Battens 101

Moderator: GreenLake

Battens 101

Postby hectoretc » Sun Dec 18, 2011 11:41 am

I'm not sure if Batten questions go under sails, rigging or misc, but I'll put it here and if I'm wrong GL can just add it to his list of site adjustments to make :)

I won't need this for a few more months, but it'll give me time to put it on the list of gotta-do's before we hit the water.

As mentioned elsewhere, my DSII came sans-sails, and being "very" budget constrained at that time, I purchased an inexpensive used set (Jib & Main) on ebay (well undersized) thinking I wanted to hurry and get on the water. (best laid plans, but fortunately we didn't get onto the water this year... different story)

The sails arrived with one batten. I don't have it in my hand (I'm not exactly sure what I did with it), but I think it's about 20-24" long, 1/2-5/8" high, more or less rounded diamond shaped on a cross section, and probably plastic or fiberglass.
1177
It looks like I need three all together. I've read several posts about them, and recall on those posts that generally they are different sizes, etc.

So finally my question - Other than length, is there anything magic about batons? Do they come in different rigidities, do I care about a about anything other than just having some on this junk set of sails? To that end... since I'm just learning to fall off the horse, do I even need them initially, or just sail saggy until I order some new sails this summer?
Last edited by hectoretc on Tue Dec 20, 2011 1:34 pm, edited 3 times in total.
DS #6127 - Breakin' Wind - From the land of 10,000 lakes, which spend 80% of the year frozen it seems...
hectoretc
 
Posts: 295
Joined: Sun Aug 21, 2011 7:13 pm
Location: Minneapolis MN

Postby Skippa » Sun Dec 18, 2011 12:08 pm

Try your search using "Batten" and you will have a few more hits. Battens help create and maintain the curve and shape of the sail. They do come in many widths and thickness. They are not cheap ! In a pinch I have used oak trim molding but it is too thick and lacks the flex to make a good batten but it was a cheap fix for the last month of the season.
I am sure you can find something suitable before the ice melts.
Skippa
 
Posts: 105
Joined: Fri Jun 11, 2010 10:49 pm
Location: Eagan Mn

Postby hectoretc » Sun Dec 18, 2011 4:00 pm

Thanks Skippa
That would explain it. (spelling and so few hits)

Thanks also for the alternative suggestion. Maybe something like that will carry me though until I get my real sail. I can re-search now with the correct spelling and probably find much more about them.

Thanks again,
DS #6127 - Breakin' Wind - From the land of 10,000 lakes, which spend 80% of the year frozen it seems...
hectoretc
 
Posts: 295
Joined: Sun Aug 21, 2011 7:13 pm
Location: Minneapolis MN

Postby GreenLake » Sun Dec 18, 2011 4:55 pm

You might be able to sell the undersized sails and buy something that was made for the DS.

DS sails would have 4 battens, two short and two long ones.

In a pinch, you can indeed fabricate your own. I sailed for some years with an old sail which came with rather crudely made wooden battens. After I a while, I decided I didn't like the way they seemed to fit into the batten pockets (to thick and not wide enough).

I got some paint stir-sticks and glued them together (side by side and end to end) until I had something that was flat and wide enough for my taste (basically trying to fill the batten pockets). The wood is rather light and not as stiff as a hardwood.

I finished them with epoxy coat or polyurethane varnish - can't remember which, but probably the latter. Amazingly, they held up well and gave decent performance - it was an old sail anyway.

The reason for battens in the back of the sail is that the sail has positive roach - that is, there's an area behind the straight line from mast top to end of boom. That area cannot be supported by tension alone, hence the need for battens. If they are too bendy, they don't give enough support, if they are too stiff, they would interfere with the curve of the sail (as @Skippa wrote).

Battens can also be made from short strips of laminate - if you feel up to it, you could experiment, and if they turn out too soft or too stiff you can vary the layup. That's what I like about old sails - gives you more freedom to experiment, without the feeling that you've necessarily ruined an expensive new set to the point where you are not getting the performance you paid for.

For someone as hands-on as you appear to be, the DIY method and experimentation would be a reward in itself - and you'd learn a bit as well.
~ green ~ lake ~ ~
GreenLake
 
Posts: 7136
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2007 3:54 am

Postby jeadstx » Mon Dec 19, 2011 1:36 pm

When I bought my boat about 5 years ago, I noticed my battens were missing. I ordered a set from D&R Marine before taking the boat out for it's first sail for me. I had looked at the sails breifly when I bought it making sure there was no major damage. I Didn't look close enough and when I got to the lake and got ready to put in my new set of battens, I found that the previous owner had sewen all the batten sleeves closed. That was fixed shortly after the first sail.

As far as sources for battens, D&R Marine has the correct ones for the Day Sailer. Sailrite http://search.sailrite.com/?freeText=ba ... lue~Slides sells batten material to cut to length. If you have a sailboat shop anywhere near you the should also have batten stock material, I know the sailboat shop near me does since I needed battens for another boat I have. West Marine should also have battens or batten stock material.

John
1976 Day Sailer II, #8075 - Completed the 2011, 2012, and 2013 Texas 200
1952 Beetle Boat Swan Catboat
Early Rhodes 19
1973 Mariner 2+2, #2607 - Completed 2014, 2015 and 2016 Texas 200
1969 Day Sailer I, #3229
Fleet 135; Canyon Lake, Texas
jeadstx
 
Posts: 1216
Joined: Tue Jul 08, 2008 11:10 am
Location: Dripping Springs, Tx


Return to Sails

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 4 guests