New sail to me with RBS battens. There are no leech end caps just two holes drilled in the portion of the batten sticking out (about 2") at the leech. I'm told you just thread it up (no idea what the threading pattern would be), tension as you wish and then tie a couple of half hitches? This sounds like a very cumbersome, time consuming way to tension and tie battens. I'm used to the Hobie (and/or TrenTech white) black plastic caps with a vee jam cleat which I find to be very easy to use. I have always tensioned my battens based on prevailing conditions each time I go out and then release the tension each time I stow my sails so as to not stretch the sail while being stored. Does anyone have a diagram/video of this setup?
Checking RBS's page, it seems as though they do not offer an end cap with a vee jam cleat. Does anyone know of a vee jam cleat type cap that is compatible with the RBS battens?
Lastly, I'm told that I really should only need to tension and tie the battens one time and leave the tension on while the sail is in storage. This is counter to everything I've ever done in the past. Comments?
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Hobie 16 (3 formerly)
MacGregor 25 (formerly)
Chrysler Dagger 14 (formerly)
NACRA 5.0 (currently)
High Point, NC
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RBS Batten Tying
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Posted: Feb 18, 2017 - 09:52 AM
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Posted: Feb 18, 2017 - 01:56 PM
I had to learn the technique when I got RBS battens too.
One thing I've tried to do on this site for years is collect these solutions .
Check out
http://www.thebeachcats.c…pictures?g2_itemId=67242
Which has a couple of different batten tying methods including the one I use, the nice thing about this is that the batten ties can be permanently tied to one grommet in your sail pocket so they aren't lost if you remove the batten.
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Damon Linkous
1992 Hobie 18
Memphis, TN
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Posted: Feb 18, 2017 - 07:47 PM
Follow your instincts. Untie half the knot and loosen it so that the batten can slide in and out some. You can leave them tied overnight if you are camping, or racing multiple days, but leaving them tied for a season will distort the sail and the battens.
You paid good money for that engine, take good care of it.
Suspect any advice from whomever told you to store them tied. It was definitely not your sailmaker.
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Posted: Feb 19, 2017 - 03:34 PM
Is this a new, sail that you had made?
If so, follow the sail makers instructions.
The RBS battens are built to match the sail makers specifications for a particular set of sails.
My EP sails (red ones in my avatar) came with RBS and Skip Elliott told me to tie the battens in "snug" but not to the point of inducing pressure that would force the battens to curve.
Since there is no particular stress on the pocket there is no need to untie or loosen the knots after sailing.
Since the sail has a giant square top I do have to remove the top angle batten in order to roll it up but the RBS batten fits in the next pocket down beside the tied in one without problem.
Nothing better than new sails!
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Damon Linkous
1992 Hobie 18
Memphis, TN
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Posted: Feb 19, 2017 - 10:51 PM
No, a newer gently used sail.
I'm not opposed to different ways of doing things. It's just that the vee jam design seems so simple and functional why would anyone do it any other way. I have an email in to RBS on this and will post what ever they tell me.
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Hobie 16 (3 formerly)
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Posted: Feb 20, 2017 - 06:21 AM
RBS Batten cap...
http://www.murrays.com/product/12-4080-1/
sm
Edited by Dogboy on Feb 20, 2017 - 06:23 AM. -
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Posted: Feb 20, 2017 - 09:16 AM
I'M GUESSING HERE BUT -
a vee jam cleat can shake loose or lose it's bite
Racer's can't risk a batten failure during a race - they are secured with a knot that won't fail
I have a strap on the end of my batten pocket that gets fed into a little 2 part plastic lock
after every sail i simply unsnap each, and reset just prior to hoisting my main next time.
this is very easy but proably not the fastest solution (i was willing to give up a little performance to have the ability to easily release the battens
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Posted: Feb 22, 2017 - 10:14 AM
Nice find, not sure how I overlooked it. I'll check it out.
One thing that makes this a challenge is that the batten sections at the leech end are not all the same.
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Hobie 16 (3 formerly)
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Chrysler Dagger 14 (formerly)
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Posted: Feb 22, 2017 - 01:17 PM
If the battens are solid fiberglass, then you can just grind down the height/width as needed to fit the cap. If they are foam core battens, then you can grind down the height, but can't do much about the width.
If the fit of the cap is too loose, then you can just fill it with some marine tex and slip it over the batten. Once the M-tex cures, you will have a perfect fit.
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Posted: Feb 22, 2017 - 01:18 PM
Good point, think that this is why RBS doesn't offer those end caps, they offer custom battens for anyone who wants them, at many different profiles, sail specific. They would have to tool up a new end cap pretty often.
I also miss the old jam style end caps, some guys have pretty elaborate setups with thumb screws and what not.
Good luck!
Thanks for the share Damon, I'm not certain that I've perfected any method yet, I feel like I tie them differently every time.
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Cesar (Cez) S.
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Posted: Feb 23, 2017 - 03:12 PM
Just got off the phone with Murray's. Checking the dimensions, the opening you slip the leech end of the batten in to is slightly larger than the RBS battens so with a little filling it ought to work fine. I'll post photos when I get them fit.
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Hobie 16 (3 formerly)
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High Point, NC
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Posted: Feb 27, 2017 - 03:21 PM
This is the solution North Sails has for the RBS battens: http://www.onedesign.com/tabid/23032/Default.aspx?news_id=5998
Its called "the rocket" tension system, but as you can see requires a bit different setup inside the sail.
I wouldn't get carried away and use any other system besides the simple knot setup that your sail already uses; the end caps can and do fail over time do to degradation in sunlight, but before that happens the lines usually start slipping under tension where they slot in the V's. The knots don't fail when tied properly and the ends tucked back into the sail. Its a simple square knot and it takes 5 minutes to tie the battens up before sailing. The system is soo good 99% of racing catamaran sailors w/ mylar sails use it and we are a lazy+cheap crowd. -
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Posted: Feb 27, 2017 - 10:48 PM
+1 [...though I challenge the lazy part - I have lifted plenty bottles of Asti Spumante during sailing efforts.]
Edited by klozhald on Feb 27, 2017 - 09:50 PM.
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Sheet In!
Bob
_/)_____/)_/)____/)____/)_____/)/)__________/)__
Prindle 18-2 #244 "Wakizashi"
Prindle 16 #3690 "Pegasus" Sold (sigh)
AZ Multihull Fleet 42 member
(Way) Past Commodore of Prindle Fleet 14
Arizona, USA
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