Bristol-Blue Lake Michigan Sailing Adventures

I discovered that my Mirage 24 fore triangle set up is very similar to that of a J-24. So I was able to pick up a good condition used racing sail for cheap to replace my aging Genoa. This weekend I laid it over my old sail to check the dimension would work and then got to work converting it for my furler. This is an easier conversion than last year's as the sail leading edge is sized perfectly for my furler application.  Here is the link for the process from last time.  This was much easier I simply removed the hanks and sewed the sail tape on.  No cutting or dimension changes for this sail.   Merry Christmas Here is a Quick Video I clipped together of the Stitching. @chrisbroadwater0 Sail Repair for Woodstock. ##mirage24 bristolblueblogspot.com ♬ Holly Jolly Christmas - Michael Bublé

If you have been following along you know about our plans to install a roller furler aboard Woodstock, our Mirage 24. This process started last year when I purchased an old Schafer cable style furler. Unfortunately, I was not happy with the way it worked and felt it was unsafe. I mounted it inside of the forestay it rubbed up against the cable when furling and unfurling. So it simply did not work for my application.   I decided to go with the CDI FF4 furler. After looking at Harken, Schafer, and several other models it became clear that CDI has a great product at a fair price. It may not have all the bells and whistles some of the other systems have but they have a strong reputation and have been in business over 40 years, so parts should be available in the future. The flexible furler also appeals to me. Should I need to take the mast down there is a lot less chance of bending or breaking the foil components. One of the other big advantages of CDI is the self-cont...

Time for the hand sewing.  This is the stitch by stitch stuff that adds real strength to the pressure points on the sail.  For this, sailrite has sent along wax coated Dacron thread and a sail makers needle.  The needle is like a tiny bayonet.  Three sides and super sharp, poking yourself and you're sure to bleed a bit. I use a few other tools when doing this. One of them, is my trusty sewing awl.  This is a must have in my opinion.  I'm sure you could get by with a regular awl, but this thing makes punching through finishing leather, nylon strapping and six layers of Dacron a bit easier.   I didn't bend the needle,  it came curved.  I suspect this little curve adds some strength or at least takes direct pressure off the shaft of the needle as you jam it into something hard. This is a thick brass thimble.  Last sail I made I punched right through a little tin one and into my hand. I'm not making that mistake again....