Battens for HiFly Sail

Question
QUESTION: Hi Windlover,

For some reason there was no way to reply to this thread:

http://www.allexperts.com/user.cgi?m=6&catID=2074&expID=47481&qID=4958488

so let me continue here.

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You said:

"HiFly 300 was a standard model for many years. The two hole mast base was an early model from the early '80's. Your board is probably from around the late '80's."

Great!

I did not see any identifier on the board to indicate the model ( I guess it was decals only and they are gone now ).

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You said:

"On further thought, it might be better to convert to a fixed mast base now rather than later. The plastic does get old and brittle."

That was my thought exactly.

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You said:

"On the battens, count the number of batten pockets and order end caps. Two types of caps, smooth/flat for inside the pocket, a bit larger with tabs for the strap holding the batten in for the outer end. There should be a strap of some type to hold the batten in place. If it is just a pocket and the battens are fixed position, then smooth/flat caps for both ends. A pic of the sail (close up of batten pocket) would help me determine just what you need."


It would seem that the sail that came with the HiFly may have been replaced.

This one is made by WindSurfer:
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/585/sail1.jpg/

It seems to be a sail with fabric ( Dacron? ) on one side and film ( Mylar? ) on the other.  You can see one side here:
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/821/sail2w.jpg/

and the fabric side here:
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/812/sail9.jpg/


The batten pocket out on the sail is here:
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/804/sail3.jpg/

The batten pocket at the leech of the sail is here:
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/33/sail4.jpg/

As you can see here, there are three batten pockets:
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/268/sail5.jpg/

It appears that these are more or less just stiffeners ( as opposed to a batten that would produce a lot of camber ).


There is also a pocket at the Tack of the sail:
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/13/sail6.jpg/

Is that for another batten?


Also there is a break in the film side at the Clew:
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/195/sail7.jpg/

Hopefully I can use some sort of clear film (or at least the universal Duct Tape<g>) to repair that.


One more thing on the sail - the top of the mast does not have a cap, but the sail head is reinforced as you see here:
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/827/sail8.jpg/

Is there anything I need to do in that regard?

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On the foot straps you see here:
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/842/hiflytail.jpg/

They are pretty stiff.  Do you have any suggestions on how to restore them (without a full out replacement)?

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Thanks for the ideas on cleaning and for confirmation that the board should be large enough for me.

I'm looking forward to getting my restoration done and to getting my feet ( as if that will be all<g> ) wet again.

It has been too many years since I used to race Hobie Cats (we moved inland) and I find that now that I am more excited every day about getting back on the water.

:-)

Charles

ANSWER: Hey Charles,

That sail is an older Windsurfer brand sail. Was the original Windsurfer design from the late '70's through the mid '80's.

The battens basically stiffen the leach of the sail. You could get by without them but having them will improve performance a little. When you order battens, ask for flat battens if they have them and get just inside the pocket caps. You will use a cap on each end of the batten. Trim the length so the batten just fits into the pocket with the caps on. The caps will add about a 1/4" on each end. The little pocket on the luff sleeve is of little use. I guess you put excess downhaul rope in there or store the battens in it when putting the sail away. In the old days we removed the battens and just rolled the sail up around the mast. Newer materials of new sails don't allow being rolled up around the mast.

You may need to do a little searching to find flat style battens and caps. The Gastra type that Windance carries are more of a newer style. They are about 1/4" thick and about 3/8" wide.

For repair on the mylar side of the sail, just Google 'mylar tape' and buy a small roll. Trim the corners of the tape so they are rounded. Clean the sail area with a damp cloth and apply the tape where needed.

The head cap looks to be in good shape. Nothing to worry about there.

Footstraps might loosen up when wet and with some use. New or lightly used ones aren't too pricey on ebay.

Hope this helps.
Keep on sailing,
Windlover

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks Windlover!

Excellent information as usual!


Let me revisit one point from the previous post.

On the mast base, since I am doing a conversion, which of these Chinook bases would you recommend that I go with?

http://www.chinooksailing.com/products/index.php?cPath=2_31_32

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Then this is the Mistral Slider Nut:
http://www.chinooksailing.com/products/product_info.php?products_id=287

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For the mast extension, would you go with the medium:
http://www.chinooksailing.com/products/product_info.php?products_id=122

or the short:
http://www.chinooksailing.com/products/product_info.php?products_id=123


The mast is about 2" in diameter, so I assume this is not the "skinny" size that I see mentioned.  Is that right?


Thanks again!

Charles

ANSWER: Hey Charles,

Of the three types on that page, my personal preference is the Rubber mast base. Here is why, tendon type seem to be highly adequate but it seems that the tendon wears out sooner than the rubber hourglass type and the mechanical type have history of failing and locking up when too much sand/salt gets imbedded in the joint.

Yes, that is the slider nut. When you get your mast track out and the end parts are removed, the nut should slide in at the lowest point that the track allows. There may be two levels that the nut can slide into. Try to fit it so the long side is perpendicular to the track. Verify that the mast base stud will reach the nut and thread completely through the nut. If not, you may need to place the nut on the upper level.

I would recommend the medium extension as you may want to get some different size sails and with a longer extension you increase the number of different sizes you can use.

Your mast is definitely NOT a skinny mast. It is considered a standard diameter mast.

Hope this helps.
Keep on sailing,
Windlover

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks Windlover!

I especially appreciate the insight on the mast base type.  That is the sort of thing one could never get from reading the manufacturer's blurb.

I'm looking forward to getting started on my restoration.

One more thing.

My windsurfing will be freshwater lake and/or river oriented and of course I'll be using the board for SUP as well (the wind is not good enough year round here).

In the fin types, I see some that are a deeper running fin and others that claim to be a weed fin.  Would you say (all things considered) that the weed fin would be a better way to go?

Thanks!

Charles

Answer
Hey Charles,

If you are only encountering a weed occasionally, do not get a weed fin. They are for areas that are extremely weedy or in coastal regions where certain times of the year, certain types of weeds release from the bottom and end up floating on the surface. This happens a lot in the Gulf of Mexico and you cannot sail without a weed fin. The pro's of a weed fin, they work great when there are weeds. The con's, the lateral resistance of the fin is way back from the tail of the board so are very prone to spinning out. They just don't perform very well other than going through weeds.

You need a deep running fin for a board of your size. The more vertical the better for going upwind. Wider is good too, meaning the front to back dimension. There are long skinny type fins designed for Formula boards that would work but look for wider for your type of board.
As I mentioned before, look for something at least 14"-16". Fin lengths all run in cm so you need to do the conversion.

Hope this helps.
Keep on sailing,
Windlover