Thank you all for the input and advice. In response to Lee and Judy, I'm in Michigan and will be sailing on the Great Lakes - primarily Lake Erie. Most of the time I would guess the wind to be between 5-20 mph. I probably wouldn't head out if it was less than 5 or more than 15, but of course conditions change while you're out.
I'll mostly be cruising, once I get comfortable with the boat I might try a little racing, but just for fun and learning - I won't worry about being making mods for racing that inhibit cruising or my ability to sail single-handed (like taking down the roller furling). >From what you're saying it sounds like I should look to sell the 170% if I can >something for it, and buy a new or used 150 that is setup for a furling. If I >can't get much selling the 170, then maybe have it converted, even if the >shape and weight is not ideal. Does that sound like a reasonable strategy? Thanks, Tim --- In [email protected], "Judith Blumhorst, DC" <drju...@...> wrote: > > > > Hi Tim, >  > (Disclaimer: I work for Hyde Sails, a major sail loft, so I have a > financial interest in selling new sails.) >  > We need to ask you a few questions: > Where do you sail? Coastal waters? inland lakes?  What wind ranges? >  > In general - hanked on sails don't convert well to roller furling. And it > costs a fair penny to add on a UV sun edge and a tape luff to a large > headsail. You'd be spend about the same money if you ordered a purpose > built RF genoa and off selling the hanked genny. And you'd have a better > shaped sail. >  > As for RF jibs and genoas - we can generally design a sail that can be > furled to about 70% of its full size. The shape will be efficient and it > will hold its shape well for many years. So a 170% could > theoretically have a nice shape when rolled as small as a 120%, if it were > designed properly and had a rope or foam luff pad. >  > The next problem is the strength of the sail cloth. Smaller sails used in > high winds need to be made of stronger cloth than largerr sails used in light > winds.  So cutting or rolling down a 170 to smaller than 150% isn't a > good idea. >  > We'd generally make a 170% for a C27 out of 4-5 oz dacron, whereas we;'d > make a 150% our of 5-6 oz dacron, a 135% out of 6-7 oz, and a 110% out of 7-8 > oz dacron. >  > So if you use a 170% made of 4+ oz dacron rolled down to 110% (which should > be made of 7+ oz cloth), it's going to get stretched out of shape very > quickly. >  > Finally, a 170% is a lot of sail to pull from one side to another. It's > probably what used to be called "a drifter". There are newer designs, > usually asymmetricals.  It's probably very usable as a drifter, but I > don't know if it's worth investing any money in it. (Wonder why it's still > like new?!?) >  > Also, many sail lofts will have sales starting in September and October, so > it's a good time to order new sails. >  >  > Fair winds, > Judy B > San Francisco Bay and Delta > C27 Tall Rig #3459 "Bijou" > http://www.blumhorst.com/catalina27/catalinahomepage.htm > > --- On Mon, 8/16/10, timyoung3333 <try4...@...> wrote: > > > From: timyoung3333 <try4...@...> > Subject: [IC27A] Bilge Pump / furling sail > To: [email protected] > Date: Monday, August 16, 2010, 4:17 AM > > >  > > > > Hi folks. I will apologize in advance for the newbie questions. I just bought > a c27 last week. I'm a dinghy sailor that is new to keel boats. > > The bilge pump on my boat is manual - no electric pump, let alone automated > switch. There is only one tube, for the hand pump, running from the bilge out > the back of the boat. Can I simply add an electric bilge pump in the bilge? > Will the electric and manual pump be fighting each other on the same line? If > so, any suggestions for capacity, brand, or features to look for? > > Also, the rigging includes a roller furling. I have a basic jib, storm jib, > and a 170% genoa. Only the base jib is setup for the furling, the others have > hanks. The 170 looks like it has hardly been used. Is it worth getting this > sail converted to use the furling? Can I use it as the primary sail on the > furling and just pull out only the amount of sail I need for the conditions? > > Thanks! > Tim Young >
