Choosing New Sails

[HeartofGold]

I am relatively new to boat ownership, though I have been a casual sailor for almost 30 years. The mainsail on the boat I purchased is in desparate need of replacement. It is difficult to determine my original sail dimensions as it is 25 years old and blown out so badly that the angle between the luff and the foot exceeds 100 degrees.


I requested over a dozen quotes from local, regional and national sailmakers. The responses I received were somewhat perplexing. I am looking for advice which will assist me in interpreting this information.

Sail size ranged from 86 to 106 sq ft.
Sailcloth weight from 4 to 6 oz
Prices ranged from $400 to $900

I had 4 quotes under $500, but even these varied dramatically in actual size and weight. For daysailing what factors should I be looking for in a sail cloth (weight).
And what should I be looking at regarding the actual size of the sail. Any advice or source of information on this matter would be most welcome.

[dpboatnut]

If your boat had 25 year old sails, I''m guessing racing isn''t part of your plans. It sounds like you have a 15-18 foot daysailor / pocketcruiser?

If you asked "how much for a main for a Blank 16", you''d expect to get some wild price estimates. A sailsperson thumbs through his boat spec catalogue, finds the generic specs for your boat, multiplies ExP/2, maybe tosses in a factor for roach, and quotes you what he thinks. The big lofts almost always will come to your boat and measure your spars, and review your sailing intentions, and then give you a firm quote. With your dozen quotes, I''m guessing that hasn''t happened yet. The mail-order lofts will give you a form to take your own measurements, and you can choose various levels of performance, economy, or durability. Special requests aren''t too bad either, if you know what to ask for (a deep reef instead of two shallow, or webbed cringles instead of unreinforced pressed cringles, etc.) The square footage quoted is usually just a pricing basis footage, not the actual square footage of cloth in a finished sail.

Sailnet here has a pretty good automatic sailquoter, as well as forms you can print to see if the measuring is something you feel confident in.

For a new buyer of sails, it''s pretty instructive to take the time to thoroughly review Sailnet''s sailmaking website, and probably Cruising Direct''s, too. There lots of information there to make you a smarter shopper regardless of where you end up buying. Just knowing the options gives you the ability to ask your sailmaker for a sail with the specifications that you''ll be happy with.

Best,
-Chad

[HeartofGold]

Thanks for the prompt reply. I have an Ensenada 20, and you assumption that I am not interested in racing is correct.

There is only one local sail loft, and they had "specs" on Ensanada 20 sails and did not offer to measure my sails. Interestingly, their quote was nearly $700.

Air Force sails gave me a competative quote, but their specs on Ensanada sails determined a sail area of 102 sq ft. Other online quotes ranged down to 86 sq feet, a difference of nearly 20%. Any explanation or speculation on this discrepency would be welcome.

I am also in the dark about the how cloth weight can affect sail performance and longevity.

Thanks in advance for all the info.

[dpboatnut]

I''m not familiar with the boat, but a peek at:

http://www3.sympatico.ca/rodney.brandon/serendipity.htm#Specifications


idicates that there were lots of changes to the boats over the years.

A loft''s source of information is likely to be its own personal history with the make (which could have been rigged differently than yours), or public domain published information. In the website above, there are different numbers given for the main''s sq.ft., on the same page! For a price estimate, that''s the level of reliability the loft''s information is likely based upon.

A loft might also try to indicate "actual" sail area, which would include roach and possible extra area for a drooping boom, to get the apparent cost per square foot down. Dunno.

I don''t think any loft would build from such information, though. With the exception of one-designs and maybe Catalinas, there doesn''t seem to be many boats that lofts will build sails for based on "published" dimensions.

Of course, you can ask the loft to tell you what their price includes, including sail size, and what sail specifications they are proposing, and WHY. The answer to why is probably the biggest determinant of which sailmaker you will feel comfortable using. If the sailmaker gives you answers that make sense for what you know of the boat and your intended use, and steers you clear of poor choices (like twirling boom roller reefing). He''ll tell you about the hardware he''s proposed, and the corner reinforcement, and the reefing layout, and the panel layout (for dacron either tri-radial or crosscut, and probably crosscut), and how high to cut the foot to get the boom clearance that suits your needs, and what stitching he uses, and whether he''ll come to your boat and bend on the sail and inspect it while hoisted.

Lastly, few lofts will likely want to measure your 25 year old sails- they''re simply not a reliable size anymore. The local lofts will likely measure your boat, though, and assess the hardware needed. The mail-order houses provide forms for the same purpose.

Best,
-Chad

[HeartofGold]

Thanks for the wealth of information dpboatnut. I will cetainly take it to heart (no pun intended).

Doug

[HeartofGold]

For anyone who wants to reply, I am still looking for feedback/information/opinions on the importance and significance of sail cloth weight. For day sailing in an area dominated by light winds, should I be looking for heavy (6oz) or light (4oz) cloth, and why. Thanks.

Doug

[Sailormon6]

6 oz. sailcloth sounds heavy for a 20 foot boat sailing in light air. 6 oz. sailcloth is stiffer and heavier than 4 oz. cloth. When the wind is light, it won''t have enough power to blow the sail smooth, and to hold the sail into the curved shape that drives the boat. It will tend to hang limp, like a sheet on a clothesline. 4 oz. sounds about right. You might be able to use 5 oz., but that seems a little heavy for your circumstances. If the sailcloth is too light, it will be less durable.