General Discussion

Hi everyone. I've talked to at least one other Ensign-owner who was adding grommets and slugs added to their mainsails. It's a great idea to trust a pro to performing any work on your sail and not losing your investment. Having said that, Krissy and I added the grommets and slugs to our own mainsail last year and it was easy and turned out perfectly. We're very happy with the end results and it was much more affordable. We did the work in the ballroom (2nd floor of Miramar) and it took about 45 minutes total.

So how did we do it? First we contacted the sailmakers at Sailrite. https://www.sailrite.com/ They provided us with the list of tools and parts (grommet dies) for punching holes (gasp!), adding grommets and slugs on (specifically) an Ensign mainsail. They also provided us with the dimensions, distancing and step-by-step process for the location and addition of the hardware.

It wasn't rocket science for sure, but it's critical that this work is done properly due to the amount of stress that sails undergo and the investment we all put into our sails. Critical points: 1. Without the proper tools, the exact and specific tools, the chances of success will plummet. These tools are specific to sailmaking and ensure the precision needed. Krissy and I have these tools (for Ensigns) and we are happy to loan them out to anyone who needs them. 2. You will need the exact hardware (grommet parts and slugs).

3. You will need to have the plan for placement of the work. Tools we didn't have were a deadblow hammer and a mallet. We improvised. It worked. But I wouldn't discourage anyone from adding those items to their list.

So if you're considering adding grommets to your mainsail and are willing to venture adding them yourselves, Sailrite is a great place to start and Krissy and I are always available to chat with you.

Regards,

THT