How on earth to choose a sailmaker on the south coast...

[albionahoy]

Five quotes, all really lovely people, but wildly varying prices, even with the same weight/make. Bewildering. Thoughts?

 

[CoVianna]

Five quotes, all really lovely people, but wildly varying prices, even with the same weight/make. Bewildering. Thoughts?

Mates? Yacht Club? Even chatting to strangers on their boat with the Sailmakers sails on. Just ask around. Nothing like a personal recommendation. Wish I had that problem "up North"!

 

[Seven Spades]

Cross cut: Sanders
Laminate: North

 

[snooks]

Five quotes, all really lovely people, but wildly varying prices, even with the same weight/make. Bewildering. Thoughts?

Compare like with like, cut with cut, standard of finish with standard of finish place of manufacture with place of manufacture

Who sails do/did you like?

Personally I liked Crusader's sails so I went with them. Good quality, British made, great people to deal with, very knowledgable and excellent customer service. No regrets at all

 

[Boathook]

I use Quay Sails at Poole. Good service so far and the sails seem to work and last. Being local to the boat they will visit to confirm dimensions if required.

 

[Steve Clayton]

You could (if this is not one of the 5 quotes you've already got) try
Mark Flew - his office is at Wicormarine; I, for one, and a fellow Jeanneau owner would recommend.

 

[Blueboatman]

Go local and having seen their work/delivery record/ friends word, as said.

I went with the guys who built my last sails which are still, imo, very good but I wanted a spare mainsail, with only one full length batten at the top, better for downwind cruising and far easier to store all the bits on board and rig quickly if I do something stupid to the existing f/batten one... With a few other details, I felt that Arun 'got it' right away and everything they said added useful advice. Good price too, I thought, without trying to screw anyone into the ground!

 

[Fantasie 19]

With a few other details, I felt that Arun 'got it' right away and everything they said added useful advice. Good price too, I thought, without trying to screw anyone into the ground!

Agreed...

I also went with Arun for my new jib, purely because they'd made the mainsail - very happy with the product, and a again - nice people...

 

[White Horse]

Try North Sails

Five quotes, all really lovely people, but wildly varying prices, even with the same weight/make. Bewildering. Thoughts?

Not the cheapest but boy do they look good .. Main with full length batterns and a jib with vertical batterns .. Also a foam luff .. Set a treat well worth the extra .. Main and Jib have smaller panels to give them their shape ...

HERE

 

[Robin]

Not the cheapest but boy do they look good .. Main with full length batterns and a jib with vertical batterns .. Also a foam luff .. Set a treat well worth the extra .. Main and Jib have smaller panels to give them their shape ...

HERE

And not one bit made in the UK either.

 

[Poignard]

Another vote for Arun

My Arun genoa jib is now quite old but still sets well, even when furled, and it has no foam insert.

I'd buy from them again.

 

[djk]

Sanders Sails In Lymington. They often replace old HR yachts with new sails. We had ours replaced 5 years ago and shipped out to Palma. They don't heavily advertise because they don't need too! I think that speaks volumes for the product.

 

[savageseadog]

Arun made the first main and furling genoa (cross cut dacron) on my boat. The main was the biggest piece of sh*te ever, the cut was terrible. The genoa on the other hand is quite good and still used today, which goes to show that a single maker can be both good and bad even at the same moment with the same technology.
I replaced the main with a Sobstad Genesis Platinum which works very well.

 

[yoda]

Just go to Sanders.

 

[bedouin]

Just go to Sanders.

Seconded.

I went to Arun for a Genoa - it was pretty poor and never set well even when new. After a couple of seasons it was worse than the 20 yr old one it replaced.

I also went to them for a stackpack - unfortunately whatever thread they used appears not to have been UV resistant so I have had to hand sew most of it over the years.

However they have been recommended by people who ought to know - so perhaps my experience was unusual.

I now use Sanders - very helpful and often chosen by the people who race at the front of older fleets