I put a window in my sail.

shorefun

Well-Known Member
For bit over $40 in materials I got all I needed to put a window in my sail. My fish came with sail that I liked the colors and it was still crisp. I was going to buy a new sail with a window but was pointed to a Sailrite youtube video on installing a window in a Sunfish sail. My wife has a Janome quilting sewing machine that is built more on the heavy duty side and many stitches including the triple zig zag common on sails. A bit of some test stitches with a torn up fish sail with a window proved it would work.

I also managed to find some numbers for establishing the 2 lower corners of the window placement online. These numbers were also close enough to what I found on the torn up sail I have.

At the front it is 9" from the front edge at 14" from the bottom edge. At the rear it is 10" from the bottom. The window is 72" long and about 8" high, I went 8 1/2".
FWIW the rules say you can not have more then 600 sq/in of window if you are planning on serious racing. I am not.

So following all the instructions from Sailrite we got a window in my sail. You need to take some time getting the sail flat and the lines straight. There seems to be a bit of stretch to the plastic so you can work the sail and window flat by doing the pushing she does in the video.

It is supposed to rain over the next few days here so I am not sure when I can get it back on the boat and in the water.
 
Took us about an hour working on a kitchen island (over 6' long).

Next one will go faster.
?
I took my Sunfish out today. Why do they even make the sail without a window? It is so much safer being able to see.
 
Took us about an hour working on a kitchen island (over 6' long).

Next one will go faster.
?
I took my Sunfish out today. Why do they even make the sail without a window? It is so much safer being able to see.

Especially for first-time Sunfish sailors.
 
Took us about an hour working on a kitchen island (over 6' long).

Next one will go faster.
?
I took my Sunfish out today. Why do they even make the sail without a window? It is so much safer being able to see.
New Laser Performance rec sails now come with windows. I think rec sailors used to sail with them higher up, but somewhat lower is much better for control of the sail.
 

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