| When I interviewed the founder and publisher of | | | | sets of sails is their durability. The sails on our boat |
| Duckworks Magazine he shared some great tips for | | | | now are much more durable. |
| anyone who might consider building their own trimaran | | | | Many people turn up their noses at polytarp as a sail |
| sailboat. This article is excerpted from our | | | | making material. And I should mention the blue type of |
| conversation. One of the subjects he covered was | | | | polytarp material you get at Wal Mart isn't good. Stay |
| trying out different types of sailing rigs for a newly built | | | | away from that. However, you can buy white polytarp |
| wooden sailboat ... which, of course, could easily apply | | | | material from Polysails. They sell a kit which has |
| to a self-built wooden Trimaran. | | | | everything you need, plus a lot of instructions on their |
| Should a new sailboat builder simply purchase rigging | | | | website on how to build these sails. |
| and sails? You know, it depends. Some plans, such as | | | | You can also get white tarps from They have a white, |
| Chris Ostlinder's A18T trimaran, tend to be "high-tech." | | | | 6 oz tarp that is very sturdy and durable. It's got good |
| You can read about the A18T on the Duckworks | | | | UV resistance, and makes great sails. You can even |
| website. These plans call for fittings, and have | | | | tape pieces of tarp together at first. Then go back and |
| stresses on things that are similar to what you see on | | | | sew them later if you want ... or just leave them taped |
| Hobie Cats and things. | | | | together. |
| There is a big difference between low-tech sails and | | | | Another great thing about polytarp is that you can try |
| high-tech sails. High-tech sails are harder for the | | | | different things to create different types of sails. You |
| homebuilder to do than low-tech sails. But you can get | | | | can add shape to different sails by way of "darts." |
| good performance out of low-tech sails. | | | | There is a great essay on the Duckworks website |
| With faster (Trimaran) sailboats, such as the A18T, you | | | | about cutting "darts" in sails to give them shape. It |
| would use a high-tech sailing rig. If you want to | | | | recommends a series of small darts around the |
| squeeze performance you've got to go higher-tech, | | | | perimeter. That works very well on small sails. There |
| and it's more complicated and more expensive. But if a | | | | are different techniques to use for all kinds of sails. |
| person wants to build a small, fast trimaran for 1 or 2 | | | | To create a professional sail, a sail maker will use |
| people they're probably not looking at an exorbitant | | | | "broad seaming" to give it an airfoil type of shape. |
| cost for doing that ... even with a higher-tech sail rig. | | | | They'll use a series of panels, which are sewn |
| (When it comes to experimentation) polytarp is an | | | | together in such a way as to create the shape they |
| underrated material. If you see a picture on the | | | | want. So if you're trying to use a big flat piece of |
| Duckworks website of my boat called "Caprice," you'll | | | | material, like polytarp, then you have to do some other |
| notice it's a 25' Cat Ketch. I built it several years ago. | | | | things to achieve that airfoil shape. But it's pretty easy |
| You can go to the site and see a picture of it on the | | | | to do. |
| "About" page. | | | | Making sails with polytarp is one of the things you can |
| The Caprice has got tanbark sails now, which were | | | | learn about on the Duckworks magazine website. Just |
| made by our sail maker. But the first 3 years of this | | | | do a search on "sail making" or "polytarp," and you'll find |
| boat's life it had polytarp sails. There is no big | | | | out how to make these sails. You can make a big sail |
| difference to me, performance wise, between the | | | | with $20 worth of polytarp and a little bit of rope. |
| professionally made "real" sails it has now and the | | | | There is also a spreadsheet called a 'Saildart |
| polytarp sails we originally used. The polytarp worked | | | | Calculator' which takes all the guesswork out of |
| just fine. | | | | shaping polytarp sails. It is at the Duckwoks site also. |
| Polytarp material is light. And it's cheap. I paid $80 to | | | | These tips are among many the publisher of |
| build the original set of polytarp sails for that boat. The | | | | Duckworks shared. You may download the whole |
| sails on it now cost around $1000. So the polytarp was | | | | interview (which includes links for many of the above |
| very inexpensive. The main difference between both | | | | references) at the website. |