Jeckells Sails

[Norman_E]

I went to the local Kent area Cruising Association meeting on Thursday and we had a very good talk about sails and the way his company has developed from Chris Jeckells. His slides show a very impessive operation with a highly shilled workforce. If any of you are club members and hear of him visiting your club or local Cruising Association meeting its well worth going. I learned quite a bit and was even lucky enough to win the very nice waterproof jacket that he brought along as a prize.

 

[Greemble]

If that's the same Wroxham based company, I'd give it a miss.

Ordered a new main, finally had one of their chaps measure up after many excuses for delays - lucky for me I happened to phone on the day their man was in the area measuring another boat.
I live less than 30 miles from their workshop but they still took over four months to stop by.

Then took another two months to get around to making my sail - which then didn't fit.

First it was my fault for giving them the wrong measurements.
Next to was a 'safety feature' to have the boom set to its highest point on the mast.
Finally they claimed thy discarded the measurements taken and used the 'original' sail dimensions for the boat. Except the tack didn't fit on the boom, either.

As you might guess, I'm not a happy ex-customer of Jeckells sails.
I'd not be so down on them if it wasn't for their many attempts to duck out of putting things right. Yes, things can go wrong no matter how good the company usually is.
However, I tend to judge on how the company reacts when things do not go perfectly and Jeckells failed big time, IMO

 

[Cantata]

Been a happy customer of theirs over several boats. Your experience is totally untypical as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Old Harry]

If that's the same Wroxham based company, I'd give it a miss.

Ordered a new main, finally had one of their chaps measure up after many excuses for delays - lucky for me I happened to phone on the day their man was in the area measuring another boat.
I live less than 30 miles from their workshop but they still took over four months to stop by.

Then took another two months to get around to making my sail - which then didn't fit.

First it was my fault for giving them the wrong measurements.
Next to was a 'safety feature' to have the boom set to its highest point on the mast.
Finally they claimed thy discarded the measurements taken and used the 'original' sail dimensions for the boat. Except the tack didn't fit on the boom, either.

As you might guess, I'm not a happy ex-customer of Jeckells sails.
I'd not be so down on them if it wasn't for their many attempts to duck out of putting things right. Yes, things can go wrong no matter how good the company usually is.
However, I tend to judge on how the company reacts when things do not go perfectly and Jeckells failed big time, IMO

My Gooseneck is fixed, what size boat are we talking of here

 

[Greemble]

It was a Valiant 18
Old (hence the wanting to measure), small and rather slow.

Admittedly the sail fit wasn't going to be majorly critical to winning races or even long distance cruising, but it was the attempts of fobbing off that really annoyed me.

I also got the impression that my sail, being small & not so expensive (relative to a much larger boat, I guess) just wasn't much of a priority for them.

I think the pics are clear enough - Considering they had taken measurements and claimed to have used the original sail plans(which they apparently didn't have when I first ordered.

 

[Eeyore]

If that's the same Wroxham based company, I'd give it a miss.

+1
They failed miserably to deliver a sail to Marmaris, then refused to supply another to Malaysia AND refused to refund the £1000+ paid.

 

[Seajet]

My Gooseneck is fixed, what size boat are we talking of here

Old Harry,

my gooseneck is on a vertical track, it's the primary way of getting the right luff tension once the halliard is fully up and locked off in a clutch, most boats around our size have this as far as I know - on larger craft the gooseneck sometimes fixed and relying on winching the halliard.

Shame to hear of the problems people have had with Jeckells, I'd thought them one of the more heartening stories, good kit nowadays - a mutual Trident 24 chums' sails are excellent - though in my younger days they were considered a joke no serious racing dinghy type would contemplate.

 

[Poignard]

my gooseneck is on a vertical track, it's the primary way of getting the right luff tension once the halliard is fully up and locked off in a clutch, most boats around our size have this as far as I know - on larger craft the gooseneck sometimes fixed and relying on winching the halliard.

I have that arrangement. It's a relic from the time when I had roller reefing but I like the system because I can quickly masthead the main without needing to use a winch and then tension the luff using a tackle attached below the gooseneck.

 

[Spuddy]

The Genoa I got from them was good but delivery took months longer than they promised. Missed a whole season

 

[Joker]

They cocked up big time on a mainsail I ordered, but to be fair to them, they sorted things very quickly and which must have cost them big time.

 

[Halo]

They were great with a new main for me a while back.

 

[steppygas]

Currently have a new main and stackpack on order from them so shall report back when it all arrives etc.

 

[adamstjohn]

They have just made a new main for me, very nicely made, we have offered it up and it looks good. The work looks good and the service was great, can’t wait to use it.

 

[PaulRainbow]

My Genoa came from Jeckells nearly 3 years ago. Can't fault the service they provided and at a good price.

 

[Yorkshire Exile]

They have a very good collection of 'stock' sails which are worth checking before buying a new one from elsewhere. I bought a jib and a mainsail from them a few years ago which happened to fit my old Broads yacht. They were very trusting because I tried several on the boat before settling on them. It probably saved me about £1K. These sails, as far as I could see had never been used. They were vague about why they have these sails. Perhaps some were the result of mis-sizing or, perish the thought, sombody ordered them and didn't pay for them!