New sail not what you ordered...

[PalmettoSailor]

I took advantage of off season pricing to order new sails for my 91 Catalina 36. After discussions with the sailmaker, I settled on a loose footed main with 4 full battens.

The sailmaker delivered the new sails Friday and on Saturday, I took the boat for a quick test sail between downpours and guess what? The new main is slugged onto the boom, not a loose foot. Now other that that, the sail is just what I ordered and even just in the short couple of hours we were out, I could tell a huge improvement in how the boat sails.

My dilemma now is to decide what I want the sailmaker to do about this mistake. I'm not sure if I should make him deliver the sail as it was ordered, or if I should keep the sail as is, and ask for a discount against lazyjacks or better yet, a stackpack type sail cover to ease handling the sail. The loose foot was a no cost option, and I don't know if i'd have to wait for a new sail, or if the one I have could be modified quickly and properly. For additional backgound/detail I don't plan to race and don't have the outhaul lead to the cockpit, so tweaking the outhaul would require a trip to the mast where the outhaul exits the boom. Still the ability to have more control over the lower part of the sail is something I would like to have and I upgraded the inboom out haul purchase to increase my ability to do just that.

What say ye' Sailnetters? What would you do?

[Faster]

You didn't get what you asked for, can't see any reason why the sailmaker wouldn't/shouldn't make things right. If the order sheet was clear in that you ordered a loose-footed sail, it's their problem that they put more time into it to give you something you didn't ask for.

There should be no further cost to you.

[JohnRPollard]

Agree with Faster.

I would ask them to correct the mistake asap since sailing season is here already.

I don't think you have as much standing to ask for a freebie in lieu of the loose foot. They might do it. But then it gets a little sketchy if they don't give you exactly what you thought you asked for -- it's technically not part of the original contract and it's not a well defined deliverable for a price certain.

Also, you wanted and planned for a loose-foot, so don't let this hiccup prevent you from getting what you wanted.

[AE28]

Mid...
If I'm hijacking your post, please excuse!!!
You mention that your outhaul is not lead back to the cockpit, requiring a trip to the mast to make any adjustments.
Wouldn't a loose-footed main require more tweaking than a regular main fully tracked to the boom?
Just curious as I plan on experimenting with a loose-footed main this year.
Paul

[zz4gta]

Originally Posted by AE28

Wouldn't a loose-footed main require more tweaking than a regular main fully tracked to the boom?
Paul

no.

[PalmettoSailor]

Originally Posted by zz4gta

no.

Even on the boat I crew on for racing the outhaul is not a frequent adjustment even though it is lead to the cockpit, so I didn't see it as a big deal for me. The idea for me was to be able to adjust for the prevailing conditions of the day, not to tweak for every puff.

When researching loose vs. attached about the only draw back I came up with was the potential for annoying flutter at the foot of the sail in some conditions.

As an update, I spoke to the sailmaker and the mod to loose foot is an easy do so that's the way we're going. While he's down there taking the sail off I asked for him to go ahead a quote me on a stack pack type arrangement.

[sailingdog]

Originally Posted by midlifesailor

I took advantage of off season pricing to order new sails for my 91 Catalina 36. After discussions with the sailmaker, I settled on a loose footed main with 4 full battens.

The sailmaker delivered the new sails Friday and on Saturday, I took the boat for a quick test sail between downpours and guess what? The new main is slugged onto the boom, not a loose foot. Now other that that, the sail is just what I ordered and even just in the short couple of hours we were out, I could tell a huge improvement in how the boat sails.

My dilemma now is to decide what I want the sailmaker to do about this mistake. I'm not sure if I should make him deliver the sail as it was ordered, or if I should keep the sail as is, and ask for a discount against lazyjacks or better yet, a stackpack type sail cover to ease handling the sail. The loose foot was a no cost option, and I don't know if i'd have to wait for a new sail, or if the one I have could be modified quickly and properly. For additional backgound/detail I don't plan to race and don't have the outhaul lead to the cockpit, so tweaking the outhaul would require a trip to the mast where the outhaul exits the boom. Still the ability to have more control over the lower part of the sail is something I would like to have and I upgraded the inboom out haul purchase to increase my ability to do just that.

What say ye' Sailnetters? What would you do?

What do you mean the sail is slugged to the boom??? How many slugs does it have??? My mainsail is loose-footed but has a couple of slugs, one at the tack and one at the clew IIRC, just to keep it manageable.

I would definitely contact the sailmaker and get the situation clarified... and he should do the work as a priority, since the season is here and it is his mistake. If you can live with the sail as is, asking him to give you a discount on a stack pack type sailcover might be a good compromise, since you won't lose sailing days with the sail off the boat. If he cares about customer service, he'll probably make a deal.

[PalmettoSailor]

He definitely would have been willing to make some concession if I'd asked but since he immediately offered to change the sail and again affirmed that if it was his boat he'd want a loose foot sail, I'm having him correct the mistake. He says, he'll go get the sail today and have it back on by the weekend.

As is, the sail has a slug every foot or so along the boom, not just at the tack and clew, so less friction than a bolt rope but most defintely not a loose footed sail.

[Yado]

I purchased a sail years back, actually around the time sailnet started. I didn't use it for many months and when I finally got around to using it I discovered it was too short.
The sailmaker went out of busuiness in that period and I always regretted not checking that sail asap.
But you have checked yours, so get them to fix it!!
I don't think you'll regret it.

[BarryL]

Hello,

AFAIK, to convert a sail TO loose foot is mostly a matter of removing the sail slugs along the foot of the sail. This should be a quick and easy modification by the sail maker.

Barry