Background:
I was having a lovely and exhilarating sail on Lake Hartwell yesterday
(winds 15+ knots), when one of my battens flew out of its pocket while
the main was flapping madly as I hove to.
The problem: I need to get a new one, and a spare set, but I am not sure
of the the dimensions. I forgot to measure them before I left the
boat. So, to save me a 40 minute drive to the marina, does anyone know
off hand what the length and width of the four battens are for a P-19
main sail? I appreciate your help on this one.
BTW, with the wind such as it was, I had the opportunity to use the
jiffy reefing systems for the first time. I was surprised to note the IM
users manual was quite clear and informative in instructing the proper
procedure for rigging this. Although they didn't tell you not to tie
the three reefing points to the boom. I did learn a lot this am from
the reefing threads published over the weekend. Of course, I saved
Judy's comments to my "Judy's How To" folder for future reference and
continuing education.
The Upstate had very unusual winds for summer time, 10 to 15 knots with
gusts to over 20 this weekend. It was awesome. And it was
educational. I am learning how exactly to keep the boat and the skipper
comfortable in a variety of circumstances. One advantage of learning to
sail in stronger winds on a lake like Lake Hartwell, is that with all
its islands, you can duck behind a lee shore when things get a little
hairy, and you can regroup.
After a few tentative legs, I was soon boldly flying along with reefed
main and genoa, heeled over at 10 degrees and having a blast. I can't
wait until next weekend.
Curt Westlake
P-19 #1096
No Name (although my wife is favoring "Anchors Aweigh!" after I sailed
for an hour Saturday with the anchor and 15 feet of chain hanging off
the bow...all the while complaining about how slow we were going. She
thought this was so funny that I am now going to let it be her job to
make sure the anchor's up.)
Greenville, SC