Crusader / Rotostay .... any good ?

[Guest]

I am looking for a reasonably priced furling package and am considering a Rotostay system from Crusader. For a Moody 31 it comes in at £1500 which is the best deal I've found so far. Other sail makers have slagged Crusader's quality which has now made me nervous (they are coming in nearer, or above, £2K !! ). Has anyone got experience of Crusader sails ...... and of Rotostay hardware for that matter ? Many thanks.

 

[Guest]

Had a Rotostay furler on my Fulmar and absolutely no probs for 9 years - they are simple and effective bits of gear that are easy to dismantle when it's necessary to check the wire core. I too, have heard comments about them but never any substance.

Crusader made me a new No 3 last year - great concept, good advice and very well executed. Can recommend them. Theirs is the mass end of the market but if you really need fancy sails with added pzazz for racing purposes, I suggest you chat with Andrew Cross and hear his story before you feel compelled to buy from a boutique!

I guess there may be a bit of slagging off going on here with some nervousness that the market may downturn what with the SE crumbling etc.

Good luck,

Peter Gibbs

 

[Guest]

Crusader

I have bought a cruising chute, genoa and main from Crusader, about 7 years ago for a previous boat. Absolutely no complaints with any of them, well cut and well made. All still in service as far as I know. At that time all UK Sunsail boats had Crusader sails, which speaks well for their service life if nothing else.

 

[Guest]

HAd a Crusader main for a few years. The shape was poor, so no good for racing. But otherwise it was well made and if you accept the limitations it was good value.

 

[Guest]

Can't comment on Crusader but I've had my Rotostay for 10 years. The only problem I've had is with the nylon ball bearings which lasted 5-6years before they disintegrated due to UV light. You can get them replaced with s/s ones.

 

[Guest]

Why buy from Crusader?

Who are, after all only acting as middlemen.

Get in touch direct with Martin Jupp of Rotomarine, Canal Wharf, Chichester, PO19 2PT Tel 01243 788912 who are the manufacturers of the Rotostay.

I've found their after-sales service superb, the Rotostay I've got is for a much larger boat (than 30' LWL) and has a heavy-duty foil on it - all arrived at with Martin's painstaking support and assistance, after I had continual quality problems with the reefer fitted as OEM on my boat.

I have to say that it cost about 50% of the price which you are being asked.

By all means mention my name.

 

[Guest]

I\'ll support the comments made about Crusader

Sound cruising sails, made down to a sensible price, from a company who actively try to sell their products and services.

You'll not get hi-tech from them, or the attention and imaginative design you'll get from specialists like Hood or Sobstad, but they're very sound.

I still go to the manufacturer direct, which pisses So'wester and the rest of the middlemen off, because you'll always get better advice, (because the manufacturers know their product better) service (because they know you'll give them direct personal grief if they let you down) and prices.

 

[Guest]

Crusader will give you very good value, either from the basic spec or the hitech end. We have a full suit of their 'cruiser/racer'sails with a bi radial genoa and fully battened main and mizzen. All are excellent in cut and quality. They also replaced our Rotostay when the luff spar split a year or so back in a heavy frost (water drain which I didn't know was there was blocked), a good price and fitted within days by one of their people. I have now had 3 full suits of sails from them over the years, all have been excellent. In the first instance they were the only company who would agree to visit the boat and take actual measurements rather than use the IOR cert (which was out of date and incorrect). Of course if you want to pay twice as much for a designer label on the same sailcloth feel free. By the way I believe Paul Lees of Crusader is Hood trained anyway.

 

[Guest]

Crusader will give you very good value, either from the basic spec or the hitech end. We have a full suit of their 'cruiser/racer'sails with a bi radial genoa and fully battened main and mizzen. All are excellent in cut and quality. They also replaced our Rotostay when the luff spar split a year or so back in a heavy frost (water drain which I didn't know was there was blocked), a good price and fitted within days by one of their people. I have now had 3 full suits of sails from them over the years, all have been excellent. In the first instance they were the only company who would agree to visit the boat and take actual measurements rather than use the IOR cert (which was out of date and incorrect). Of course if you want to pay twice as much for a designer label on the same sailcloth feel free. By the way I believe Paul Lees of Crusader is Hood trained anyway.

 

[Guest]

I had a Crusader working Jib on my Gibsea 84 and it was excellent. Very well cut and powerful. Hardly ever used the Genoa unless downwind. I can recommend them.

Fair winds Ken Gill

 

[Guest]

Rotostay are the cheaper end of the market and so can be a bit lightweight. But the good thing about them is that they are simple and therefore relatively easy to fix if things go wrong. I've just stripped down a 10 year old furler that had been badly neglected and the technology was really easy to understand.