Recutting a Sail's Leech & Foot Edge

X-HT-200685

After years of use on the water, a sail's leech can stretch out. This can also be an issue if the sail was converted from a hanked on system to a roller furling system, as is the case with the sail in our how-to video. When we took the boat for a test sail, we found that the sail fluttered terribly — it was too stretched out. We also found that the foot had too much round and interfered with the roller furling drum.
Materials List:
  • Tex 90 (V-92) White UV Bonded Polyester Thread 4 oz. – #100079
  • Tape Dacron® 5 oz. FOLDED White 3" – #13800
  • Seamstick 3/8" Basting Tape for Sailmaking & Vinyl – #659
  • Leech Line Dacron® 1/8" White – #21209
  • #1 Spur Grommet 5/16" (Nickel-Plated Brass) – #26315
  • Tape, PVC Tubing
Tools List:
  • Seam Ripper Deluxe – #18104
  • 3M™ Specialty Adhesive Remover 32 oz. (Quart) – #108984
  • Sailrite® Tucking Tool – #766100
  • Scratch Awl Yellow – #235411
  • Barry King Mallet Hammer Style 3# – #68563
  • Gingher® 8" Scissors Right Handed – #19104
  • Gingher® 10" Bent Scissors – #120186
  • Sailrite® Edge Hotknife Package – #103800
  • Sailrite® #2 Hole Cutter 3/8" – #125481
  • Sailrite® Rubber Poundo Board 12" x 12" – #123962
  • #1 Spur Grommet Die Set 5/16" – #18202
  • Sailrite® Ultrafeed® LSZ Walking Foot Sewing Machine – #311602
  • Sponge, Tape Measure, Yardstick, Pencil

Tightening up some seams

Cutting the leech and foot to allow for more hollow might also include tightening up some seams to help support the edges. We found this to be true with the sail we’re working on, which belongs to Sailrite® founder Jim Grant and his Islander 37 sailboat. Follow along with us as we work on this genoa sail. We’ll walk you through all the steps involved so you can recut your own leech and foot on your sail with accuracy, efficiency and a great end result.

After you've completed this sail project, be sure to watch our follow-up video, “How to Reinstall a Sail’s Corner Ring.” In that video, you'll learn how to reinstall the corner ring that was cut from this sail when trimming the leech and foot edges. In that video, we’ll show you how to resew the corner ring on the sail using Dyneema® webbing and the Sailrite® Ultrafeed® LSZ Walking Foot Sewing Machine.

Materials List:

Tex 90 (V-92) White UV Bonded Polyester Thread 4 oz. (1,350 yds.)

#100079

Tex 90 (V-92) White UV Bonded Polyester Thread 4 oz. (1,350 yds.)

Tape Dacron 5 oz. FOLDED White 3" (Not Adhesive Backed)

#13800

Tape Dacron® 5 oz. FOLDED White 3"

Seamstick 3/8" Basting Tape for Sailmaking & Vinyl (50 yds.)

#659

Seamstick 3/8" Basting Tape for Sailmaking & Vinyl (50 yds.)

Leech Line Dacron 1/8" White

#21209

Leech Line Dacron® 1/8" White

#1 Spur Grommet 5/16" (Nickel-Plated Brass)

#26315

#1 Spur Grommet 5/16" (Nickel-Plated Brass)

Tools List:

Deluxe Seam Ripper

#18104

Seam Ripper Deluxe

3M Specialty Adhesive Remover 32 oz. (Quart)

#108984

3M™ Specialty Adhesive Remover 32 oz. (Quart)

Sailrite Tucking Tool

#766100

Sailrite® Tucking Tool

Scratch Awl Yellow

#235411

Scratch Awl Yellow

Barry King Mallet Hammer Style 3#

#68563

Barry King Mallet Hammer Style 3#

Gingher 8" Scissors Right Handed

#19104

Gingher® 8" Scissors Right Handed

Gingher 10" Bent Scissors

#120186

Gingher® 10" Bent Scissors

Sailrite Edge Hotknife Package (110V)

#103800

Sailrite® Edge Hotknife Package (110V)

Sailrite #2 Hole Cutter 3/8"

#125481

Sailrite® #2 Hole Cutter 3/8"

Sailrite Rubber Poundo Board 12" x 12"

#123962

Sailrite® Rubber Poundo Board 12" x 12"

#1 Spur Grommet Die Set 5/16"

#18202

#1 Spur Grommet Die Set 5/16"

Sailrite Ultrafeed LSZ Walking Foot Sewing Machine (110V)

#311602

Sailrite® Ultrafeed® LSZ Walking Foot Sewing Machine (110V)

!