Super Sunfish battens.

california_dude

california_dude

Member
I was fortunate enough to buy Sunfish with a Super Sunfish rig and I have a question about battens.
Two battens that came with the sail are made of fiberglass and are 1/2" wide and 1.5" shorter then the pockets in the sail. The third is hand made and is no good. Are the first two correct for the sail or they are to short? Would it be good idea to buy tapered battens and cut them to length so they are perfect fit for the sail?
Thank you in advance for your response.
 
Any sailmaker can sell you fiberglass batten stock of the correct thickness and width and the slip-on end-caps that go over the ends. Hacksaw the batten stock to the correct length, slip on the end caps with a little glue and you are good to go. If in doubt about the length,
cut a little "proud" (long) and then trim and fit as needed.

I believe that the Annapolis Performance Sailing (APS) catalog also sells batten stock if you don't have a sailmaker in your area.

Alan Glos
 
Hi Alan,
Thank you for your reply. However my question was about what type and what size of battens would be best for Super Sunfish sail not where to buy them. I was also wondering wether the Battens that I have are original to the sail. :confused: I would think that the battens shoud by positioned without any sliding slack in the pockets. On the other hand who knows what sail makers were thinking in late 70s early 80s. :rolleyes:
 
I do not have a Super Sunfish but all the boats I have had that had battens had battens that were shorter than the pockets, as the pockets were sewn back into the sail a bit so that when the batten was inserted you moved it to the edge of the sail and it would not fly out. Still in all, when luffing I have lost a few battens. My original battens were wood but the replacements were fiberglass. I would imagine early battens were wood and later of fiberglass.
 
what type and what size of battens would be best for Super Sunfish sail
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I can't tell you the original dimensions, but an educated guess for a sail that size is, 1/2" to 1" wide (5/8" is common) and 1/8" thick.

Measure the pocket and size the width for easy installation without being so narrow the batten can roll over in the pocket.

Length is determined as described by Alan in his post above. This is non-specific because if a former owner left the battens in all the time and stretched the pockets an exact figure would leave you with battens too short and loose. So, custom fitting to where your sail stands today will give the best fit.


I was also wondering wether the Battens that I have are original to the sail.
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1-1/2" short doesn't sound well fit. I'm skeptical those are the originals.


I would think that the battens shoud by positioned without any sliding slack in the pockets.
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When inserting the batten it should be snug enough to stretch the pocket (actually the leech of the sail) just slightly.

Attached is an overview of battens from the Holder-12 / Hobie One-12 web. It applies to your Super Sunfish as well.
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  • Battens.pdf
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Would it be good idea to buy tapered battens and cut them to length so they are perfect fit for the sail?
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You don't want tapered battens. That variety of batten is for "full battened" sails and are very pricy. You can find batten stock for regular battens at around $1 a foot. That's all your sail requires.
 
Hi maties,
Thank you very much for all the answers and especially for the input from Wayne.
I went to the Ullman Sails today and got stock (93”) for the three battens I will make for my old sail. It cost me a whole $5.00. They also confirmed that I don't need tapered battens for this type of sail.
Turned up that nowadays even sail makers don't use end cups for battens. They tape the ends of battens with white electric tape. I guess this project is done.
BTW: People at Ullman Sails where super nice. I will keep it in mind for the future.
 
I went to the Ullman Sails today ... It cost me a whole $5.00.
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Funny thing about that. :p . . . I have a couple of boats with battened sails. The stuff is so cheap, I keep several sticks of batten stock on hand since the batten Gnomes like to spirit one away from time to time.


They also confirmed that I don't need tapered battens for this type of sail.
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Oh, you doubeted we were handing out good advice? :( ;) . . . Though you could go ahead and use tapered battens ... you just use the thicker end ... the batten people will appreciate your contribution to their Auston Martin fund. :rolleyes:


Turned up that nowadays even sail makers don't use end cups for battens. They tape the ends of battens with white electric tape.
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Caps ... we don't need no stinking caps, 'eh? :D Tape or caps ... either way, you invest $0.50 to keep from ruining a $400 sail.


People at Ullman Sails where super nice. I will keep it in mind for the future.
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Nothing like help direct from the source. :cool:
 
california_dude said:
Hi Alan,
Thank you for your reply. However my question was about what type and what size of battens would be best for Super Sunfish sail not where to buy them. :
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Where did California Dude get all this 'tude?? Since Dude did not thank Alan for the advice, I will!:eek:

BB
 
To each his own, but in "Race Your Boat Right' by Authur Knapp Jr, he discusses battens. His feelings, reguarding battens and their length, contends that batttens contained in a pocket (compared with those that are tied in) makes it easy to put a "knee or crease in the sail at the forward end of the batten pocket. The battens in all sails, cruising or racing, jib or mainsail should not touch the forward end of the pocket. They should clear the ends of the pockets by an inch in small and medium boats and by 2 inches in larger boats." This information is on p 83 of his book. I guess that is 'old school thought' and may have changed.
 
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