About CABBSFounded in 1967, CABBS brings together people who share a passion for building, sailing, paddling, and motoring in boats. Through meetings, outings, and a lending library, members have an opportunity to learn and have fun wtih those who share a similar interest. Visitors are always welcome at CABBS activities.  Cleveland Amateur Boatbuilding and Boating Society |
November 14, 2004 Meeting PresentationSail Construction He explained that a traditional triangular sail is constructed in cross cut fashion. The sail cloth panels are arranged perpendicular to the leech. In this position, the fibers of the cloth are in the best position to bear the loads placed on the sail from masthead to clew. Over time the fibers will stretch under the load and begin to distort the sail. Dacron, DuPont's tradename for polyester fiber, is typically used for sails. At the factory, the fibers are woven on a machine loom and then heat shrunk to dense the weave. The fibers can be coated in melamine to add increased strength. Another form of polyester is Mylar film. The advantage of film over fiber is that it is strong in all directions. Unlike a woven material, it does not distort across the bias, an angle to the direction of the weave. Sails constructed from Mylar were superior but if they stretched beyond 1% they did not return to original size.
Rich finished up with advice for prolonging the life of your sails. First, don't stuff a sail into a bag. Fold it or better yet, roller reef the sail or roll it on a spar. Since dacron will break down under ultra-violet light, cover the sails with a good UV absorbing material. He recommended Sunbrella, made from an acrylic fiber.Other tips include washing your sails often if you cruise in salt water and never motor with the sails flapping loose. |
RemindersDEC 14 2008 Monthly Meeting Guest Speaker:
Plans & Notes |
Rich Wilber, from the 
The most advanced approach is to combine fibers and mylar to make a composite material in which the fibers bear much of the load. A composite sail begins as Dacron, Kevlar, or carbon fiber strings layed out across an inflatable membrane to form the sail or panel shape. The fibers are then laminated between mylar sheets to form the completed panel. Panels can be joined together to produce the final sail form.