Submitted on November 10, 2005 by Ray Milhollin

Question: I am in the process of purchasing a new main sail for my 1979 Spirit 28. The original mainsail is partially battened, I would like to change to a full batten mainsail to take better advantage of the lazy jack system when I single hand the boat. Can you tell me the advantages and dis-advantages on a full vs partial batten mainsail?

Thanks,
Ray Milhollin

Answer: Hi Ray,

A fully battened sail is easier to handle, specifically when raising and lowering the sail, and when reefing. It will also be a more long-lasting sail because the battens reduce the frequency and detrimental effects of flogging and fluttering. The drawbacks of a full batten sail are that it will be a little heavier and the sail shape is less adjustable. Also, the full length battens are always under compression between the leech end and the mast. Compression on the mast slides can make the slides bind in the track, making it difficult to raise the sail, and even more difficult to lower the sail.

A good luff track system eliminates the problem. For a small boat like your Spirit 28 the best track system is the Tides Marine setup. If your mast has an existing track that takes flat, internal slides you should be okay without adding the Tides track. If, on the other hand, you have metal external slides, or barrel shaped internal slides, you will need to make some compromises. With a metal external track set up, your best bet is to use a single full batten at the top and leech battens for the three lower positions. If you have a round internal track, you can use Allslip slides at the batten ends. However, this will likely require some modifications to the slide gate area of your mast. If you have an external round track, stick with the short battens.

Regards,
Dan Neri

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