• From: Barrie, Ontario, Canada
  • Registered: 2005-10-10
  • Posts: 237

Re: How old are your sails?

Advantages of heavier weight sails.
   - stronger - good of higher winds
   - not as much stretch. - hold shape over longer time.


Disadvantages
   - do not have good shape in light winds - too stiff - weight pulls down (sag)
   - stiff when handling. my storm jib is like wrestling sheet metal.

Make sure your sail maker knows you are 100% cruising if that is the case. Looking for long life rather than top performance. Racers expect their sails to only last a few years until they are too stretched and sails blowing out are a normal thing.

52 Reply by John Lee (edited by John Lee 2007-02-22 15:54:33)

  • From: Lake Erie, Dunkirk, NY
  • Registered: 2005-03-11
  • Posts: 272

Re: How old are your sails?

Gee, another question to ask.  I am in the process of ordering sails and I was asked if I wanted 2 deep reefs instead of 3 reefs on mail sail.  I asked questions back about this as I have never heard of deep reefs before I could answer them.  Anyone out there with (or know of them) deep reefs and what do you think of them as compared to normal 3 reef system. ~jklee

  • From: Barrie, Ontario, Canada
  • Registered: 2005-10-10
  • Posts: 237

Re: How old are your sails?

If you want to have exactly the correct amount of sail up for the conditions then 3 reefs offer more choice. But if you are more convervative and do not mind being over reefed a tiny amount and not getting that last few percent of speed then 2 deep reefs are simpler and less expensive.

  • Registered: 2005-03-10
  • Posts: 143

Re: How old are your sails?

Hey John - did you finally get your sails?  Thanks to my tax return, looks like I am now in the market again at least to buy a new Main and perhaps Genoa.

What did you decide?

Ivan Ross "Morava" #266
  • From: Lake Erie, Dunkirk, NY
  • Registered: 2005-03-11
  • Posts: 272

Re: How old are your sails?

Yes, I got my sails and the 2 reef points I thing is the way to go. We are just pleasure boat sailors not racers in my book and it is one less then to think about. jklee

  • From: Phila PA
  • Registered: 2008-04-29
  • Posts: 8

Re: How old are your sails?

I'm new to this site as I have just bought my first Contessa, but I've been around sailing for over 40 years.  Relative to new sails and sailmakers, it seems that many of the bigger national names in sailmaking have been going to China for sails for regular guys like us sailing regular boats like ours.  Especially for mainsails where there's more labor involved.  The sails they do still make are the exotics, and of course they do repairs.  The local lofts are still likely to make the sail themselves.

I have a Pac Seacraft Orion that I'd like to replace the sails on and the Contessa which really ought to get a few new sails, and I'm having some heartburn supporting a business that exports the workmanship and behaves largely as a middleman.  I'll have to see just how expensive it is to keep the work here in North America.  If the spread is not greater than 25% I'll try and stay local. I'd hate to see the local guys put out of business.