General Sailing Discussions

I am thinking of replacing our jib and have gotten 3 estimates. The best price is , Precision at 2/3 the price of the others. Has anyone purchased one of their sails? I’d like to hear what other’s experience was.
Thanks,
Bruce

Hi Bruce ,
Ex Club Member Dan Ritter ordered a roller furling jib & main for his Catalina 38 from Precision. The jib was fine, but the mail turned out to be a nightmare necessitating numerous round trips to Vancouver and then China.
Respectfully,
PC Jeff Smith

Hi Again Bruce,
The Main was RF and they used the wrong cut or weight of fabric

Jeff,
Thanks for your input. I appreciate it. The saying is that you get what you pay for, but $2000 vs $3000 has to make one think about it. Especially when it is for a 43 year old boat.
Happy Holidays and stay safe.
Bruce

It would be wiser to purchase from a well known sailmaker like North, UK or Quantum. They are reputable and stand behind their product. You will pay a little more but it is worthwhile in the long run.

George,
Thank you for your input. Your advise is good, but for a 1978 boat? I do love her tho, btw.

Bruce, I just paid $2,200 for a new 130 from North Sails. Contact me and I will give you Ron's info. Like I said, he will come and do all the measuring.

Jack

Jack,
thanks I have Ron La Naneve's info and a quote from him. I just might have to go this route.
Bruce

Bruce...

I know about the Ritter's issues with Precision too. They have a furling main and the weight of the cloth they used made it impossible to furl the main. Took all summer and, as Jeff says, it was a disaster to get it resolved. Going thru Canada the sail got held up in Customs in Canada for weeks as I recall.

I got new sails from National Sail Supply last year out of Florida. I'm kind of like you.... don't need fancy sails from North just to sail around the bay. But, as George Tay said, with North you get the service. With Precision and National you have to provide the sail measurements yourself and they don't come down and rig the sails for you.

That being said, the only problem I had with them was that the put the boat insignia and draft stipe on the jib instead of the main. They offered to let me send them back or to send me new insignia, which is the option I took only to learn it isn't as easy as you'd think to put on the decals and get them lined up correctly. Still, I'm pleased with the sails and the savings over North for main & jib was about $1,400 as I recall.

Chuck Parker

I’d highly recommend DaveThompson, of Eggers, now of Cedar Creek sailing center. I’ll forward his phone number.
Lou

I didn't know that Dave was still in the sail business. He provided me with great service and excellent product when I had a 22 ft boat. Like Ron, he came and measured everything. I bought a new main and furling system from him. You will get a great product at a reasonable price.
Jack

Lou,
Thanks for the name. I googled it, sent him an email and got a response in a few hours. He asked a couple of questions and said he'd get back to me. We will see what he comes up with.
Thanks everyone for your input. Is this what they mean that "it takes a village"?
Bruce

Good morning Bruce
I'm in George's and Jack's corner on this one. I know it is more money which in this day and age really matters, however I get my sails from NorthSail and they have been great. The knowledge on the construction is great with a team of people who really think about the sails and how they fit the boat and the service has always been there. Even if it is not NorthSail I would recommend one of the bigger three.

I know I am late to the party here, but just as a point of information I am currently having my C310 main replaced by UK Sailmakers. Dacron, 251 sqft, 1 full top batten, 3 partial leech battens, insignia, number, etc. for $2340. They cleaned my sails and stored them last winter, and told me the main was getting worn so I went ahead and replaced it this year.

Do yourself a favor and head North! The sail will last and last...and perform perfectly. You will save in the long run and they honor any service issues on the spot. Top Quality Matters especially in offshore sailing. Safety First!