Great Post well worth following if you want to learn thanks to all peter l⛵⛵😊

Hi ChrisG - absolutely personal choice for material and colour. There are plenty of new built replicas of yachts 100+ years old - some of which clearly look wrong with the wrong colour sails, then you come all the way up to America's cup with black/graphite colours - but then there are probably few of us modellers able to make these pre-preg carbon fibre wings.⛵⛵⛵

Interesting with colours of yachts sails. I remember reading about the English designer of the Dragon force yachts. You have probably seen them with a dragon painted across the 2 sails. He managed to persuade the manufacturers to have plain white sails available and I gather they sold very well.

Roy

Hello luckyduck
Whilst I agree with you absolutely that pure white sails generally look better on modern and generally racing yachts, and cream or off white and natural fabrics tend to look better on older classic craft that is not always the case.
There are many yachts around the world costing many millions of pounds, euros and dollars that sport man fabric sails, they are white and bright, economical to replace and update and need far less maintenance.
Inga the yacht that is the subject of this question and answer blog is relatively new being built in 1967, which makes her younger than me and a mere child😂😂
This all makes for a very interesting blog, it ends up horses for courses and gets us all talking which is great.
Best regards ChrisG

The original yacht was built in 1967 in Germany, I believe she would look good in cotton sails or would probably have modern materials used in subsequent sail changes.
Regards ChrisG

The real yacht, I'm not sure when the real yacht was first built.

Ripstop nylon in my sail-bag

Alessandro will tell you, you have done a foolish thing, you got me started up on gaff sails on old boats

Does the boat qualify as OLD if it was built in 1921?
Both racing and fishing
White(?) sails

I know that I am a pain😋

Chris - all the materials are fine for sails, it depends how you want the sails to look. Manmade fibres look manmade and are great for modern and racing yachts. For older style models, cotton of various forms looks a lot better. The other thing is colour - pure white sails again look odd on older style boats - a pale buff colour often looks better, unless you are into old barge/fishing boat style sails requiring a deep red/rusty colour.

I seem to remember that Dacron and Terylene are the same material.
Roy

Hello Michael
I think this might start the purists chuntering a bit but here goes nothing!
I have two samples arrive today one is Dacron at 36" wide sold as material for sail making and is around the £20, as you would expect and is enough to make a suit of sails for Inga but only just.
The other from Ebay is sold as material for making kites and outdoor flags, is water resistant lightweight nylon Ripstop and is 150 cm wide. The total price for the 100 x 150 was £3.84 p.p. inc.
Now I am aware that when it comes to important things like hobbies us retired guys never begrudge spending our money but my gut feeling is to have a go with the cheaper of the two because it feels lighter and better.
I only intend to be sailing my boat as with the others occasionally so will keep away from the lake when stormy so heavy sails are not needed.
Decision made I will post my progress 😂😂 when there is any, I hope this does not complicate things.
Best of luck ChrisG.
p.s. My "Boss" likes Roys idea, always complaining I have too many shirts but dont fancy seeing my model being projected across the lake by some of my shirts.

Hi your Gracia looks a lot like my hegi modebau Mistral,

Sorry to hear about your mishap. I've been warned🤔

Hi all, Here is a mistake I made a few weeks ago!

I fitted a new set of sails to my Gracia yacht and had an accident when the mast at the crosstree snapped. I repaired the break in the wood and fitted a brass sleave over the break as the wood was compromised with 2 joints.

I clamped it all against a straight piece of ally and used epoxy.
I had not noticed but a piece of whipping thin string was caught in the joint and when the joint was unclamped it showed a bent mast just a couple of degrees out.

You can see from the way the sail sets with the fold in what should be a smooth sail, the effect of the bend in the mast.

I had to use this method as the jack stay on the mast was wire and not removable. I think I shall take the mast out of service but may use it for a smaller yacht and cut it down below the crosstree.
regrds
Roy

Hi Ronald I do leave the seams a little open to run a cord if I want one. I would do this for loose foot sails. I usually fit a plastic hoisting piece at the head and very small eyelets about 3 or 4 mms dia. at the corners.
Nylet sell them. They will also sell you a punch for 'riveting' them in over a tiny washer.

If you want to be accurate the cord around the sail should be on the right side of the sail so that they can be set up during the dark by crew members.

Attaching sails to the mast should be the first decision made. There are 4 basic ways for models.
1, a sleeve in the main sail as per Panache.
2, using mast rings.
3, a jack line down the rear of the mast.
4, using an extruded ally mast with a luff slot.

I have used all of the above and it is No.2 for period yachts and No.3 for Bermuda rigs.
If anyone wants details I can post them.

By the way if you are using a tallish mast then mount it on the keel not the deck. But if on the keel fashion a cover that holds it tightly in place at deck level.

The mast will bend with a good wind and probably in or about the centre. To move the bending part higher so the sail sets more correctly then go for the keel.

For a Bermuda rig the mast is 125% of the loa of the hull.
If introducing a panelled set of sails then consider also where the mast will bend. A professional set of sails will have a shallow S shape in the luff.
regards
Roy

Neat bit of sewing there Rogal - you must be well versed in using a sewing machine. The sails look excellent - hope they stretch just right when in use.

Royc

Do you run a cord inside your sails but not along the Leech?

Hi there fellow modellers. I’ve just made a set of sails for my Inga IV and I used Cambric cotton, it’s the best quality, tight woven and light weight, also it’s not expensive, I’m no expert sail maker but did a lot of reading on web prior to making them. I will have a look for more details and post, sites, web, company names etc.

I will be making sails for my IngaIV so I am keen to discover sail making techniques I also want to make a B set for my Class,
Ideas on sail making jigs? Foil shape ECT,

Hi all I use shirt material, it is quite dense and I wash it and then iron and dry it. I use a template for the sails, remember to have the longest sail edge along the selvedge.

I spray the sail with starch this makes it stiff and you can draw on it with a pencil. I draw outside the template onto the sail. I allow for a seam 1/4 inch wide times 2. I iron the seams so that form into a fold. You can use this system to sew, or, as I do, use a fine mesh web of glue called wonder web.

It is about an inch wide which I cut it down to 1/2 inch wide. This I tuck into the seam and do the 2 folds and iron the seam until the glue sets.

The sails done in this way last for many years.

regards
Roy

Parachute silk all the way, scaled and behaves superbly in the wind.

For smaller boats, I make mine from 35 or 50 micron Mylar available from Sailsetc or P J Sails.

Thanks Chris, Ill be interested in your findings.

Hello Micheal
I am in exactly the same position as yourself being about to start sailmaking. Previously I have both bought ready pro made sails and have made a few sets myself.
I am no expert by any stretch of the imagination but for a tank like Inga albeit a beautiful tank it is easy to get carried away with costs, also because sail changes for this boat are such a faff then a suitable weight of sailcloth should be purchased, one size fits all applications.
I have just sent for some material for a set and as you only need about a mtr I have pushed the boat out for £20 worth from a recognised supplier and have also sent for a similar amount for a whole lot less than that from Ebay.
I will have made my conclusions in a few days when the material arrives if you would like to talk again then.
A restricting design of the slits in the mast and booms restricts the sail thickness which needs to be taken into considerations. Also is the model for sailing or looking at, I have bought some really good kickers for my boat instead of using the springs supplied and the sophisticated ones look most inappropriate, waste of money.
Hopefully continue this in a few days, hope you can use a sewing machine 🤣🤣
Regards ChrisG