Sail cover costs

[Dougy]

Thought about replacing my very tatty sail cover 3.8m long by 1.5m at the sail. Before research, thought maybe £50 ish?? Just been quoted £300 but seen them on ebay for £79 anybody bought one of these cheap ones off ebay? Been looking for a secondhand one for ages.
If it wasn't snowing I wouldn't be spending more money on the bloody boat!!

 

[Daydream believer]

There is no way that my sail would have been left on the boom during this weather. However, some sails are delivered with some really nice long sail bags. My new Hyde main has a lovely one & I have often wondered if it would be possible to cut one end to fit the mast & sew some straps on the sides & make a lazy bag. My existing bag is getting worn & this would make a really good one being of excellent material with a good zip & netted base

 

[Tranona]

Force 4 ready made is £217. However if your quote is for good quality Sunbrella with UV resistant stitching it is better value.

If you really want to do cheap then buy the Sunbrella and thread plus buckles, webbing etc and make eit yourself. There is a lot of labour in making up, hence the prices asked.

 

[PeteCooper]

I have one of the cheap eBay ones and it's OK. Mine is 2 years old and still does the job - no rips and the Velcro straps still work fine. At the mast the top has a tie through a hem and the original string in that was poor and kept snapping so I replaced that. Mine has a few years left in it and when(if) it dies I would buy another from the same source.

 

[Dougy]

I have one of the cheap eBay ones and it's OK. Mine is 2 years old and still does the job - no rips and the Velcro straps still work fine. At the mast the top has a tie through a hem and the original string in that was poor and kept snapping so I replaced that. Mine has a few years left in it and when(if) it dies I would buy another from the same source.

Sounds better than £300 probably change the boat in a couple of years..Thanks

 

[Dougy]

There is no way that my sail would have been left on the boom during this weather. However, some sails are delivered with some really nice long sail bags. My new Hyde main has a lovely one & I have often wondered if it would be possible to cut one end to fit the mast & sew some straps on the sides & make a lazy bag. My existing bag is getting worn & this would make a really good one being of excellent material with a good zip & netted base

Sail is in my garage not on the boom and sail bag it came in is far too small so probably go with ebay... cheaper than buying a new Hyde sail

 

[CCJ]

Thought about replacing my very tatty sail cover 3.8m long by 1.5m at the sail. Before research, thought maybe £50 ish?? Just been quoted £300 but seen them on ebay for £79 anybody bought one of these cheap ones off ebay? Been looking for a secondhand one for ages.
If it wasn't snowing I wouldn't be spending more money on the bloody boat!!

Try Crusader

 

[Biggles Wader]

I had a cheapo job but it only lasted about three years before the Velcro straps came adrift and it faded badly in the sun. I bought a quality used one off ebay and that cost about the same but is clearly a much better cover.

 

[Dougy]

I had a cheapo job but it only lasted about three years before the Velcro straps came adrift and it faded badly in the sun. I bought a quality used one off ebay and that cost about the same but is clearly a much better cover.

I think three years is good enough as probably, HOPEFULLY!! upgrading the boat next year... but dont tell the wife....

 

[Dougy]

Force 4 ready made is £217. However if your quote is for good quality Sunbrella with UV resistant stitching it is better value.

If you really want to do cheap then buy the Sunbrella and thread plus buckles, webbing etc and make eit yourself. There is a lot of labour in making up, hence the prices asked.

Did think of making one but watched a few you tubes and decided it would probably take me a season to do and the missus cant sew a button on, so think Ill buy a cheapo one off ebay.

 

[jwilson]

Last winter I made a slightly larger stackpack-type mainsail cover than the size you quote: materials alone cost well over £100 - proper acrylic fabric and long zip etc. Original 12 year old one still OK (though much repaired) but did not fit heavier-duty new mainsail well. Surprisingly complex to make. It's not bad but the next one I make will be perfect!

 

[dulcibella]

Made my own sail-tainer type cover some years ago (based on a very decayed one made by a sailmaker) for about £200 materials including UV-resistant thread. Lots of really bad sewing but it works. Easy enough to design and worth doing if you have access to a heavy duty sewing machine.

 

[pandos]

I just paid 50 euros for a vintage machine and now just need some fabric to remake my stackpack list price in excess of €600.... estimated cost less than €100... reusing zip (previously taken from a sail bag and it worked perfectly...) using acrylic canvas at as originally used....

this is for a stackpack but I suspect a removable sail cover would be easier....

Original is in two parts, .. sits on both faces of the boom, popriveted in place,( I am going to change these to fasteners)....

the sides are mirror images and are very simple with minimal stiching, there is one pocket in each to accomodate the aluminium strip and 8 eyes with eyelets which correspond to holes through the strip, and a flap for one side of the zip, the last 15inch section near the mast is velcroed, so in use there is no pressure on the zip and easy to tidy things up near the mast working rearwards and then slide the zipper forward.