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1987 Ericson 38-200 Ulmer Mainsail Specs

Drewm3i

Member II
Does anyone have the specs for the original main that came with the 38-200, as in weight of cloth, brand/type of dacron cloth, luff/leech measurements, batten arrangements? Etc.

Thanks!
 
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Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
It Depends.............

Typically a new boat would be ordered without a suite of sails, the choice of inventory being up to the buyer. I know of smaller boats that could be ordered with some stock sails, usually boats under 22 or 25 feet. Even those could be ordered without sails so that the buyer could optimize it for local sailing conditions.

More useful in the present day is to determine which type of sail construction and overlap you want for your own use.

Do you have a sailmaker to talk to?
Given how active most owners of these boats are, you can pick up some common sense basics from others on this site.

(BTW, your thread title is all about a brand of mainsail, but your question seems to be about head sails in general. Was this what you intended?)

If you are talking about only Mainsails, note that by the end of the 80's the batten arrangement for most sails had evolved several times. And, all of the various schemes work fine in actual practice. We have a 2+2 system, and really like it -- not the least because it did not require us to add $$ Strong Track.
 

Slick470

Member III
Also keep in mind that sail design and material options have changed quite a bit since 1987, even for "basic" dacron sails. Cloth weight will depend on which material you choose and where and how you sail. You may want full battens, partial, or a mix. Your sail controls and reefing options may be different than original spec, as well as your halyards may not be the original polyester double braid spliced to wire. All of those factors can change how a sail is designed and fitted to a boat.

As Loren said, having a conversation with a sail maker about your boat, your needs, and where you sail will probably be more useful than knowing what the boat came with originally.
 

Drewm3i

Member II
Yes, I meant mainsail and have edited my post accordingly.

My original fully battened main (with fiberglass battens) is still in good shape with no rips or tears. Yes it is old, but this boat was barely used and maintained to a high degree.

The cloth feels very crisp and heavy to me. It is not soft or worn like you'd expect. I'm considering a new main for sure and will eventually get one, but am trying to figure out what I have first.
 
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