Sail Question

[cb32863]

So looking at some boat ads I some times see this when they describe the sail(s); "Tired but serviceable". So what does that mean?

[chrisdavison]

Normally in my experience that they will go up the mast but not upwind. Normally tired but servicable means they will need some money spending to re-cut or repair and in some cases you are better off to just start again.

[Minnewaska]

Having found that most ads will overstate condition, I would assume this means one would need new sails pretty soon.

[SEMIJim]

Only way to know is to have somebody who knows what they're about inspect the sails. "Tired, but serviceable" could mean just about anything. The original set of Dacron sails on our boat, which are now... 34 years old, are "tired, but serviceable." In fact the local North Sails loft, after doing a repair and improvements to our main, declared it perfectly usable as a "cruising" sail. But it doesn't perform as well as the much newer racing main the OP had made for the boat.

Jim

[bljones]

It means the boat has sails. Ugly, baggy, dirty, patched, but no obvious holes.

[puddinlegs]

"Tired but serviceable"... means, "hmmmm... better get a quote for some new ones before I spring for this boat."

[RichH]

That language is usually a lawyer/shyster-talk euphemism that deflects the truth of the actual condition: ... "probably should have been replaced aeons ago" or "are still remotely 'triangular' but not much more", or 'in an advanced stage of decrepit' etc. In most cases it usually means the sails are almost totally useless and definitely need replacement.

[LeftCoast]

Sails are like a loaf of bread. Do you want to buy a loaf of bread that is "Tired but serviceable"?

-jim lee

[puddinlegs]

... though in small defense of the phrase, I have an old kevlar #2 that looks pretty pooped, but still is pretty fast. We use it almost exclusively (and often) for cruising to keep the good sails 'good'. Might replace it next year with a dacron sail if funds allow, but it's not high up the priority food chain.

[blt2ski]

Mark,

If you want to replace that #2 with a dac, talk to Jeff and company at Ullman re the CAL sails. A laminate at the same cost as a dac. Sets better too. I use it as my cruise genoa. If you want to go out and see how mine works, let me know. Races well too when I want a 140 vs my 155 tapedrive, and do not want to go as small as my 110.

marty