well wow..finally got out in some wind with my friend and we tipped the boat. we were sailing and next thing were over...we pitchpoled, but mainly because our weight wasnt distributed well. Anyways..in doing this i somehow manage to rip the sail. The batten came through the sail by the batten pocket..can i just sow that up?...Also how tight should the battens be?
i need some feed back plz

It sounds like from your post that the batten poked though the sail right at the mast, next to the end cap. Pretty common thing in a hard pitchpole.

If the tear's not too bad, you can use a piece of sail repair tape to hold it together until you have have it professionally repaired. I've had a "temporary" repair like that on my 16 that's lasted 6 years.

The battens should always (when you're sailing) be at least snug in the pockets - all the wrinkles pulled out.

The general rule of thumb for battens tension is tighter = more draft (belly) in the sail (generally for lighter winds) and looser = less draft for heavy air.

You should always loosen your battens when you're done sailing to keep the sail from stretching out of shape.

can i get that repair kit at murrays?..and is sowing it a no no.

It's just sticky back sail tape. Any sailboat shop would have it (as long as you don't mind white). Murrays has colors. Also check Annapolis Performance Sailing (www.apsltd.com)

No sewing required. Just cut it to shape with scissors (round all corners to prevent peeling up), peel off the backing and stick it on.

Stuff comes on a roll in various widths. 2" or 3" width is probably the best.

he's done it THOUSANDS of times.

hope to see you soon on your new Tiger!

Tom

Very funny, TK

Actually, I've nicknamed the "play" spinnaker on the Tiger "Spot" - from all the little patches Rob put on it.

Someone needs to remind him that you can buy a s--tload of rigging tape for what a new spinny costs.

Good luck this week @ the F18 NA's!

Talk to your sister if you want to see me on the Tiger - I've asked her to crew for me at Rochester and all I got was a "maybe."