Recommendations for good value Cruising Chute?

[aidancoughlan]

Anybody done any comparison shopping for a cruising chute recently... any recommendations ?

I emailed SeaTeach for a second-hand chute, and got what seemed a reasonable price for a new one. Anybody know what the quality is like on their sails ?

 

[nimbusgb]

Really chuffed with my cruising chute from Crusader. Service was faultless and the sail looks great! Price was very reasonable.

 

[aidancoughlan]

thanks, email on it's way to Crusader too.

 

[steve6367]

Second vote for Crusader - took time to talk me through all the options and sail works really well.

 

[Chrusty1]

I had a chute from Seateach about 4 years ago, it's been fine, no problems, and works well.

 

[Moonchild]

We used Jeckells of Wroxham. Very pleased with our cruising chute.

 

[alan]

Crusader are hard to beat for price/quality. You might also consider a "light genoa" or Code Zero or whatever you want to call them, slightly more easily handled and you can get closer to the wind for upwing use............ also available from Crusader.

Alan.

 

[AIDY]

momentum sails !

 

[Anwen]

I just bought a Chute from Kemps. They were about the same price as Crusader, but I liked the people better at the Excel show. Both Momentum and Jeckells quoted me a standard size sail, whereas Crusader and Kemps offered a custom made sail. I could also choose the colour scheme, which I enjoyed designing. I've still to fly it, but am looking forward to using it in the next month or so.

 

[sailorman]

mine is Gowen Ocean it was good value
pls dont buy a coloured Triangle

 

[jeremyshaw]

Happy with Sea Teach when I bought several years ago. Only issue was my snuffing line was not sewn into it's own channel in the snuffer - which may be standard practice nowadays.

 

[aidancoughlan]

Thanks all for the recommendations.... I'm curious to see how much price differs. ... emails sent to Crusader, Seateach, Jeckells, Momentum, Kemps and Gowen.


[ QUOTE ]
pls dont buy a coloured Triangle

[/ QUOTE ] ... can't resist, what exactly do you mean? Are they not all usually "coloured triangles" ?

 

[sailorman]

Gowen approx 60deg apparent

A Triangle

fenders optional

 

[flaming]

To be fair that "tiangle" is a lot better than some I've seen! The fenders do add a touch of class though...

A question to those who advocate a custom made sail as opposed to an "off the peg" standard sail - For what we're talking about, adding a bit of sail area on a cruising boat in light winds, wouldn't a standard sail do a perfectly good job?

Granted if you're into racing a higher standard will be required (and paid for....) but I'd have thought that bringing economies of scale to cruising sails would be popular with cruising sailors? Certainly the prices for "off the peg" coloured sails seem very competitive.

 

[sailorman]

my Gowen c/chute in the photo was the same price quoted by crusader @ the time

 

[flaming]

I don't think crusader do standard size sails do they?

They certainly didn't with the only sail of theirs I've ever used.

 

[sailorman]

Crusader can never make a Sail to the Quality of Gowen /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif.
i have a RR Genoa made by Crusader last year for me.
i bought on price not quality as i couldnt justify double price for the sailing we do.
all my other sails are Gowen

 

[flaming]

Ah, but my question was not "which sailmaker is best?"

For cruising sailors I agree that some sailmakers are better than others, and that scimping on quality on the working sails, main and jib, is not a good investment.

But for cruising chutes, which for most people are not much more than a way of keeping the boat moving in light winds without resorting to the engine, isn't finding the closest "standard" size at a good saving really quite a good idea?