New sails - HydraNet(R) radial, Dimension-Polyant
Sans Peur
Grete & Fred Vithen
Mon 22 May 2017 17:00
Yes we got the three "bullet proof" sails delivered tax free from Turkey ... and it worked out perfectly.
On top of that one of the Turkish part-owners (Bulant) showed up at the customs quay.
He/they, Bulant and Raif, helped us to fit all new lines (3 x halyards, furling line & main sheet) and all three sails.
Then we had a sea trial.
Just to get all the pro info (Bulant is also a competitive sailor) about handle they sails in the right ways ... and for free. We are happy.
These Turkish guys really know how to help you out in a nice way.
"Anything else you need??!!" We might need a carpet in the deck house. A visit to a local carpet shop and in two hours it was there. Done.
Impressive.
While trying out the new sails going down wind barn way we realised that the sails where touching the spreaders.
At this very moment a guy (Turkish of course) has been hanging up there for hours covering the touching parts with smoothing leather.
Amazing. They are there for you all the way.
It's about 19, the sun is so hitting the mountains, we are having a GT, soon there will be a large beer at the sailing club bar.
Weather here is most of the time like full summer.
But with the hills and mountains surrounding this big beautiful bay (like fjord) the weather and the wind pattern changes very rapidly.
Now it's sun and blue sky. During the night we had up to 30 kn of wind.
Grete was a bit worried and was up checking a couple of times while I slept like a log.
On the 15th we picked up our new sails at the customs quay and then sailed the sailing club.
They just could fit us in, in front of the club house.
Water and electricity. Sans Peur really needed to be cleaned before starting to put up the brand new clean white sails.
We where moored at the sailing club for two days.
The old sails went down on the 15th.
Early next morning Grete and I cleaned the whole boat and at around 9 the sail makers from Turkey arrived.
It took the whole day to fit the new sails and 3 new dynema halyards, main sheet and the cutter (they call it a stay sail) furling line.
At the end they managed to brake the endless loop of the Selden inmast furling line.
So we had to stay one more night.
Tricky job a specialist has to come and fit a new line plus make that delicate splicing. He came, an old nice guy from North Sail, next morning.
After that it was time to take out Sans Peur for a try sail together with Bulant (one of the Turkish sail makers).
WOW!
What a difference, lovely sails, and much better performance.
The new carpet. Doesn't look that nice ... but in reality it fits in perfectly.
Covering the speeders with leather to protect the new sails.
He was up there for hours.
