I had a altercation with a wave a few weeks ago and snapped my X350 460 mast. I thought I had only cracked the top batten of my NP H2 7.7 mt sail but I checked it today and I have actually broken the top 4 battens and also have a issue with the bottom cam head.

I'm looking for some advice on the best way to repair or replace these. I'm not very "handy man'ish"

Yes I'm looking at you Mark - before you launch into DIY :)

You can sleeve all of those battens with a thinner tube from a sailboard shop or from a kite shop, cut lengths 250 mm and use super glue or Araldite. For the batten with the camber, you have broken the small black cup that the batten goes into, there should be a spare in the sail bag.

That makes sense. Thanks for tips.

I had a similar problem years ago, and getting the broken bits out was initially a challenge. In the end I used the thinner end of another batten, with a couple of wraps around the tip to form a flap of tape. I then folded it back on itself. You push this past the broken piece and when you pull it back the flap catches the other piece of the batten, like a fish hook.

I had some other bits of battens and found that the inner nylon (white) bits can be used to join the tubes together. I then wrapped it with a layer or two of glass and epoxy, and then sanded it back. They worked well.

It sounds easy when you guys explain it like that. I was having a mild panic attack yesterday thinking I would have to buy new battens, I don't know how much new battens cost, how do I fix the cammed head issue without a skilled repairer, is the sail screwed, should I Just buy a new one.

Gregob,
This previous thread may assist as well.
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Windsurfing/General/Carbon-tube-for-battens/#1037497

Get some batten joiners (those plastic bits that join the tube to the solid) and some solid fibreglass rod (the stuff that is at either end of the complete batten). Cut the conical end off the plastic joiner and then cut the solid rod to the length of the two joiners and then sleeve the break with the joiner and rod. Then get some light cloth, mix up some epoxy and wrap the break about 5cm either side of the break. I very rarely tidy up the broken ends of the carbon tube as they usually go back together nicely. Also try to get the batten the same length of original otherwise you have to modify solid rod at leech end to get maximum tension. You can get away with sleeving just one plastic joiner (without solid rod) half way either side of break but it's not that harder doing it with two.

I have done a heap of these battens and also removed even more broken battens, the best way is to replace the hollow section of batten, if you sleeve the broken section the sail will more than likely not feel the same again as the batten will have a extra stiff section where the repair will be and not twist off properly when you sail it.

Tube sections are pretty easy to find and are usually around $15 to $20 or you can recycle from an older sail as they are a pretty generic part, and most sail companies use the same batten parts, only the latest race sails are starting to use different diameter tube.

As for getting out the broken batten, It is quite easy, just get a long solid tip section of a batten with a joiner on the end push it in the pocket and into the broken tube and pull it out, a small bit of bluetack sometimes helps.

If the batten wont come out or is shattered you will need to unpick about 5 to 10 cm of the batten pocket to remove it, only do one side and pull it out of the side of the pocket, restitch it by hand or go to a sail loft and get them to do it, should be really cheap for them to do it.

As for your camber, it looks to me like you have broken the interface (the plastic thing on the end of the batten pocket that the camber goes over) you might have to chase one up from a Pryde dealer, these are not to hard to replace, just drill out the rivets and put the new one on.

^^^ +1

For carbon tube or rod if you do decide to sleeve it try hobby (RC) shops as they sell about 1m length and that is plenty.

Best to go with a new section, if you can't find anything try www.carbonfiber.com.au/category5_1.htm they have been great for me

Oh yeah if you are going to glue it, use real stuff not 5min crap. JBWeld or Devcon metal filler epoxies, or Araldite 24hr.

Not sure if yours is exactly the same as this but it might help with the batten tip in the camber.
Cheers
Marty

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Mark _australia said..

^^^ +1

For carbon tube or rod if you do decide to sleeve it try hobby (RC) shops as they sell about 1m length and that is plenty.

Best to go with a new section, if you can't find anything try www.carbonfiber.com.au/category5_1.htm they have been great for me

Oh yeah if you are going to glue it, use real stuff not 5min crap. JBWeld or Devcon metal filler epoxies, or Araldite 24hr.

Beauty, that's great thanks Mark!

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MartinF2 said..

Not sure if yours is exactly the same as this but it might help with the batten tip in the camber.
Cheers
Marty

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Bingo, exactly the same Marty!

I have a similar V8, broke the batten about 5cm before the cam. Replaced it with a used batten from the same brand but draft is not as narrow as compared to the orifinal.It's too sofy and makes the whole sail baggy. Any suggestions? The replacement batten was as close as Icould get to length of rod and flat section even stiffness.