Doyle Universal Power Sail

Moderator: GreenLake

Postby GreenLake » Mon Jul 09, 2012 8:51 pm

K.C. Walker wrote:I had some 1/4" Sta-Set, at least I thought it was, and what I thought was 1/8" amsteel. As you say, that Amsteel doesn't stretch and I was not able to stuff the cover in it. If the double taper makes it easier, which it sounds like it does, I may just try that.

I don't know what it is with the 1/8" Amsteel. I couldn't even finish a splice to 3/16. Finally, I tapered the cover and left the cover bury short (as far as I could get it when it slipped off the fid). That was for a new main halyard and I sailed with it for 7 hours in pretty brisk winds and it seems to hold fine.

For a halyard, the main focus is on reduced stretch, which means that it's very likely that the loads are never going to go up to the limit - if true, that means, a splice with shorter bury might be fine.

I've used the double taper on my jib halyard, the choice is a bit accidental, the double braid wasn't long enough to use the halyard as a topping lift when the sail is down, so I got 3/16 and started over. Now I have both halyards done that way.

For the main, I kept the eye splice with thimble plus metal shackle (without the weight of the shackle, I'd constantly lose the halyard up the mast). For the jib halyard, I made a soft eye that can be opened. It goes around a stopper knot that's attached to the sail (a short loop of Amsteel, ending in a diamond knot). You'll find pictures and instructions for that on L-36.com.
~ green ~ lake ~ ~
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Postby K.C. Walker » Sat Sep 01, 2012 12:13 pm

It's hard to believe that this is what would get me out of bed to go sailing at six in the morning. The wind prediction for the day was light and variable. I was able to go sailing in what before would have been no fun. I figured one or 2 kn of breeze and the same for boat speed. Before unfurling the UPS my wind indicators were pretty much limp. The UPS is light enough that it filled even in this amount of breeze. With nice smooth water and no boat chop it was pleasant to ghost around.
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Photos

Postby K.C. Walker » Sat Sep 01, 2012 1:30 pm

Because there had been photo requests of the UPS, I got Diana to do a series one morning. This is another early morning sail about 7 AM with about 4 kn of breeze maybe gusting to 7. If you look at the water you can see that it's fairly light air and you can see that I'm working up wind towards the camera in some photos and on a broad reach in others away from the camera. The camera was on shore in the lee of an island. There is a little bit of air coming between the islands and then I sail into the lee and turn back. This is not very steady air.

I found that I used the UPS at least 75% of the time I went sailing during July and August because there was not much breeze. Upwind up to about 6-7 kn of breeze it's great. At 8 kn and single-handed it's time to switch over to the normal jib, with crew about 10 kn. Because it is on a furler I've used it up to about 12 kn single-handed, mostly on a broad reach at that point. The boat's planing pretty easily at 10-12 kn while reaching.

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Last edited by K.C. Walker on Sat Sep 01, 2012 5:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.
KC Walker, DS 1 #7002
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Postby GreenLake » Sat Sep 01, 2012 4:10 pm

Enough already :)

I'm getting envious!
~ green ~ lake ~ ~
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Postby GreenLake » Sat Sep 01, 2012 4:12 pm

Actually, KC, you did give a description of your sprit, but I'd love to see your setup in a close-up shot.
~ green ~ lake ~ ~
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Postby K.C. Walker » Sat Sep 01, 2012 5:20 pm

GreenLake,

Sorry about that! Captain overkill here again, you ask for pictures and I get a little carried away. :-)

I kept meaning to take photos of the bowsprit set up but have not yet. I'll do that.
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Postby talbot » Sun Sep 02, 2012 1:59 pm

Gorgeous. Just gorgeous. Ditto the interest in the bowsprit. I believe you should contact Doyle and sell them the photos. Or get a discount on your next working sails.
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Postby jdoorly » Mon Sep 03, 2012 9:25 pm

Really, Really nice pics K.C.

I have only unfurled my jib once this year. The UPS is my 'go to' sail. It goes upwind well, especially in light air, and reaches great (is that why they used to call a sail like this a 'Drifter-Reacher ?) Light, high clew, baggy, surprisingly small (K.C.'s UPS excluded) and surprisingly fast- just a wonderfull sail.
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Postby K.C. Walker » Tue Sep 04, 2012 9:02 pm

So I took some photos of the bowsprit set up. Boat's on the trailer right now so the mast cradle on the trailer is right in the way. However, I think people can get the idea from these photos.

Here it is set up.
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This is the front cradle.
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This is the back socket.
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Here are some details of the bob stay.
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The aluminum pole is 1.5 inch diameter and 6 feet long. This is what it looks like before I stick it in the sail bag.
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Postby K.C. Walker » Tue Sep 04, 2012 9:07 pm

Talbot,

Thank you for the compliments on the photos! I like the way you think. A nice new set of Doyle working sails would be nice at a discount price. :-)
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Postby K.C. Walker » Tue Sep 04, 2012 9:15 pm

jdoorly,

Thank you for the compliments on the photos, also!

I didn't really keep track of the percentage use on the UPS. I didn't want to seem like I was overestimating, that is why went with 75%, but I'll bet it was more. If I count the times that I went out and used the sail part of the time that I was out I would guess that to be more like 90%. It really is a lot of fun.
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Postby GreenLake » Wed Sep 05, 2012 10:40 am

K.C.

Thanks for the close-ups. I like your design of the sprit. It's very clean.
~ green ~ lake ~ ~
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Postby K.C. Walker » Wed Sep 05, 2012 11:07 am

Greenlake,

Thanks! It definitely helped to talk out loud here on the forum while trying to figure out how I wanted to do this!
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Postby GreenLake » Wed Sep 05, 2012 5:15 pm

As you know, I love design discussions as well. And I also loved your gorgeous photos - my comment "enough" was meant in terms of me getting envious of your fun with that lovely rig already after a the first few - the rest were "torment" :D :D

I'm bookmarking this thread in case I can get the nerve up (and money ready) to follow your example.

What's the white plastic material for the U bracket and cap fitting? And where did you source the black end-cap in the front?
~ green ~ lake ~ ~
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Postby K.C. Walker » Wed Sep 05, 2012 6:31 pm

Green Lake,

Yes, I was teasing you about the photos, as well. I knooow you want one of these sails. :-)

I got the end caps from APS and they are for Thistle aluminum tillers (special hardware section). The plastic for the deck fittings I made out of high density polyethylene that I purchased from Grizzly.

I did a lot of head scratching on this one but the results have been problem free.
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