[Thistle Dew]

I need a new mainsail for my Cal 2-277. I guess I should have read the post on" When Do You Reef !!!
The fabric has torn right across just below the first reef.
Do any Vancouver/Vancouver Islanders have any advice re. sailmakers in the area?
The sail will have to be done from a distance as I keep the boat in a remote area.
What are current thoughts re. fabric weight, loose foot, sailtracks, Cunningham, etc for a vintage boat like mine?
Should I just order a stock sail?
I just use the boat for cruising...no racing...
That being said it is pretty easy to have a gale/storm force gusts rush through
in this area.
I'd be grateful for any advice
Thanks

 

[PaulinVictoria]

Which part of VI? It's really down to how much you want to spend, if you want a custom sail made to your specifications in-house by a sailmaker, then go to a proper loft (Leitch & McBride would be my choice in Sidney but YMMV), not going to be the cheapest route but you will get a great sail out of it. Or just go off-the-shelf mail order from a chinese loft such as Precision Sails, will be significantly cheaper, not going to be as good quality-wise, but it will be OK.

 

[Bill-Rangatira]

I have a precision main sail and am very happy with the work the have done

 

[MarkSF]

I assumed that a locally made sail would be much more expensive. It wasn't the case. I got the main made locally for only slightly more than the mail order lofts.

So my suggestion would be to get several quotes, including from your local loft, and then compare value. Included in your consideration should be the matter of repairs, check-ups, etc.

 

[blt2ski]

there is a Lee sails rep up that way too, they have pretty good sails for the buck spent.

Me personally, I would suggest the Ullman Tri Axil radial cloth, or CAL as it was known for a bit. It is a panel sewn laminate sail. Pulls better, flakes nicer than dacron. WIll handle higher gust, and do better in lighter winds than dacron. Cost is about 10-20% more than a GOOD dacron sail. CHEAPer versions of dacron will be less.

You may also want to look at a triple reef if you are in the VICTORIA area, as it can get windy around there.

Marty

 

[blt2ski]

An interesting graph from Elvstrom sails from a longevity and how well they work for three different sail cloths. Note, the little white line at the bottom is dacron!

Marty

 

[MarkSF]

Totally meaningless. Are "durability" and "performance" SI units now?

 

[barefootnavigator]

I need a new mainsail for my Cal 2-277. I guess I should have read the post on" When Do You Reef !!!
The fabric has torn right across just below the first reef.
Do any Vancouver/Vancouver Islanders have any advice re. sailmakers in the area?
The sail will have to be done from a distance as I keep the boat in a remote area.
What are current thoughts re. fabric weight, loose foot, sailtracks, Cunningham, etc for a vintage boat like mine?
Should I just order a stock sail?
I just use the boat for cruising...no racing...
That being said it is pretty easy to have a gale/storm force gusts rush through
in this area.
I'd be grateful for any advice
Thanks

What are you measurements I might have a really nice sail that will fit her perfectly heavily built very nice. I was just going to list it on Ebay

 

[WindchaserPY23]

Holy moly! I have the same conundrum, a 40 year old boat, do I really want to spend $$$ for a new sail? Some quotes range into 25% of the price I paid for the boat. In my case it is a Paceship PY23. What have others done in this situation? For me there is also no local loft nor sailmaker that I am aware of.

 

[Barquito]

Another idea is to get a sewing machine, order a kit from Sailrite, hunker down this winter, and make your own.

Totally meaningless. Are "durability" and "performance" SI units now?

Ha! I love 'feel good' scientific looking advertising!

 

[JimsCAL]

To get back to original post, for your situation, a quality Dacron main would work just fine. Most mains today are loose footed. Your options would be number of reefs, Cunningham or not, sail number and insignia, and draft stripes. If you are comfortable taking measurements, there's nothing wrong with ordering one from one of the online lofts, especially since you say you are in a remote area. I've done it twice - once from North Direct, and recently from JSI. JSI makes their own sails in Florida, not farming them out to Asia. I continue to be pleased with the sail after 2 seasons.

 

[hriehl1]

Mine is a 28 footer, for background purposes.

My old mainsail tore, and I had North Sails repair it for $225 and it promptly tore again 4 inches above the prior repair. Lesson #1, if the sail is old and lifeless, don't put good money into what will still be a bad sail.

So I went to a Boston-area boat recycler... who had two trailers full of used sails and bought one that was in good, but not excellent condition. For $350, It was "OK" but about 18 inches short in the luff and a foot short in the foot. And the PY26 logo bugged me as my boat is a HR28. But it sufficed for emergency use, and frankly, could have been my permanent solution if I really wanted to watch my nickels. Luckily, I do not have to and I re-sold the sail when I no longer needed it for nearly what I paid.

So my permanent solution was to order a custom sail over the internet from a Far East loft. I won't get into particulars; there's another thread I started with all the passionate debate over internet shopping and Far East sails. But suffice it to say I believe sail-making for production cruising boats long ago went from mysterious art to simple science. Computer-design and factory production methods make Internet-sourced cruising sails a very satisfactory solution for one who takes careful measurements, does not need the service of a traditional loft and for whom sourcing from the Far East is not a personal conflict.