DDS Sailmakers Nashville, Mainsails: Full Batten Mains

Mainsails: Full Batten Mains
Mainsails
Full Batten Mains
While there is no doubt that full battens greatly prolong the life of your sail and are much easier to flake on the boom, there has been some concern about the effort required to lower them.

Full Batten Mainsail

Hoisting doesn't cause any problem as long as the boat is directly head to wind. While you should always be head to wind while hoisting, if you are not, your job will be even harder with full battens. The problems while lowering the sail stem from the twisting action of the battens. As the sail comes down, tension on the leech of the sail is removed. With nothing supporting the back end of the sail, the battens want to bend. Conventional flat battens will try to rotate 90 degrees so that their wide axis is horizontal and they can bend down easily. As they try to rotate, they twist the luff of the sail which causes the sail slides to bind in the luff track. On smaller boats, under 30', the problem is very minor because the weight of the sail is low, and it is normal for someone to be pulling on the leech as it comes down.

For a long-lasting, easy-to-use sail with shape that stays where it is designed, you can't beat the full batten mainsail. DDS Sailmakers can supply you with the sail to meet your requirements.

Call us today! (615) 273-2363

Tri-Radial Mainsails

    * Composite tri-radial mainsails are designed for speed that lasts! Fast from the bag and fast for seasons to come!
    * Computer-designed and cut to insure thread alignment follows the sail's natural loading path.
    * Tri-radial mainsails also available in Dacron.

New Technology

For the newest technology in full batten mains, try the tubular carbon fiber tapered battens. They are stronger and more lightweight than conventional battens.

Please feel free to e-mail DDS Sailmakers at: ddssailmakers@yahoo.com to ask about the newest technology.