Sail Battens

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Michael4
Posts: 504
Joined: Fri Jan 03, 2014 5:25 pm
Location: West Sussex

Sail Battens

Post by Michael4 »

I need to make some sail battens both for the Merlin and Tideway.

Any suggestions as to the best source of materials, either wood or plastic? Much as I love the old tapered Ratsey battens they are now wrapped in tape, re-enforced by old school rulers, bits of plastic etc etc.

Not sure what the original wood would have been...

I guess I want something sold by the metre and strong enough for the top Merlin batten, the one that supports the majority of the roach...if my terminology is correct...

Michael
Tideway 206
11+
Sold the 'Something bigger and plastic', it never got used.
Michael Brigg
Posts: 1663
Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2007 7:11 pm
Location: Gosport, UK

Re: Sail Battens

Post by Michael Brigg »

I have full length battens on my Canoe which I believe are made of Ash.

Image

The support of the roach simply requires a non-compressible batten for which anything will pretty much oblige, If however you want some fancy curves in the sail profile, it needs to be flexible, (which I believe is where Ash comes in.)

You can if you're clever find tufnol battens for originality and unlimited flexibility. (I've used mine as liner for the (rotating) mast gate in my firefly.)
though these do not allow a graded range from stiff (at the leach end) to flexible.

Nowdays with modern materials you can take your pick. Stronger, lighter and more flexible fiberglass or carbon. Far better than Ash or any other wood, but not in the "Classic" (original) spec of course.

It all depends on what you are looking for in the racing / sailing of the boat.
Michael Brigg
JimC
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Re: Sail Battens

Post by JimC »

My understanding is that hickory was conventional.
roger
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Location: Frome Somerset UK

Re: Sail Battens

Post by roger »

I was lucky, I put an ask out for wooden battens and got a set of Solo ones which cut down nicely for the Hornet, I was short of one shortish batten which Chris Barlow kindly made for me with Ash I believe.
There are probably old sets of battens in rafters of sheds all over the country, try asking on the solo association website.
Hornet 191 Shoestring,
Hornet 595 Demon awaiting restoration
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Mikey
Posts: 112
Joined: Sun Feb 27, 2005 4:27 pm
Location: Earith, Cambs. United Kingdom

Re: Sail Battens

Post by Mikey »

Jack (Holt) always used ash.
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