The Resourceful Sailor Performs Sail Surgery

Article by Joshua Wheeler

The Leech Line Half Extracted From The Sail

After an exciting beat into Port Angeles Harbor under three reefs and the 80% jib with building thermal westerlies and a wind-against-current chop, Sampaguita, a 1985 Pacific Seacraft Flicka 20, and The Resourceful Sailor reached the western lee of the breakwater. Upon starting the outboard and lowering sail for the approach to the customs dock in the local marina, the leech line of the jib was discovered partially extracted from the sail and wrapped around the starboard sheet. The best guess was that when the sail was violently flogging on the tacks, the tail wrapped around the sheet. The sheet then came under heavy load, and the tension on the leech line was enough to break it free from the anchor stitching at the head of the sail. Questions of repair were now afoot.