A few more questions

Topics primarily or specifically about the DS2. Many topics are of general interest, so please use forum sections on Rigging, Sails, etc. where appropriate.

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Re: A few more questions

Postby windwalker » Sun Jun 26, 2016 9:45 pm

Yeah what is it with sailboats and sunsets????
This is my son on Teagan, his 32' Oday
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Re: A few more questions

Postby GreenLake » Sun Jun 26, 2016 10:52 pm

Nice!
~ green ~ lake ~ ~
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Re: A few more questions

Postby GreenLake » Sun Jun 26, 2016 11:14 pm

windwalker wrote:The boat seems to be rigged for a spinnaker, however, one did not come with the purchase. Where would one look to find one? Are they boat specific, or basic sizes? I've ordered a few parts from DR Marine and don't see any listing for spinnakers.


I was given a used spinnaker (for a different boat) and can report that it fits just fine.

The class association (DSA) has the dimensions for a class-legal spinnaker here: https://daysailer.org/Resources/Documents/dsbylaw3.pdf. Even if you do not race, the dimensions are a fine guide to getting a spinnaker that fits your boat.

8.15 The size of the spinnaker shall not exceed any of the following dimensions:
  • Head to clews: 15 feet 3 inches,
  • Head to mid-foot: 16 feet 0 inches,
  • Mid-foot to clews: 6 feet 0 inches.


Getting a used one initially will allow you to make some beginner's mistakes without worries that they might leave traces in the fabric. Mine was supposed to be in "no great shape" but it's been working fine for me after I patched some holes with spinnaker repair tape. But new ones start around $250, but expect to pay more for ones sold from suppliers of racing sails. (See "Sails" section for suggestion on sailmakers).
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Re: A few more questions

Postby talbot » Mon Jun 27, 2016 12:39 am

Sails are generally specific to particular classes. The Day Sailer is a popular boat, and still in production, so sails are readily available. There is a section of this website devoted to buying and selling sails, and you can order from a large number of sailmakers. A low price for a DS spinnaker might be Intensity ($226). High price might be North Sails ($1165). You will also need a spinnaker pole (e.g., Selden for $159 from Intensity). Plus material and shackles for an additional halyard and sheets.

There are some other lines involved, and there is an article by Mark Schroeder on setting up a DS spinnaker. It is archived in the forum; Greenlake can probably tell you how to find it.
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Re: A few more questions

Postby SUNBIRD » Wed Jun 29, 2016 5:08 pm

Any good sailmaker should have the specs for the DAY SAILER spinnaker. You might check the classified page of this forum, the racers often list their used sails after they get new ones.
Rod Johnson, "SUNBIRD"
1979 DS II, # 10201
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Re: A few more questions

Postby GreenLake » Thu Jun 30, 2016 12:44 am

talbot wrote:Sails are generally specific to particular classes.


The one I'm flying is supposedly from an "old" International 14. (That class changed spinnaker sizes at some point). I measured it, and it conforms to the class requirements as far as I can determine. The person who gave it to me is very experienced with a wide range of small sailboats and ventured the opinion that (no longer fashionable) spinnaker sizes for some other one-design classes would have worked just as well. As in each case the class had moved on to different sail designs/sizes, it probably wouldn't help to know which ones they are (were), because sails that size aren't made for them any longer, nor would one expect to see a lot of recently used sails available.

From a class rules perspective, it's not uncommon that they give only maximal dimensions, that means that if sailmakers decided that some values aren't optimal, they could choose to cut something that's slightly smaller in that dimension. There would be nothing that prevents a sailmaker from (truthfully) selling you any sail as "class-legal" even if it is undersized.

If you are not sailing in class sanctioned events, then you have considerably more freedom. If you were to find a used spinnaker that's (slightly) too tall, for example, you could raise the spinnaker block to adjust. (Best to keep that within reason, as to not overcanvas and all that). Similarly, if a sail was cut a bit wider in the foot, you could use a longer pole.

I count among my sailing friends some individuals who take a certain "Mad Max" type attitude towards putting boats together for sailing in non-sanctioned beer can events. "Hybridization" would be a genteel term. Watching them has taught me that a class design or builders configuration aren't necessarily the last word in what you can do with a boat - and that working with old, used boats you have a certain amount of freedom to try some odd things. This includes adding spinnakers to boats never designed to have them.

Here in the forum, K.C. Walker and others have fitted a sail that's between a code 0 and an asymmetric, called a Universal Power Sail. To get the best of it, you'd need to add a bowsprit with bobstay. Depending on your sailing style or wind area, some of these 'deviations' from the purity of the class rules might make your DS more enjoyable. Look for the UPS thread in the Sails section. If you are new to the game, stick with the tried and true (or close to it) until you've gained some experience - then you'll know what you like and don't like and it's easier to make some changes.
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