New sails

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adamstjohn

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Evening all. Need a new mainsail for hummingbird 30, looking for a long lasting heavy duty type thing, our current sail is 15 years old so keen to get the same sort of wear. Sure I won’t have the boat for another 15 years but then again I did say that 15 years ago. Boat is Ipswich base. Had 1 quote over the phone which scared me ?, anybody got any sailmaker recommendations who they have had a god balance between price and quality please? Ta adam
 
I using a Crusader Genoa, todate is has outlasted the previous GO sail that was twice the cost.
Having said that the GO sail was a better shape & i should have had more dialogue with Crusader to get a nicer cut, but as i only cruise its ok for the job
 
Try
Wilkinsons in Whitstable.
Jeckells.
One Sails.
Kemp.

For a long lasting sail I would suggest Vectran sailcloth and a fully battened main, but both cost extra. In reality you only get what you pay for. Also check where the sail is made as many are made or partly made in the Far East, having a local sail maker is very useful.
 
Champagne Murphy said:
Crusader here. They ncame to measure, choice of fabric at no extra cost, great after sales service and the cheapest by a country mile
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Alas that is not my experience. In the past I had a complete set of 6 sails from Crusader and I was happy with them. However a couple of years ago when I asked for a quote for a new main and furling genoa in Vectran sail cloth, they changed the genoa and quoted for standard Dacron. An error like that is something that should not happen, hence why I did not recommend them.
 
I had a new FB main this season, and a new Genoa two ago... both from Jeckells.

Came down, measured the boat, sails right the first time exactly to the spec I wanted, on time. Very competitive on price.

I’m pleased so far and would recommend them.
 
When I was looking for a cruising chute, Jeckells were the cheapest.Perhaps not the most advanced sail design, but they impressed me with their setup in the sail loft (I visited while it was being made). They also took account of my being a cruiser and (without being asked) offered a slightly heavier cloth to allow it to be used over a wider range of wind-speeds. They use a flat-bed laser cutter to cut the panels, so every panel is very precisely cut. I suppose what impressed me was that they were completely happy to have me poking around while they worked, and I was able to watch the seamstress sewing the head of the sail! Their snuffer design is simple and practical, without a great big lump of plastic at the masthead. Again, I saw them putting the sail int he snuffer, and they were entirely happy to have me asking silly questions while they did it.

They are also dog friendly; our dog, Jack, came to oversee the process, and he was made very welcome :encouragement::encouragement:

Of course, the other thing is that Noah probably ordered sails from Jeckells - they've been around for a very long time!
 
That's all good comparative info, thank you one and all, I really appreciate it. Suffolk sails? Dolphin? I am terrified about making a mistake. Does a loose footed sail work with an old school boom , assume it just doesn't have the bolt rope? And is tensioned in the same way? Ta adam
 
Dolphin and Gowen Ocean are the same company, and I bought new Genny in 2009, and main in 2010 from GO as the local W Mersea loft. I'm very pleased with both, and they weren't that expensive. Both fitted perfectly from new and transformed the handling and performance of the boat...
 
adamstjohn said:
That's all good comparative info, thank you one and all, I really appreciate it. Suffolk sails? Dolphin? I am terrified about making a mistake. Does a loose footed sail work with an old school boom , assume it just doesn't have the bolt rope? And is tensioned in the same way? Ta adam
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I had a new main from Suffolk Sails last winter. Vectran I think it was, which appears to be dacron but with strands of something very different every 10 mill, it actually means the sail can be a slightly lighter fabric overall but with superior strength and ability to retain shape compared to Dacron. I too am based in Ipswich and wanted to use someone local. Simon was happy to match the price of Sanders Sails who also quoted ( they made the previous set, and still had the measurements after 14 years). Good service, all done over the winter and ready on time. As far as I know the sailcloth supplier in Germany laser cuts the panels which are then all sewn together etc in Woodbridge. I'm now having a sprayhood from Suffolk Sails, not yet finished.
 
I used Doug Seaden, Sailmaker 07720 056669. He used to work with Gowen but is now (for several years) independent. I liked his service and quality - he personally measured the boat, he discussed every aspect personally with me and he cut and made the sails (Genny and Main). He then personally supervised my fitting and test sail. I thought the cost was reasonable.
 
tillergirl said:
I used Doug Seaden, Sailmaker 07720 056669. He used to work with Gowen but is now (for several years) independent. I liked his service and quality - he personally measured the boat, he discussed every aspect personally with me and he cut and made the sails (Genny and Main). He then personally supervised my fitting and test sail. I thought the cost was reasonable.
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Doug was still at GO & supervised my Main & Genoa manufacture
 
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