A Conversation About Sails With Our Sailmaker [Ep. 165]

We take a deep dive into the topic of sails! We put our sailmaker on the spot and throw the book at him. This is everything you wanted to know about sails but your sailmaker wouldn't tell you!

#sailing #travel #tech #learning #podcast

Our Sailmaker Andy Camarda from www.180sails.com joins Curtis for an in depth conversation about the choices of sails for cruising sailboats. We learn about trickle down technology, answer questions about sail cloth choices, and discuss the biggest mistakes we make while sailing and how to fix them.

Did you know you can build sails online:
https://180sails.com/product/cruising...
https://180sails.com/product/cruising...
https://180sails.com/product/cruising...
https://180sails.com/request-a-quote/

Website & Blog: www.sweetruca.comPatreon: www.patreon.com/ruca

Instagram: www.instagram.com/rucasailing

Chapters:

0:00:00 Intro - Drone shots of Pago Pago harbor while cruising the south pacific
0:01:17 Meet Our Sailmaker - Andy from www.180sails.com
0:02:42 What does one design and offshore racing experience bring to cruising sails?
0:05:08 What trickle down R&D makes its way to cruising sails from offshore racing?
0:08:30 What are the types of sails you find on cruising sailboats?
0:15:33 What are the different types of sailboat rigs?
0:19:17 Vocabulary about sails. What words should you know when talking to your sailmaker?
0:20:06 What is the head of a sail?
0:20:24 What is the luff of a sail?
0:20:29 What is the tack of a sail?
0:20:37 What is the leech of a sail?
0:20:49 What is the clew of a sail?
0:21:11 What a battens in a sail?
0:21:45 What are reefs in a sail?
0:23:04 What is a cloths bias?
0:23:55 What is a sail cloths fiber, fill, and crimp?
0:26:15 What is elongation, stretch, and creep?
0:27:52 What are the basic categories of sail materials? Dacron? Laminate? Spectra? Membrane or Composite? What are the pros and cons of each?
0:32:09 Is there are difference in the types of dacron material quoted from different sailmakers?
0:37:09 What is crosscut and triradial? Why is there a difference in price for a quote for new dacron sails?
0:39:13 What are laminate sail materials? Are they good for cruising and offshore passagemaking?
0:42:50 What is taffeta?
0:43:22 What is hydranet? Are other spectra based sail materials the same?
0:45:49 What is a load path membrane or composite sail? Why did we choose Evolution Expedition Membrane sails for Sweet Ruca?
0:48:22 What are some benefits of modern membrane and composite sail construction?
0:51:28 What is lite skin?
0:52:52 Why are modern sails black? Are black sails faster or better?
0:55:37 Are black sails hard to see at night? What can I use to see them?
0:56:42 What boat types and rig types have you seen as the most popular for offshore cruising and bluewater passagemaking?
0:57:58 Do you make sails differently for bluewater cruisers and catamarans?
0:59:54 Is there a difference in price for a bluewater sail vs a standard sail?
1:00:02 Do I need to measure my sailboat for new sails? How do I do it? Why is measurement important?
1:02:20 What are the sailboats sail measurement dimensions I, J, P, and E?
1:03:53 What are the spinnaker measurement dimensions ISP and SPL?
1:04:35 How to trim new sails?
1:08:04 What are the top 5 common sail trim mistakes sailors make?
1:13:42 How can you use polar diagrams and electronics to improve your cruising sailing? What have we brought over to cruising as racing navigators? Do you design sails differently based on a boats polars, sail chart, or preferred type of sailing?
1:18:22 Is a snuffer, sock, or furler better for a cruising spinnaker?
1:20:14 Final thoughts. How to choose the right sailmaker?
1:21:54 Patron Thank You & Closing Drone Shots of Pago Paga Harbor in American Samoa