sail storage on a dock on a lake - sail tube?

I have a 1981 H16, fairly new to me. I am having a great time, and appreciate all of the help I have gotten on this board. I keep the H16 on a beach behind my house at Lake Lanier (North of Atlanta). I built some cat-trax from some large tires I got from Northern Tool, and leave the boat a few feet up the beach.

I am currently lugging the main/boom and the jib up a fairly steep hill to a storage shed in my back yard. The wind comes and goes in Atlanta, so I often find myself wishing the sails were easier to put up when the opportunity for a quick sail comes. I am reluctant to leave them rigged for any amount of time, due to wear and tear and sun damage. Thunderstorms pop up in Atlanta, and sails can get torn up.

I am considering building a sail tube out of 12 inch air conditioning duct or corrugated drain pipe. I think I prefer the corugated black drain pipe. I suspect the metal air conditioning duct would corrode or catch the sail on a sharp edge. The heavy green PVC pipe is very expensive, and probably over-kill. I plan to mount the sail box under an eave of my 2 story dock, so it does not have to have a lot of rigidity to it.

Anybody have any ideas? I looked at the sail tubes folks use on their trailers, and they look to be about right.

Bill VerSteeg

Unless you are concerned about theft, I would make (or have someone else make) a bag(s) that will protect the sails (from wind, rain, and bird poop) if left rigged on the boat. Keep the boat completely rigged- halyards, sheets, etc. connected, but sails down in the bag(s) with the boom. That way it would be quick and easy to remove the bag(s) raise the sails and go!

The problem with solid tubes, is you can't put the sail away wet and leave it there for any amount of time unless you put one of the small dehumidifiers in it, or else you will get mildew on the sails.

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Alan
'86 H16, Sail #89057

That is a good idea. I have seen protective covers for main/boom, but never for a H16 style jib. I guess I could put a cover on the main (which is the heavy/hard part) and tote the jib.

Anybody have a source for a sail bag for an H16 main/boom with the sail down (but boom still attached to the mast)? Anybody seen such a cover for an H16 jib?

If I end up using a sail tube, I will probably cut vent holes in it. It would be mounted under an eave on a 2-story dock, which is out of the direct weather.

bvs

As a test, get a cheap poly tarp from Walmart cut it to size and have someone stitch it up and add Velcro strips to keep it closed and secure it to the mast.

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Alan
'86 H16, Sail #89057

I have a huge (12in. plus) threaded PVC tube with threaded end caps on my trailer that I use to store the boom and sails. It was on the trailer when I purchased the boat. Suggest you contact a local plumbing supplier.