Good evening,<br /><br />I will be starting to build a wooden Heron in about a month and I am looking around for sails. I can purchase them here in the &#039;USA&#039; although I would prefer to buy from some with experience with this model.&nbsp; I need the Main and Jib for the Gaff Wooden Mast. I will appreciate any suggestions not only for sails; but for construction hints.<br /><br />thanks ,<br /><br />Charlie Russell&nbsp; &nbsp;

Hi Charlie<br />

QUOTE:
<br />I will be starting to build a wooden Heron in about a month and I am looking around for sails. I can purchase them here in the &#039;USA&#039; although I would prefer to buy from some with experience with this model.<br />

<br />Yip - I guess that&#039;ll be tricky in the States!&nbsp; Not sure if you&#039;ve been a member long enough to have a newsletter, but Northern Sails in the UK advertise in the Newsletter (www.sailregister.co.uk) I have sails on order from them myself at the moment...&nbsp; The certainly seemed competitively priced to a number of chandlers who claim to supply heron sails here in the UK.&nbsp; No idea if they can supply to the US - but they are very helpful.<br /><br />There is an info sheet on sail dimension which I thought was uploaded but isn&#039;t :-[ so I&amp;#039;m adding it to the list of &amp;#039;to-do&amp;#039;s for this weekend. Will post again when its done.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;[quote]&lt;br /&gt;I need the Main and Jib for the Gaff Wooden Mast.[/quote]&lt;br /&gt;There are lots of variables to choose:&lt;br /&gt;[b]Jib[/b]&lt;br /&gt;[list]&lt;br /&gt;[li]Do you want a jib or genoa[/li]&lt;br /&gt;[li]Furling or non furling[/li]&lt;br /&gt;[li]79% or 100% genoa - 79% is very popular here in the UK[/li]&lt;br /&gt;[li]window / no window[/li]&lt;br /&gt;[/list]&lt;br /&gt;[b]Main[/b]&lt;br /&gt;[list]&lt;br /&gt;[li]Bolt rope on boom or loose footed (see Winter 2004/05 Newsletter extract - when I upload it!)[/li]&lt;br /&gt;[li]window?[/li]&lt;br /&gt;[li]reefing[/li]&lt;br /&gt;[/list]&lt;br /&gt;I&amp;#039;ve just ordered 100% genoa, which I&amp;#039;ll furl if its blowing.&amp;nbsp; I have a small standard jib if it blows like hell... :o&lt;br /&gt;Plus loose footed main.&amp;nbsp; Ironically I voted against loose footed main, but having sailed other boats since with loose footed mains I think they are a good idea!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;You might also find last issue of newsletter which had an article on trimming mainsails, and the coming newslette/a> I have sails on order from them myself at the moment...&nbsp; The certainly seemed competitively priced to a number of chandlers who claim to supply heron sails here in the UK.&nbsp; No idea if they can supply to the US - but they are very helpful.<br /><br />There is an info sheet on sail dimension which I thought was uploaded but isn&#039;t :-[ so I&#039;m adding it to the list of &#039;to-do&#039;s for this weekend. Will post again when its done.<br /><br />

QUOTE:
<br />I need the Main and Jib for the Gaff Wooden Mast.

<br />There are lots of variables to choose:<br />Jib<br />

• <br />
• Do you want a jib or genoa
<br />
• Furling or non furling
<br />
• 79% or 100% genoa - 79% is very popular here in the UK
<br />
• window / no window
<br />

<br />Main<br />

• <br />
• Bolt rope on boom or loose footed (see Winter 2004/05 Newsletter extract - when I upload it!)
<br />
• window?
<br />
• reefing
<br />

<br />I&#039;ve just ordered 100% genoa, which I&#039;ll furl if its blowing.&nbsp; I have a small standard jib if it blows like hell... :o<br />Plus loose footed main.&nbsp; Ironically I voted against loose footed main, but having sailed other boats since with loose footed mains I think they are a good idea!<br /><br />You might also find last issue of newsletter which had an article on trimming mainsails, and the coming newsletter (at the printer as I type) which has an article on trimming foresails useful too... Again I&#039;ll get them uploaded.<br /><br />

QUOTE:
I will appreciate any suggestions not only for sails; but for construction hints. <br />

<br /><br />Never built from scratch - so can&#039;t help!&nbsp; Are you building epoxy glue method or framed method?

I will be building stitch and glue method.&nbsp; Here in the midwest materials are difficult - okume was a 350 mile round trip and the nearest sail maker is a 400 mile round trip. I have live on both the east and west coasts and there supplies are more available.<br /><br />I will be looking for a jib non-furling<br /><br />Main - Bolt rope on the boom - No reef - No window.<br /><br />The primary sailers will be my 8 year old grandsons.<br /><br />thanks<br /><br />Charlie<br /><br />

QUOTE:
<br />There is an info sheet on sail dimension which I thought was uploaded but isn&#039;t :-[ so I&amp;#039;m adding it to the list of &amp;#039;to-do&amp;#039;s for this weekend. Will post again when its done.&lt;br /&gt;[/quote]&lt;br /&gt;OK the basic dimensions sheet is now on:&lt;br /&gt;http://www.heron-dinghy.org.uk/component/option,com_docman/task,doc_download/gid,35/&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Be sure to look at the rest of the sails<br />There is an info sheet on sail dimension which I thought was uploaded but isn&#039;t :-[ so I&#039;m adding it to the list of &#039;to-do&#039;s for this weekend. Will post again when its done.<br />

<br />OK the basic dimensions sheet is now on:<br />http://www.heron-dinghy.org.uk/component/option,com_docman/task,doc_download/gid,35/<br /><br />Be sure to look at the rest of the sails section as I&#039;ve uploaded a number of other docs which might be useful.<br /><br />Calum

I have just bought a new suit of sails for my Heron from Northern Sails who advertise in the Heron News. I ordered a 79% Genoa and didn't realize that the new main would be loose footed. However my initial concerns were unfounded as the sails are spot on. I won the Huddersfield Heron on Sunday 11th May.

Andrew O'Connor Heron 10079