Batten Repairs

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windlord's picture
windlord
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Joined: 02/07/2002 - 10:05
Posts: 835
Batten Repairs

Anyone have experience fixing the front (bendy) part of a batten. I have two that broke just where they slide into the cams. It a Gaastra 7.5 GTX.

I've repaired several aft batten sections before. They stay straight and don't bend much though.

Bill Herderich

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webguy's picture
webguy
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Joined: 12/31/2000 - 22:01
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Re: Batten Repairs

Those are difficult to repair because of the extreme bending stress that broke them in the first place but still retain the proper flex. I have some spares at the lake house that might fit.

(For others, not Bill)imho the best way to avoid this is to pop cams on after outhauling and before downhauling and reversing the process when derigging. Some older designs with tight luff sleeves which requires the cams to be slid on while inserting the mast don't permit this and are more susceptible. I had an NP that snapped three battens at once but got bailed out from Gene's spare part closet.

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Randy's picture
Randy
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Joined: 05/05/2002 - 10:38
Posts: 4663
Re: Batten Repairs

I don't know if I have any that would fit, but I have lots of battens from old sails that I scrapped. The main thing is to find one that has a similar bend to the one you are replacing (which is hard to know since it's broken.) You could come by and take a look at what I've got and take what you need (or I could put some in my car and eventually run into you at Galts). An alternative idea: just add enough tubing to the tail piece to make up for the parts that broke off and sand off the other end which is now the tip. You might have a little less bend than before though you could sand the tip a bit to compensate. My guess is it would hard to tell much difference. Your battens would be a bit stiffer......sail maybe a little flatter.

What happens in a black hole stays in a black hole.

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webguy
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moredownhaul
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Joined: 05/10/2007 - 07:28
Posts: 1611
Re: Batten Repairs

Randy’s idea sounds like a good fix, you can sand it flatter in the front if it’s too stiff.

My bottom batten on my 6.0 broke in the same place, tried to use it without that cam but it was a no go. I was able to find another front bendy piece from a older sail and sand the 6.0’s carbon tube down a bit to fit inside of it. It’s been holding up so far.
I’m pretty sure I broke it while de-rigging.

Alan

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