Cruising chute cost - ballpark figure?

Koeketiene

Koeketiene

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Le Roussillon (South of France)
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Getting the kite up on our boat requires four.
1 helming
1 manning the winches
2 foredeck
Loosing my eldest to uni in September

So, looking to get a cruising chute instead.
Gentle cruising, the sail will see daylight maybe dozen times every season, so am not interested in top of the line racing stuff.

For a 44' boat, what could I expect to pay?
Had one quote so far, an eye-watering 2.5K + VAT
Is that 'normal'?
 
Go for an asymetric on a prodder. Easy peasy once you've sorted out the snuffer knitting.
P5153584.jpg


Thanks Sailorman for the piccy!
 
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Guapa said:
For a 44' boat, what could I expect to pay?
Had one quote so far, an eye-watering 2.5K + VAT
Is that 'normal'?
Click to expand...

Doesn't sound way off the mark. You could go cheaper by finding someone who briefs a chinese factory to make it. One thing that affects price is how broad and full it is, obviously broader means more material = more expensive. Furling chutes are often skinnier and flatter and therefore can be cheaper.
 
James Lawrence (Brightlingsea) quoted me c.1K about a year ago - haven't got around to doing anything about it yet...
 
Get 3or 4 quotes and compare what they are offering. Last boat I bought a chute from Kemps excellent quality and service. This boat bought from Crusader no complaints, cut differently than the Kemps, fuller in the luff.
 
Paid £1,200 for one in 2008 for a 40 footer, including snuffer, from Kemp Sails.

Before you splash out on one though, be sure it is what you wanted. I bought mine for the same reason you specified: namely it is a lot less effort than a spinnaker and hence can be flown when short handed. However, what I did not appreciate at the time is that the two are not interchangeable. A spinnaker is for downwind use, a cruising chute is for reaching and really doesn't work well sailing dead downwind. Mine works well on a reach, but doesn't really add a huge amount more drive than my big genny. Downwind it is nowhere near as effective as my spinnaker.

If I were you, I'd save my £3k and spend it on some other toy for the boat.;)
 
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Angele said:
A spinnaker is for downwind use, a cruising chute is for reaching and really doesn't work well sailing dead downwind. Mine works well on a reach, but doesn't really add a huge amount more drive than my big genny. Downwind it is nowhere near as effective as my spinnaker.
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I try to avoid sailing dead downwind as the boat tends to roll really uncomfortably then.
Tended to use the kite for (broad) reaching only.

We have a 150% genny, which is great in light air, but once the wind picks up a bit that sail gets too big very fast. Once you start furling it loses shape too.
So, I leave the 135% genny on all the time. And it's great, except in light airs.

The spinnaker is now out of the question - I can barely lift the pole on my own.
I would hate to lose this aspect of sailing just because we are shorthanded.

Had another quote in the mean time - 2.3K incl VAT & snuffer.
Sail's 18 m/sq smaller than first quote though.
 
Not wanting to get into the snuffers arguement but SWIMBO prefers to have one as it gives her confidence so who am I to argue? I think it gives us a bit more control and we don't have the "you'r not getting that big thing out are you" type of arguements!
 
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