So I'm finally taken the plunge and bought a "new" sail for the landy, and will be needing some advice on how to cut down.
This is the sail, http://www.windsurfing.kasail.com/archive/2000/kaos.html in a 6m.
I'm hoping to be able to measure exactly where that will come to on my mast of ~4.3m on the weekend. But just a quick question on luff curve. How exacly is the luff curve template done? Do I attach a rope to the top of the mast to the end of the boom and sheet it in all the way, then mark the curve of the mast on the template?
Cheers,
Adam.
from the pictures Ive seen I'd say you might not need to recut the luff.
the kaos sails have most of the curve in the luff down low, which is the area youll be trimming off.
I would be have heaps of downhaul, but lets see a photo of the actual sail please
Ok Paul,
Here's the pics. I tried my hardest to get the my mast into the luff sleave, but to no avail the last 300mm wouldn't happen.
Sorry the mast is a little hard to see in the first pic.
Welcome any advice on the cut.
Cheers all.
I would have a go at laying my hands on a skinny topped mast 300mm longer than recommended for that sail. dont stress about carbon content etc. . also try to lay your hands on a suitable length windsurfer boom.
you may be able to rig the sail with a windsurfer boom, and it will still perform because you have a really nicely cut flatter sail.
do you have any recycling centres close to the beach
I was hoping to use what I've got. I think the boss at this point would have a dim view of spending more $$.
Sorry Paul, it was late at night and I didn't really get what you were saying b4. So just to recap, your saying that the sail is a good cut already and it would be a shame to make adjustments to it. Hence the recommendation to get an appropriate mast and boom.
possibly- you could make a tapered extension for the top of the mast out of straight grained timber- easiest if you have access to a wood lathe, but can be done with a wood plane or belt sander,
make it as long as you can if you use a lathe- you can always cut the excess off.
I think most wood lathes are at least 900mm between centres- but could be wrong on that.
With a lathe- it wouldnt take long to spin up a few different lengths.
A standard windsurfing boom is dirt cheap from a recycling depot- many of our council rubbish tips and transfer stations now charge you for the weight of rubbish you dump- but you can offload anything that the council could possibly sell of recycle- timber, steel, furniture, toys, sporting gear etc. to reduce the weight.
For a long time, I never paid more than $10.00 for a sail, mast or boom at our local depot, it was only a few months ago the prices went up to $15.00, I am told a depot near Rockingham sells at $5.00 a piece.
Your local shires or councils might have the same system- or keep on eye on the Seabreeze "for sale section", or your states windsurfing forum on seabreeze- stick a post up that you are looking for a cheapie boom- windsurfers are notorious for buying the latest gear and usually have stuff gathering dust which could be bought from next to nothing- to a carton.
stephen.
Yeah cool, I should be able to work something out to make the mast a bit longer.
So here's the plan, make the mast longer to raise to sail foot ~200mm, which will mean that the boom will be roughly around the bottom of the black strip on the mast. Leave the bottom of the sail alone, the boom will follow the existing angle and leave enough head room in the seating position.
Then I'll sheet it in, and mark the new luff curve on the sail, pick, cut and resew the luff sleave.
a.
I just noticed... are those wire cables supporting the mast and chassis?
If you wanted to support the mast at around boom height they will need to be tubes as it will be a compression in that angle rather than tension.
Again on the chassis change them over for tubes.... Have you ever see a cheese cutter work? Cables work on legs the same way 
Hi Gizmo, ok point taken. As you say the mast ones are not acheiving a hell of a lot so I'll either replace them or remove them altogether.
The others, in the short term I'll either cover them with something or take my chances.
But as I see it at the moment, all these point are mute if I don't actually finish the mast, sail and seat.
a.
I reckon those stays will be fine.
the mast is also held up by a mast step, the wires are tohelp the thing stay together,
so a tapered top extension seems to be the go
Yep, already started on that one. Found a piece of alu tube a little too small to fit in the top of the mast. Roughed it up with an angle grinder, then layed up a couple of layers of fibre glass around it.
I'll just have to give it a sand back and she'll be apples.
So, finished the mast extension.
Was able rig up a make shift lathe of sorts. I put a holesaw in my hammer dril, and jammed the mast extension inside it, taped it all up with duct tape. Ran it through another peice of timber with a hole cut out, with some strategically placed bits of rag looped over and stapled to the bench.
It was a thing of beauty. . . well maybe not, But it did spin it ok enough for me to hit the fibreglass with an angle grinder to sand it back.
End result, a smaller diameter alu tube with a fibreglass plug insert which fits snuggly into the top of the mast.
Next job, rig up the sail again, mark the new luff curve. Then pick, cut and sew.
a.
Squishman,
These things we do not talk about as a picture is worth a thousand words.. In't you learned that yet?? Sounds good though, just as long as you didn't finish up with it wrapped about your ears.
