[Rhodes22-list] Liquid Battens

[Ronald Lipton]

My mind is wandering ...

The "genoa implant" statement got me to thinking.  Could one 
design a reasonable "liquid batten" system for a furling main 
which could be pumped up to provide some support for mainsail 
shape and then emptied for furling.  I am not sure what flexibility 
is requred for sail battens.  It might be difficult to get the proper 
flexibility,which would be a function of the elasic properties of the 
tubing walls and the fluid pressure. One could certainly make them 
quite stiff by sealing off a set of thin, rigid walls (like polyimide) 
tubes filled with water. 

Ron