Measuring for a New Headsail - Tips and Tricks from Venice

Measuring for a New Headsail – Tips and Tricks from Venice

Gargoyle finds themselves in Venice taking some time off from exploring to measure up for a new headsail for their boat. Gargoyles plans to go around the world in 35,000 nautical miles is what pushed them to order a new sail and make sure they get everything right.

Two Ways To Measure

Gargoyle explains that there are two methods when it comes to measuring for a new headsail. The first way is to measure with the sail off. This means disconnecting the sail from your boat, which Gargoyle doesn’t want to do since theirs is on, so they decided to go for the second method. Gargoyle opted for the second method, where you have the sail connected but hoist it up to the maximum height. By hoisting a team member (Carla) up at that height, Gargoyle measured from there down to deck level in four places: forward to the shackle and top of the drum; the pin on the headstay; and finally, to the front and back of the Genoa track.

The Actual Measurement Process

Gargoyle got all set up for the measurement. They started with measuring down from the maximum hoist point at the swivel where it connects to the sail. Gargoyle measured down to four key areas – first to the shackle on the drum, which came in at 16.10 meters. Then, they moved to the pin on the headstay coming in at 15.66 meters; then the front of the Genoa track which is 15.69 meters and finally, to the back of the Genoa track at 16.28 meters. After taking all the harder measurements done, they switched gears for easier measurements that were all taken from deck level, starting from the shackle at the top of the Furler drum – it was 10.35 meters to the back of the Genoa track and 7.34 meters to the front.

Final Shear Line Measurement

For final measurements, Gargoyle took a measurement from the pin on the bow down to the waterline which came in at 56cm; they also measured from the back of the Genoa track out to midship and also to the water line which showed up at 68 cm or 2.54 feet for their imperial friends. However, they made sure to remeasure this part, as it didn’t seem quite right. The correct final measurement turned out to be around 1.75 meters from bow to waterline.

Picking the Right Sail Company

With all measurements done, Gargoyle proceeded to pick MarProSailing. The three key reasons for choosing MarProSailing include: 1) They provide a performance-oriented cruising sail at an affordable price. 2) For added convenience, they offer outfitting your boat based on the type and make of your boat. 3) Their global shipping network caters to worldwide delivery with responsive customer service. With MarProSailing selected, all that’s left now is waiting for 6-8 weeks of delivery. Gargoyle will be updating about their new sails as soon as they receive it.