Ron
Yeah, I know Nikrum, sorry.
I've only got a big digital SLR, which I didn't want to subject to the fibreglass dust in the air. I've got to get myself a better phone so that I can take shed happy snaps.
Maybe I could do a renactment! 
How're you holding up with the new plumbing mate? I stepped away from the forums for a couple of weeks there, and boom missed all your news. I'm glad you sailed out the other side.
a.
Thanks Squishman,
Still sailin' if a little slowly but the wind seems to be moving me quicker by the day..
Ron
So I'm planning on getting the unpicking and cutting done this week, can anyone give some advice on the tape to use (and where to source it from) to stick the cloth and microfilm together prior to stitching?
Cheers,
Adam.
OK! Squishman,
The best tape to use is 1/2"/12mm Double Sided Tape from your Sail Maker. Keep in mind "Cheap is as Cheap Does".. The double sided Tape doesn't only hold things in place for sewing but becomes an integral part of the job and also serves to strengthen the sewing job. Go to your Sail Maker. OH! Make sure that the Area you lay the tape down on is clean and dirt free.. LAst roll I bought was about $11.
Ron
Ok Ron, I'll see if I can source a sail maker! 
So I got around to running up the sail on the mast with the extension. And here are the pics, feeling less than confidant atm as to what the next step is.
The sail, is downhauled tight and sheeted in as far as I dared. Can I safely say that the curve of the mast in this state should be the the new luff curve?
Ok, thanks for confirming that for me Gizmo.
I'd hazard a guess that most of the time it will be on grass, and sometimes on reasonably hard sand. But I'd prefer to error on the softer side and sacrifice top speed. The sadest thing is sitting in your landsailer with just not quite enough wind to get going.
How does one work out the maximum point? If I was to hazard a guess I'd make it somewhere between the 1st and second battons.
I've just read that forum post (probably for the tenth time) and have now only realised what the diagram at the end meant. Not sure Gizmo, but hopefully I'll find out tomorrow. I'll run it up again and mark some points on the sail indicating the mast curve and I'll see how that compares with those measurements.
To get the maximum point just mark the sail either along the front or back of the mast with a marker pen, then remove it from the yacht. Lay it out flat on the ground and now use a sting line top to bottom to see how much deviation there is from the string line. Use a couple of bricks to keep the string tight.
Add the extra measurement to the maxium point then use a flexible straight edge to draw the new curve.
Running up the sail again tonight, but today I thought I'd ring my local shade sail maker to see if they'd do the stitching for me.
Weren't overly helpfull, said that their machines were setup to go through thicker material and they were concerned that they wouldn't be suitable for the lighter sailcloth. Seemed a bit of bs to me but I couldn't really comment not knowing.
Looks like I might be up for a drive to get to a real sailmaker.
Squish Dude, You have nailed it in one.. The Bloke I use was only too willing to help and he builds stuff for Ocean Going Maxi's.. The machine he used on one of my suit of sails is Driven Electric, Compressed Air and Computerized... BS was a correct assumption.
It is a pity you have to take a Drive to someone else but then again you don't need a Cowboy working on you gear.
Ron
Heh,
Chatted to my Dad tonight, he suggested upolstry or canvas guys so I'll try that tack tomorrow. The might be a little more easy to deal with. I really would like to get someone local to me onside, better that way.
Will also try a few more sources to find some double sided tape. Would help to know some brands and part numbers as dealing with suppliers can be a little unhelpfull is you only know what it's used for.
a.
Paul (Landyacht) found the sailmakers tape in a mining supplies warehouse.
Company called "Atom Supplies" in Welshpool and Kalgoorlie- but probably in the east as well.
If not- there is always mail/internet sales.
Brand name of tape is "STYLUS TAPE" , double sided and cloth backed.
Tape is 48mm x 50 metres per roll, @ $22.00 + GST.
It is the same tape that the sailmakers use according to Paul.
He cuts it to whatever width he needs (probably just tears it down the middle)
Stephen
Thanks Steven.
I found this mob : www.tenacioustapes.com.au/adhesive-tapes-range probably give them a call tomorrow.
Yeah I know I could probably get some online, but I'm kinda on a tight schedule to get it done by christmas, so I'll try and source some locally first.
Cheers for the info though, will help no end.
a.
"Landyacht" got me some of the tape that "sn" recommended and its fantastic stuff. Thanks Paul.
The roll was lying on my bench when Bernie my mate turned up and saw it. (He's the local carpet layer) He went out to his ute and bought back a similar 1/2 used roll. I had a source here all along and hadn't even thought of it.
He uses kilometres of it, joining/bonding, industrial carpets to the concrete in all the school classrooms and shops he fits out.
Your carpet layer may be worth a try, for you locally.
Chook
