Hi,

I have a 2001 Escape Playcat, and it comes with a North Sails sail. This particular sail has built-in battens which are flat fiberglass rods inside the sail. They can be tightened and loosened with a allen wrench key that came with the sail. The keyhole is located on the trail end of the sail. On to the problem.

I have all of the battens as loose as possible. When I tack/jibe, the bottom three battens flex and change direction to match the new wind. However, no matter how loose I have the top two ones, they take a minor act of god to flap over and take the new shape. What I end of having after a turn is the bottom three battens in the proper position, but the top two still arched out in the opposite position. I know I'm loosing speed because of this, and basically it takes either a big wind gust to finally get the top two battens over, or sometimes they will snap over if I get a huge wave and rock back and forth laterally.

What can I do to fix this problem? I've sailed the boat about 6-7 times now, and it seems to get a little better each time, but not by much. I keep trying to re-loosen the sails after each run, but as near as I can figure, they are as slack as possible. The dealer warned me against tightening the sails as it would "put a permanent curve in the sail," making it very difficult to raise and lower.

So, 1. Any suggestions on how to "fix" this sail so that when I change course the battens change position normally and without a lot of fuss?

and 2. Can anyone explain to me why/when you would want to tighten your battens. What kind of conditions warrant a sail tightening and what effect does it have?

Thanks!

On another note, how tight do you want you stays? On the playcat, the side stays are fixed, but the forestays can be adjusted to take the slop out. Could my stays be too tight and could that be affecting the sail?

Tighter battens create more curve / shape in the sail... more shape means more pocket (or draft), more draft means more power.... in light air you want more pocket.. in heavy air you tighten everything down for a flatter sail... to depower

You may be loosening when you should be tightning...

As per the top ones not "playing nice".... in light air i sometimes have to "convince" my sail into shape (get all the battens in the correct dirrection).

one method is done by grabbing my boom (or bottom of the sail in your case) and first pushing it leaward (away from me) and then try to "SNAP" it windward (if my back is to the wind... then i pull it towards me) with a firm jerking motion. If it goes correctly... then all the battens will be curved away from me and the sail will have the correct shape.

As per fore-stay tention... i dont know anything about your boat... but in general... "the tighter she blows, the tighter they go" this is true for sheeting, shrouds (stays) and lifejacket straps... in heavy air.. you want everything "guitar string tight". in lighter air some slack is ok, and even prefered on some boats as they help to create more "pocket" in the sail (shape, curve, draft and power).

Thanks for the heads up. So basically, make them have more of an arch in light winds, and loosen them if the wind is heavy. I'll try the snapping technique.

sounds right (as a general rule) but please check with others who have your boat

some boats act very different than otheres

... and maybe get a book or 2 (rick white's books rock) to read on the lake!

In sailing my Playcat, I have never been able to adjust the tightness of my battens and on the light air days do the same process described by Andrew. "Popping" the battens to form the correct sail shape is the only way I know how to fix it. I have tried the hex key and loosening and tightening but it doesn't seem to affect the sail shape whatsoever on my mylar sail. As a general rule though if you can adjust the battens, you want a fuller sail shape in the light stuff and flatter when the wind picks up.
Yellowhulls

Cool. Mine definately do tighten and loosen, putting that curve in the sail. When you guys "pop" the battens back and forth, are you pulling on the sail itself, or on the mainsheet?

Yellowhulls, try taking the battens out and putting them back in. One of mine wasn't tightening when I was turning the key, but after reinstalling it, everything seemed to work again.

I typically pull on the sail itself, but you can "pump" the sail by rapidly loosening and tightening the mainsheet. Pulling the sail works better in light air though.

Hmmm... I will try taking the battens out and then reinstall and try it.

One thing I have noticed with the Escape mylar sail is that the edges of dacron by the battens rip out easily from not being reinforced, or it could be that this sail has been used extensively for awhile. But it shouldn't rip in an area taking those forces anyways. So I get to fix a sail this weekend and will hopefully have time to take her out before Monday

Yellowhulls

Let me know how the repairs go. I'm sure I'll get to deal with that some day myself.

Agreed... pull on the sail. as i mentioned.. i pull on my boom.. but since you dont have one,... pull on the bottom of the sail.

A word to the wise about "Pumping" the mainsheet:

Mylar sails are made of film and a composite (layers) of mylar and usually Pentex thread.
Excessive forces on them cause layers to separate and delaminate... so be as gentle as possible on your sails.. Over sheeting will cause early death...

I try to only sheet in "All the way" when racing.... (this basically means whenever i am sailing with my friends as EVERYTHING is a race...)

Avoid leaving them out in the sun when possible (meaning don?t leave them in the backyard for days) as UV light is also hard on them... maybe even coat them with 303 UV block (available online or at west marine)

wash them off with fresh water, store in a bag in a dry place (basements and attics are bad because of climate and critters.

About the batten pockets... this is a high stress / weak point and tears before most other places... this is a sign your sails are getting worn and extra gentle care should be used... they also are a sign that you have a purchase in your future... (i have 2 new sails/sales in my future :( )

But this is the cost of having fun! and worth it!