Cost of a sail

[zoidberg]

Just a 'ballpark' idea, if anyone here has half an idea.

....The likely cost of a new squaretop mainsail for a Beneteau 30.1, plus a simple stackpack.

( yes, I could ring around the lofts tomorrow, but perhaps I can hear from here. )

 

[Tranona]

Plain vanilla mainsail +/- £2k. Good quality stackpack (false economy buying cheap) £600. Based on what I paid for a similar area but different shape sail 2 years ago.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Plain vanilla mainsail +/- £2k. Good quality stackpack (false economy buying cheap) £600. Based on what I paid for a similar area but different shape sail 2 years ago.

Sounds about right. You could triple that for a moulded sail, with various options in between. ‘best value’ ie longest life against cost, is probably one of the mid/high options, but the basic one will work fine on the boat.

 

[Sea Change]

We recently bought a new mainsail from Zoom, cost was about £2.7k for a fairly basic cruising sail, full battens, for a 47ft boat. They were good to deal with. Only minor issue, which was really just a communication thing, was that I'd told them I would reuse the battens from the old sail, but when the new one arrived I realised that they'd taken that to mean the batten cars and holders too. So I had some work to do, and it was just sheer luck that I hadn't already thrown away the old sail with the hardware still attached.

 

[flaming]

Plain vanilla mainsail +/- £2k. Good quality stackpack (false economy buying cheap) £600. Based on what I paid for a similar area but different shape sail 2 years ago.

I'd question the advisability of a plain Vanilla mainsail when the OP is talking about a squaretop main.

For a decent laminate sail, but not top end moulded, that's a little bigger, I've been quoted about £4k.

 

[Stemar]

A stack pack is something I'd consider DIYing. All you need to be able to do is sew a straight seam and think a bit about how the lines need to run.

My top tip - unless the sail is brand new, make it a bit oversize. I had to add a bit when I got a new main, as it didn't fold down nearly as small, but it wasn't hard to do.

 

[AndyDavies]

I'd question the advisability of a plain Vanilla mainsail when the OP is talking about a squaretop main.

For a decent laminate sail, but not top end moulded, that's a little bigger, I've been quoted about £4k.

As someone who does not race I find Vectran a good compromise between dacron and laminate in terms of longevity and performance. Normally ~40% price premium on dacron.

 

[SaltyC]

As someone who does not race I find Vectran a good compromise between dacron and laminate in terms of longevity and performance. Normally ~40% price premium on dacron.

I am hoping so! I have elected for Vectran and happy with the vertically Battened in mast main and genoa, like the shape and performance, I will advise on longevity in 25 years if they last as long as my old Elvstrom Offshore Dacron sails on the previous boat.

 

[flaming]

I am hoping so! I have elected for Vectran and happy with the vertically Battened in mast main and genoa, like the shape and performance, I will advise on longevity in 25 years if they last as long as my old Elvstrom Offshore Dacron sails on the previous boat.

I think that always depends on what you mean by “last”. Your Dacron sails may have been in one piece after 25 years, but the shape is very unlikely to have been any good.

 

[Sea Change]

I think that always depends on what you mean by “last”. Your Dacron sails may have been in one piece after 25 years, but the shape is very unlikely to have been any good.

Depends how much use they get

 

[michael_w]

For shape and longevity - Radial Hydranet. Not cheap. You pays your money ...

The old truisim; cheap, fast, good. Choose any two.

 

[SaltyC]

I think that always depends on what you mean by “last”. Your Dacron sails may have been in one piece after 25 years, but the shape is very unlikely to have been any good.

The sail shape was still good, both the fully battened main and the jib. They could still be competitive in club racing.

The condition was definately related to the new quality of cloth used as the shape was retained, possibly helped by having a jib and genoa - the latter rarely used except in light winds so never stretched in high winds.

Having said they lasted, at 25 years old on the last passage up the solent from Lymington with the sun behind the mainsail although in good shape it was looking 'thin' with the weave showing but had just completed a 700 Mile trip including strong winds with no problems.

I have sailed many of the cheaper production boats with basic sails which had stretched out of all recognition, going to windward in F5 was basically impossible due to sail shape with a big 'belly' in the reefed genoa.

You get what you pay for?

 

[Sea Change]

For shape and longevity - Radial Hydranet. Not cheap. You pays your money ...

The old truisim; cheap, fast, good. Choose any two.

The sailmaker I went with advised against Hydranet, it would have been double the price but not double the lifespan.
He also advised against radial cut for a slab reefed main, but said it would be excellent for a genoa.