &&%*@^!!  HAVE YOU DONE TO MY SEWING MACHINE"!

Maybe I'll check Craigslist

[Ralph Masters]

Congratulations Chief, now to get that thing underway.  We have the 135 and I'm very much a fan of that size.  Can actually see under it to see what's ahead.

Hope to see you on the docks,

Ralph

[Clay Greene]

I soon hope to have the same happy dance - our new 135 is being shipped on Friday. 

We donated our main sail to Haiti earthquake relief through North Sails.  They pulled together sails from all of their customers in the Milwaukee and Chicago area and arranged to have them flown down.  Apparently, the sails make pretty good temporary shelters.  I thought that was a pretty good use for an old soft sail. 

Local sailing clubs also often take donated sails. 

[efhughes3]

Congrats, and I hope your boat sails 1.5kts faster! This reminds me that I need to do something about the whomper on the front of our boat that is hard to see around.

[Kevin Henderson]

Thanks Ed,

1.5 Kts Plus
At least thats what it felt like yesterday.

I swapped out my tired old rag of a 150 and replaced it with my new 135.  The breeze yesterday was fresh and steady.  When we unfurled the new Genny the affects were immediate.  Not only did the sail look much better but the shape it held and the performance it delivered was noticeably different.  I did not have a window cut into the sail and I would not suggest doing so as it would weaken the sail and there is plenty of visibility under the foot. 
With the winds as they were yesterday I think my old 150 would have been a handfull.

The Admiral And I  were commenting all day about the performance and the fact that we just zipped around the bay with no effort (5-7 Kts). 
Pointing upwind was much improved and not having the large "sweeper" made tacks and gybes very controlled.  I'm a believer!!

[noworries]

Congrats!  I can't wait to do my new 155 happy dance!  

[BlueWind]

Happy Dance, we have a marina community here in NC that took old sails and made them into curtains in their model homes overlooking the marina. I thought that was cool idea. With 10-foot ceilings, they look great.