Cutting new battens

[WaveyDavey]

I've got a new red batten from Windsport to replace the No.2 I broke in a super pitch pole last Autumn.

Whilst measuring up the new batten against the old one (before cutting) I noticed the old batten had been cut to size at the luff end. That is, the thickness of the old batten at the luff end is equal to that of the new batten about 10 inches from its current luff end.

So, to get an identical replacement I would need to cut my new batten at the luff end. The general consensus of articles in the forum archive appears to be that the leach end should be cut.

Does anyone know for sure end I should cut? The bend characteristics will obviously be quite different.

Cheers

[Bob Carter]

Hi
You ONLY EVER CUT MATERIAL OFF THE THICK END WITH A HOLE. You then have to redrill a hole. The thin end controls the bend at the luff and is critical. Don't forget to carefully peel off the foam rubber strips and stick them back in the same position on the new batten. You can generally do this with a razor blade pulling the foam back 180 degrees. You may need some more double sided tape (but often can get away with insulation tape around the ends of the foam).
Cheers
Bob
PS I also round off all sharp edges of the batten with sandpaper to make the batten kinder to the sail. I also stick tape around the thin end to act as a cushion to reduce friction and wear on the sail.

[Bob Carter]

PS It sounds like your old batten has been broken off at the thin end and someone reused it - despite the fact that it will have been too stiff and had the wrong curvature.

[WaveyDavey]

Thanks Bob. I thought that would be the case.

I had found in medium breezes that I need a lot of batten tension to get the boat powered up - I wonder if this is part of the reason. I think I'll check the other battens and see if any have been done the same.