Se/ectf'ng the Class Boat Best for You 31 



impregnated, which means that they are the same color through the 

 entire thickness of the material. Thus scratches don't require retouching 

 with paint. The material is also immune to teredos (sea worms), termites, 

 fungi and bacteria; it doesn't rot, and water absorption is low. 



While maintenance costs are greatly reduced with plastic hulls, it 

 should be pointed out that this material isn't completely indestructible. 

 Because of the great impact strength, the material won't dent or take an 

 out-of-shape set— there are no internal stresses. Fiberglass will often deflect 

 on impact and return to its original shape; if it does puncture or break, 

 it can be repaired easily. Although plastic hulls don't require paint for 

 preservation, they do need it for antifouling when used in salt-water and 

 certain fresh-water areas. Also, the topsides of a fiberglass-plastic boat 

 may need paint for color, because the molded-in color will gradually fade 

 with exposure to sunlight. 



Since fiberglass hulls don't have the buoyancy of wood, flotation gear 

 (a compartment containing buoyant material) is provided in most sail- 

 boats presently marketed. At the present time, the normal life of a fiber- 

 glass boat is still to be determined. The first hulls were constructed during 

 the latter part of World War II, and as yet no serious deterioration has 

 been detected. Laboratory tests, simulating actual-use conditions, have 

 shown these hulls to last at least thirty years with little or no indication 

 of strength loss or deterioration of materials. 



Several classes now allow combining fiberglass with wood construction 

 to obtain the good characteristics of each. In other words, these classes 

 allow a wood-planked or plywood hull to be covered with fiberglass cloth 

 material. 



SAILS 



The principal suit of sails of one-design sailboats are the mainsail, the 

 jib and the spinnaker. As you remember, a catboat carries but one sail— 

 a mainsail. The sloop has a rig consisting of two sails— mainsail and jib, 

 or mainsail and spinnaker. There are two basic types of mainsails in use 

 today: 



1. Jib-headed (also called a Marconi or Bermudian) 



2. Gaff-headed 



