Home made sail top flottation

[Michel]

Separated parts of a life jacket and a leg from some white jeans.

IMG_20180916_181248016 by Michel Boulet, sur Flickr

It slides in nicely!

IMG_20180916_181413359 by Michel Boulet, sur Flickr

Finding the right spot.

IMG_20180916_181632523 by Michel Boulet, sur Flickr

Stitched near the luff rope and going freely around the leech.

IMG_20180917_155714036 by Michel Boulet, sur Flickr

A capsize is always possible when sailing a dinghy but complete inversion is something I prefer to avoid.

[JacquesR]

Michel, will you be testing if it works? Can't wait to see the video. Wear a wet suit just in case.

[Michel]

Ha ha!... Maybe next summer!... (intentionally)

[Art Haberland]

good idea!

[Michel]

good idea!

A bit of prevention!

[Art Haberland]

Better an ounce of prevention than a pound of cure... and hope you never need to test it!

[Michel]

I intend of sailing that already very stable boat in a very reasonable way. I don't mind reefing the main or rolling the jib at all if needed and I have nothing to prove to anybody.
Nobody will see me on the trapeze!...

[JacquesR]

Michel, you mention rolling the jib. Do you intend installing a furler? I chose a simple system from RWO (200$ for the drum and swivel)for my Piper. It does require a wire in the luff. No need for foils on the forestay but it works fine.

[Michel]

I already have a jib furler. I prefered to use hanks on my Piper but I like the confort and security of a furler on a dinghy. I don't want to spend too much time on the foredeck!

A dinghy sails very well with the main only, specially if the board is about half raised. It sets the center of effort to the right spot.