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Bill Holcomb had some good info on drifters on this site a couple of years ago. As I recall, he said they were very similar to a 150 genny. I inherited a roll of 1.5 oz ripstop nylon and a sail sewing machine with another project and my question is could I make a decent drifter by using my 150 for a pattern?, or are there differences in the shape. Need a project while waiting for warmer weather.
I built a combinantion drifter/Blooper a long while ago out of 1.5oz ripstop. Works GREAT! There ARE differences in shape due to the streachiness of the nylon vs dacron. If you have not built sails before, its a lot of fun and remarkably easy. You also will not hesitate to rip out bad shapes and fix them, resulting in a sail you will end up liking I bet!
Try googling for "Sailrite" sails. Jim Grant has written several little "booklets" on sailmaking that are really good, and you might try picking one up and reading thru it to find out how to do it. I can offer help as can probably a number of other amateur sailmakers I suspect that are on the list....
Chuck, I've got the little booklets and did some reading in them. Did you have specs you started from or just experiment and modify from a sail similar to the genny?
When I had Snickerdoodle's drifter made, the sailmaker started from scratch. However, he made a genny shaped 155 from 1.5 oz spinnaker cloth. I only use this sail in light breezes up to around seven or eight knots. And, it has lasted for twenty years 'n still sails pretty well.
My guess is that you certainly could fashion your own sail by using your existing sail for a pattern. Especially if you have a big enough floor or table to trace the panels.
There is an elementary school a couple of blocks from here with a small gym that will work fine. (I may have to wander into a broom closet and hide until the wee hours of the morning.) What size sheets do you use on your drifter?
I've really enjoyed your posts and tips over the years, most of them are filed for reference, but the drifter one had vanished.
Ellis
Edited by - Ellis Bloomfield on 03/10/2004 09:48:51
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Ellis Bloomfield</i> <br />Chuck, I've got the little booklets and did some reading in them. Did you have specs you started from or just experiment and modify from a sail similar to the genny? <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
I did not have any specs, other than the rig dimensions. The big thing to take into consideration sewing a drifter is luff sag if you are not going to use hanks. Since I did not want to use hanks so I could use the sail as a blooper, you get a lot more sag, and have to compensate with luff curve offsets more... I also used a VERY streachy luff rope so it has a LOT of tension in it before the cloth wrinkles are pulled out (helps minimize luff sag, and also bunches up the cloth when used as a blooper). Put leech and foot lines in the sail to help bag it up when you need it. If you do want want use luff hanks, be sure and use the lightweight plastic ones so if you want to use it as a blooper you don't weigh the sail down.
Ripstop is easy to sew, so its a great sail to start learning to make sails on......
Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ. The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.