E23 jib dimensions ?

We just pulled out the second headsail that we got with La Petite. As I mentioned in earlier threads, the roller furling genoa seems to be for a J24 so I'm wondering if this second foresail is designed for an E23.

This second headsail has a foot of 9' 8", a luff of 25' 9" and a leach of 23' 2". Does that seem like the right dimensions ? I can't read the numbers on the scanned sail plans so I can't tell from that. This second sail is clean with no grass stains

(Wish us luck on the Opportunity landing ... about to enter the scary period. The only reason that we came back from La Petite to Pasadena tonight.)


-Sven

sail dimensions

Sven, They COULD be for your boat-and about a 1000 other similar sized boats. I can check the sail plan to see how well it fits your boat-but you can tell me as well-here is what to look for:

Luff-is it close to full hoist?
Clew height: anywhere from 4" to 18* above the deck (big range)
Sheeting: If you take an imaginary line from a point about 55% up the headstay and bisect the clew-then to the deck-that is your average sheeting point. If there is track at that point, and hopefully you will have at least 6" forward and aft of that point for fine tuning, then you are good to go.

So, if you can sheet it properly, and it is close to full hoist (80% or higher), then it fits. There are no set dimensions for sails (unless defined by a racing class rule), so any sail that fits will work.

Getting the real information...

Before spending any more time wondering about your existing inventory or pondering what boat a given sail was built for.... You need solid information about YOUR boat's rig. A quiet afternoon and a steel tape, and maybe a friend to assist... and remembering to measure everything twice or three times and take legible notes.
Many sailmakers can give you general information, including one of our fine moderators (a sailmaker, yet!) on this forum. But, before anyone can help you, you need solid information about your own boat. Note that no sailmaker will willingly build a sail based solely on a set of measurements from an old brochure or a web site somewhere...

Boats are sometimes modifed for the first owner before and after delivery, and others down the ownership chain may have made "improvements"....

Here is a link to a page at a UKsails site, with a PDF d/l for a very complete measurement form. I have used this form to measure for my new genny and main. It is quite detailed. (Other sailmakers may have similar forms... I have no business connection with UKsails.)

http://www.uksails.com/howtobuyasail.htm

Best,
Loren in Portland, OR

sails

Right again, Loren. I neglected to mention in my previous comments that I will be happy to assist Sven in firming up those dimensions-I have all of the sail plans for all of the Ericsons-and if he takes your advice with a tape measure (he can even call me while he is doing it for advice and clarification) I can check his numbers against the sail plan and we can then not only be certain how his sails fit, but also what he would want to build going forward.

The 23-more than most other Ericsons DOES vary a lot-so this is time very well spent!

Sail Measurements

Sven - It sounds to me like this sail was definitely not made for your boat, though I'm sure you can run it up and use it OK. But it might well be difficult to get it to shape well on the E23, especially if you have the single fixed fairlead for a small headsail. Factory spec dimensions for the Mk 2 are: J = 10' 2" (mine measures closer to 10' even); P = 25' 4"; E = 7' 6"; I = 29'. So this last indicates that your sail is quite a bit short on the hoist (3' or more). You will probably want to double check these numbers by actually measuring your boat - it is real nice to have them handy if you run across a good deal on another sail, or if you order new. Last summer I bought new sails for my boat and the sailmaker was real specific in his instructions for measuring the critical dimensions, though he had the numbers above on hand. It was well worth the trouble of measuring, as the sails fit and performed beautifully. If you are ever planning to do any phrf racing with the boat, a new set of sails makes a huge difference in performance. If you take the total cost divided by the number of years they will last, you'll find the cost per year is very reasonable, not to mention the increased pleasure you will experience in sailing the boat.

Hi Bob,

Guess this jib matches our short main

Thanks Seth, Loren, and Bob.



-Sven