The main is near 2yr old and starting to develop a hooked leech in the top half of the sail now the material is loosening up a bit, there's a hollow cut in up there. I've tried all sorts of adjustments, top up boom a bit & slack of gaff, tightened gaff lashing mid length and loosen peak lashing, replaced luff lashing with hoops to maintain constant luff shape. The leech line is free. I propose to unpick the leech line pocket/ hem and test sail and if that doesn't open the leech up I will open the broad seam. Am I barking up the right tree ?

Sounds like a reasonable plan but would strongly suggest getting the original sailmaker to do it - unless that is you? Or another local sailmaker.

You could unpick and resew the leech tape would clean it up and make it more aesthetic.
sometimes the stretch/shrinkage rate is different between the base cloth and the tape. Battens would solve it as well.
That amount of hook is not really performance affecting. A little hook is better than a flapping leech.

The first (top) photo is the leech.

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r13 said..
The first (top) photo is the leech.

And the second photo is of him taking the first photo

I think as long as the sail isn't coming apart it looks fine. Maybe trim up the areas of concern and go from there.

Thanks for the replies all . R13, loose change got the sequence, Galatea I'm happy you chimed in thanks, I will keep the battens in mind, I will unpick the leech tape 1st, it proably doesn't represent much of the sail power up there in the gaff area, but a fat boat with stumpy mast needs all the help it can get and it bugs the crap out me seeing a sail cupped like that !

Maybe check that the leech cord is definately free above the reef point. It doesnt look too bad though.

You will probably always have a hooked leech - there is a doubling of the strength on the overlapped tabling on the leech. It will not stretch as much as the part of the leech next to it - so under load it will cup - unless you put battens in it. If you use a hard racing dacron, that is new, with lots of filler then maybe you would not have cupping for a little while, but I am guessing the cloth has less filling that a racing dacron and is nicer to work. So it stretches a bit. You can't get all the characteristics you want.

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stray said..
Maybe check that the leech cord is definately free above the reef point. It doesnt look too bad though.

Hey good one stray didn't think of that, definitely worth checking Woko.............also Woko where is your fall arrest at height harness system..............ok so you've made it back down to post these photos but please consider...................

i would go with battens always makes a bad sail good

I would just leave it alone. Looks good to me.

I am with Ramona o this one.
Would like to see how the sail sets with a bit of wind in it.

gary

Cheers for the inputs, the consensus seems to be do nothing or add battens. I will remove the leech line from the tape above the reef to prove the point to myself. Before it loosened up the exit was as flat as a **** carters hat
Gary,the pics where maybe 5 knots wind, with the wind in the 15 - 20 knt range the hook looks the same, I will endeavour to get some pics