How to Build a Spinnaker Sail Kit
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- Constructing a Spinnaker Kit – 6:22 min
- Patch Assembly and Stay Tapes – 7:49 min
- Installing Rings and Webbing at Corners – 7:59 min
Order Your Custom Sail
The first step is to order your custom sail. Head over to our Sailmaking page to learn more about our custom sail kits and request a quote for your very own DIY Sail Kit. When you select a sail kit, our sail designer Jeff Frank aids in every step of the process before it arrives at your door. Not only is Jeff an avid sailor, but he has been designing sails for over 27 years and has been our lead sail designer since 1991. Each sail kit is custom-designed for maximum performance. Jeff oversees every part of your sail kit creation so that there’s no guesswork involved on your end.
We make it easy to sew your own sails by preplotting all the matchup lines on the sail panels so all you have to do is baste them together and then sew the panels together. It’s that easy! Our how-to videos will walk you, step by step, through the process of assembling and sewing a spinnaker. Let’s get started.
Video: Basting and Sewing the Panels
In our first video, we baste together the panels with Seamstick Basting Tape for Sailmaking & Vinyl. This can be a time-consuming process, but take your time and make sure you match up your marked lines exactly. It’s easy to peel the panels apart and realign them to get them exactly right. Then sew the panels together using a zigzag stitch sewing machine. We’re using the Sailrite® Professional 4-Point Sewing Machine to sew our spinnaker sail and sewing one row of 4-point zigzag stitch per panel. If you don’t own the Professional, you can also use the Sailrite® Ultrafeed® LSZ Walking Foot Sewing Machine and sew two rows of 2-point zigzag stitches on each panel overlap.
In the second video, we’ll show you how to do the patch assembly for the sail. There are two options for doing a patch assembly: grommets or webbing and corner rings. When you order a Spinnaker Kit from Sailrite, your Spinnaker Kit Instructions will tell you whether to use grommets or webbing and rings in your sail. In this video, we’re using grommets. If your instructions say to use webbing and rings, skip ahead to the third and final video in our series.
In the last video of this asymmetrical spinnaker series, we show you how to install the patch assembly using webbing and rings. Again, refer to your Spinnaker Kit Instructions for which method you need to use for your sail. Watch this video for the last part of sewing your own spinnaker and any final instructions and advice.