I would like to start a thread on the suitability[ or not] of windsurfer sails and masts for land yachts
There is a good source of sails and masts on the secondhand market at good prices and some information on what to look for would be helpful to those
building their own yacht
Here is a link on seabreeze, this is a step by step of how to recut sailboard sails to suit landyachts..
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=37622
there also a little on mast contruction in this section.
Hi Hiko,
It looks like there is a huge variety of windsurfer sails. I am sure there are a few that could just be poked into the mast step of a Lefroy Mini and make it sail quite well. It would need to be a fairly flat cut speed sail with it's curvature close to the mast I would imagine.
Does that bring a particular sail to mind???
Thanks guys I feel a bit redfaced now I should have looked harder
Its all there if I had of looked!
Some years ago i picked up a couple of Hood windsurfer sails and a mast for a song
and toyed with the idea of building a mini yacht
It never got done and I ended up building a class 5 instead
Now the fire has been rekindled so who knows?
Don't feel bad I have done it to. There is soooo much info it's hard to remember it all or to cover it in a single sitting. I keep going to the same thred many times because I missed a detail or two. 
Im Back
, Glad you kids found all the relevant posts. Weve had some great successes with windsurfer sails.Most of the stuff Ive recut has been "soft materials"
Monofilm is a bit too tough for my sewing machine ( SINGER 20U) . when collecting sails I save anything, any condition. You may be able to reuse battens,webbing,mast or batten pockets, or even just the sailbag.
The older alloy booms are great to pull apart and straighten for booms. I prefer to use a "traditional" boom arrangement rather than a wishbone set up, its just plain easier and faster
If your looking to build a MINI I would recommend the Mini Explorer as a starter, as they are little rockets, But given the quality of Hikos CL 5 , if your no a big (+85kg )lad then try the Mini Magic "Nappy Rush"
if you need any sails to cut down for your yachts i have a few left up to 10m never been in water $20-30 each pick up only perth
I'll gladly pay you for a couple of them but I am in Bundaberg, Qld. I'd have to ask landyacht if he would mind recutting a couple for me for which I will also gladly pay.
Could you email landyacht with details of the sails? Cheers Cisco.
KAOS's sails are big experimentals, Ive looked at cutting techniques and ideas and not come up with any thing yet. My collection in the shed has quite a few similar size sails collected over summer.
If I could just get some really bad weather in Kalgoorlie that will lock me in the shed for a week I wouldhave a go , but the LINDA project sails have arrived so the sewing time is booked, plus the SN sails( they are on the sewing bench now)
Paul ... im doing some research into a semi soft sail at the moment
its a bit different with cutting and shape.
Just a question how much in Kg do your sails weigh?
Im looking at about 600g per sq m for these how does this compare with the poly sail you made?
absolutely no idea. PM an adress and I'll send some. when I was shopping for dacron I discovered that coloured cloth was only as heavy as4.5oz then it was all white.
so the dacron sail I made had to be 4.5oz and is way lighter that the poly.
the sail that Crazy trav is using is heavier again
these sails are preproduction which means they are the final cut with out logos and brand names on them . no one uses formula sails anymore as the sport has died a very sad death in w.a . theres not much that has to be done as they have battern pockets and luff sleeves . these no different cutting mono film sails and dacron ones anyone with a industrial sewing machine and a bit of time anyone can do it . . if you are in perth i might be able to help you out cutting and sewing them as i have a sail loft that i dont use any more .
You have a sail loft that you don't use any more. Unbelievable. The Chinese must have really chopped into the sail making business in Aus.
the heavier monofilm ripped the crap out of my singer20u. Im very wary of it now, which is a shame as some of the sails people have handed me have been truely works of art
thats very interesting that mono film damaged your machine . i have never seen that before . i have even used a domestic machine to sew it . how did you get away with those plastic bag sails you made? it sounds as though your machine doesn't have a pulling foot . what you can do to fix it , is slow your machine down by changing pulley sizes this is the cheap way but will work nearly as well , than you can sew anything and put those wasted sails to use .
unless you are using reinforced dacron you will never get it to hold its shape properly and will also make it heavy . a properly made monofilm sail with the right amount of battens and they are very important ,will always be lighter ,stiffer and faster than Dacron, sorry but now you are dealing with the law of physics .
as you dont use them in water they should last just as long . i would say that dacron will take more impact damage than monofilm but mono is a lot cheaper to fix . you should rethink your monofilm experience as there is a lot to be gained from this product .
The foot not pulling very well was the main problem , and the thread getting cut in the holes the other.
Mono film doesnt handle the UV on the salt lake to well, last month I pulled out a sail that had been in its bag for a few months and it just plain old snapped when I unrolled it. Dacron handles the salt lake really well, we have sails that are still in use after 20 years.
The polyethylene sews easily . I can get 10 layers under the foot and it will sew with ease. BUT you have to hot knife all your cuts, and I do a double run of zig zag on all the seams.
Certainly havent given up onthe monofilm. BIRDSEYEVIEW gave me some good advice on tapes for seams ,and I have been following that up., and will add your suggestions to that list. Thanks
Mind you that monofilm is bloomin' niosy when it flaps
Hi KAOS69, What size sails do you have? You mention that you have an unused sail loft. I am interested in modifying some sails that I own to use on a land yacht but would also like to make a sail ? jib for a catamaran. Are you available for some technical advice if required? Regards Nick
