The panels, connected. Notice the chalk marks that align with slide location. The webbing is sewn in place two inches on either side of the slides.
Make Your Own Mainsail Stacking System PART II OF PART II By Linda L. Moore Assembling and Sewing the Side Panels In Part I, I began by taking measurements for the custom sail pack. I identified the supplies needed and calculated how much fabric to buy. Then I cut and marked the side panels. After cutting and hemming the side panels (Part I), I needed to mark directly onto the fabric where the sail slides would naturally align with the finished sail pack. This would give me where I needed to sew the 2-inch webbing.
As discussed in Part I, our plan was not to add hardware to the boom. We dropped the mainsail to the deck while it was attached to the boom. While I held the bottom of the port panel along the boom, Chris marked on it with chalk where the slides matched up to it, both of us being careful to hold the Sunbrella panel firmly without pulling it. Our design included leaving a gap where the reefing lines exit. This ended up being 30 inches. As well as leaving a gap with no webbing at the clew slide, that ended up being 20 inches.
www.rparts.com 48
December 2009
SOUTHWINDS
www.southwindsmagazine.com