Head Sail Sock

[larossa]

Hi All,

I currently getting a new head sail built and need some advice. I have a roller furler and need the UV protection on the leach of the sail when it’s rolled up. Many boats I've seen have it trimmed in Sunbrella. With this route I think you are adding a fair amount of weight to the sail. An alternative would be a have sock. Does anyone have any experience with a head sail sock? Are they easy to use? I've also been told they are quite noisy in a breeze.

Thanks,

Brian
E31

 

[Emerald]

Hi,

Check out UV Dacron instead of Sunbrella. It is lighter, and might be a good solution for you. I believe when I had my sails done this way, it was also cheaper than Sunbrella.

 

[CaptDan]

Hi All,

Does anyone have any experience with a head sail sock? Are they easy to use? I've also been told they are quite noisy in a breeze.

Thanks,

Brian
E31

Here's a cut 'n paste response I wrote recently on this topic:

I have a sock for an old 110 gennie. Both are now in my attic.

My advice: fix the leech cover; you haven't lived 'till you try unfouling a sock in a 30 knot blow.

No matter what I did, how I tied it off, or what precautions I took, the durn thang ended up fouled around the headstay - or flying like a spinnaker, narrowly missing neighboring boat's masts.

I didn't have a zipper installed; used twist buttons instead. That probably contributed to the problem, allowing air inside the bag. But I was always afraid of a zipper getting stuck. The whole thing was a pain.

My newer RF 135 jib has a proper leech cover. The sock is just a bad memory


YMMV
Capt Dan G>E35II "Kunu"

 

[Chris Miller]

the UV dacron is a good choice, nothing worse than sunbrella shrinking and screwing up your new sail. I think they usually use like a 5oz, but your sailmaker will know what to use.

 

[Seth]

UV Dacron

Is the right call-unlike Sunbrella, which just adds weight to the sail, if properly applied the dacron adds strength and structure to the sail in the area it needs it the most-the leech..The dacron is another "ply" of fabric on the sail. So, you get UV protection and a longer lasting leech..
2 cents, free!

S

 

[tenders]

Triple-ditto Cap'n Dan's sock hop. I have a zippered sock for my E32 that you're welcome to have. It chafed. It increased windage in storms while the boat was tied up. The zipper pulls fell off of the zipper car from the wear of constantly shaking back and forth in the weather while the boat was secured. It sometimes got stuck while pulling it up or down the sail. It requires three hands to hoist or strike -- one on the halyard, and two on the fasteners (zipper or twist button). It's ten wasted minutes every time you go sailing (three minutes up, three minutes down, four minutes stowing and unstowing).

Even the Sunbrella material is so narrow that it can't readily be converted into something useful, or I'd have gutted it.

In short it was one of those "good ideas...at the time."

 

[Cory B]

We asked our sailmaker about a sock once, he strongly suggested against it.

However, IIRC he was a strong proponent of Sunbrella over Dacron leech covers for the PNW. Since its such a wet climate (and we often leave sails on year-around) he felt the sail needed to "breath" a little, which Dacron does not allow.

 

[larossa]

Thanks all for your input. From what I’m hearing the sock is not a convenient option to have. What I have seen though is people that race PHRF in my area have a sock instead of a cover on the leech. I suspect this is due to you can keep a better sail shape without Sunbrella on the leech. Thanks again for your input.

Brian
E31

 

[JMCronan]

When I was racing my J boat we, indeed, did have a sock for the sail. But I only used it for weekend races. The sail came off the boat after the races. I agree with all the other comments. But if you only need it for short periods of time (like over the weekend) which is what I assume the PHRF racers in your area use it for then its nice to have.

 

[rwthomas1]

Another vote for UV Dacron. When I had my new 130 Genoa built the sailmaker recommended a sacrificial layer of UV Dacron instead of Sunbrella. The Sunbrella is heavy and shrinks. The strip of Dacron can easily be replaced when it degrades. RT

 

[Shaggy]

cost...?

Not to hijack the thread, but can anyone pass on their approximate cost per foot for replacing the UV strip on their headsail?

I just got a quote from a normally reasonable and fair SoCal sailmaker of $9 per foot to replace my semi-shredded strip with sunbrella.

For a 130% genoa on my E-38, that adds up to about $800!!!!

Anyone else?

Thanks,

Shaggy

 

[SurabyaKid]

I recently got a ballpark estimate for my 155% using sunbrella that was about the same cost per foot from Ullman in Deltaville.

Pat

 

[Mark F]

I had a sock on an E23 headsail. I was worried about that small of a sail having all the extra weight of an UV cover permanently sewn to it.

I would have to agree with the general opinion here of most of the socks I've seen (flappy and loud). But the one I had built by a guy in Monterey CA (I'll try to dig up his company name) worked really well. He put a lot of thought into designing his sock and I think he came up with a great product. The sock was tailored to the sail and had elastic ribbon sewn in at 3 or 4 foot increments, there were two zippers one for the cover above the sheets and one for the cover below. The elastic made the cover snug to the furled sail, no flapping or chafe. The sock does require another step at the end of the day (adds a couple of minutes) but it's a good use of the spinnaker halyard ;-).

How much time should you get from a Dacron UV cover? I'm 2 years into one and it's starting to fail.

 

[ted_reshetiloff]

I was quoted I think $7/ foot for replacing the UV cover with sunbrella a few years ago before buying a new sail. They told me it was basically time and materials so if you are going to have one replaced best bet is to take some time and carefully remove the old cover yourself.

I went with dacron and it is now 5 years old. The sail was inspected by Q just before our trip up the coast to New England and they did not advise any needed repair or replacement. It is getting a little UV worn and may be ready next year though. Sunbrella UV covers typically start to stretch and sag after a few years. I have been very impressed with the dacron. I figured it would last maybe 2-3 years but be cheaper to re-do than sunbrella. Now my opinion is it is the only way to go. Socks are fine for race boats but a PITA to deal with cruising.

 

[tenders]

I reiterate my offer that if anybody wants the Sunbrella sock I had made for my 32 as the latest in go-fast racing equipment (or for any other purpose) they are welcome to it for the cost of shipping.

 

[Dan Callen]

Genoa Sock

I just received a new sock from ATN for my Ericson 32-3. It is a double coated polyester fabric that is light and abrasion resistant which sunbrella is not. Very easy to put up yourself and is well designed to tighten around your Genoa so it does not flap in the wind. Work quality is excellent but delivery was a little slow. Several sights on the Internet show the dealerships and the prices do vary. You can buy direct but I got a better deal by going through a dealer. Dan Callen Ericson32-3 Andiamo

 

[Tom Metzger]

I, and my neighbors, wouldn't have one.

FWIW, someone on the next dock has a J-92 with a head sail sock that I think will soon be cut down by the irate neighbors. It makes a hell of a racket when the wind comes up.

We have virtually no day sailors in the marina, except this guy who is new this year, so we don't normally have a noise problem with halyards, etc.

YMMV