Brabs
Member
Can anyone tell me the best place to buy replacement sails for my westerly 33 ketch rigged
Westerly 33 replacement sails
- Thread starter Brabs
- Start date
neil_s
Well-Known Member
Try your local sail loft first. It's best to have a face to face conversation about your expectations and the way your boat is rigged. Maybe tell us where you are?
bitbaltic
Well-Known Member
The best place to buy sails for anything is Sanders at Lymington, but don’t let that restrict you. As said above a local sailmaker is a good place to start.
chrishscorp
Well-Known Member
If you are a WOA member there are several who will give you a discount but you will need your membership number, details on the website or latest magazine
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davidej
Well-Known Member
I have found Crusader give good value.
[70521]
Well-Known Member
You don't say where you are. I can recommend my local sailmaker but unless you are close to Exmouth, Devon then that might not suit you.
geem
Well-Known Member
Shop around for quotes and advise. It's surprising how much sails can vary in price for the same spec.
Rob Kemp gave me Vectron Sails 2 years ago for the same cost as good quality Dacron. Kemp are always competitive and manufacture in the UK
Rob Kemp gave me Vectron Sails 2 years ago for the same cost as good quality Dacron. Kemp are always competitive and manufacture in the UK
AntarcticPilot
Well-Known Member
For a well known type like a Westerly, any sailmaker should be able to produce a perfectly adequate suit of sails. Shop around and find who offers the best deal, taking into account your requirements and the type of sailing you do. Expect a number between £2000 and £3000 - more if you go really high tech, but for a Westerly 33 that's not really justified.
Tranona
Well-Known Member
You have a huge choice, both of design/materials and potential suppliers. If you are replacing all 3, then look at a budget of between £3500 and £6000+. If you just want basic Dacron cruising sails and are happy to buy unseen then the Far East is the place to go. You will probably find here Sail Loft| Direct-Sails will get you a price around the bottom end. One of the big UK sailmakers would be around 10-20% more, but you will get more personal service and if local will probably get a visit to the boat to measure and maybe fit the sails.
In addition to the level of personal service (and fixing things if not right) you get from a local sailmaker there is also a wide range of cuts and cloths to consider so it is worth doing some research about the different types of sails and their pros and cons. Most of the UK sailmakers have information on their sites about the alternatives.
Like many "commodity" consumer products you rarely get bad sails as most are now cut from computer files, but there can be a big difference in details than raise the overall quality of the product. I have bought 4 new sails in the last 3 years, all from a well known UK sailmaker and what I value is sitting down with the designer to work through the options to get the best possible end product for me. Might cost a bit more but sails last a long time and worth getting it right from the start.
In addition to the level of personal service (and fixing things if not right) you get from a local sailmaker there is also a wide range of cuts and cloths to consider so it is worth doing some research about the different types of sails and their pros and cons. Most of the UK sailmakers have information on their sites about the alternatives.
Like many "commodity" consumer products you rarely get bad sails as most are now cut from computer files, but there can be a big difference in details than raise the overall quality of the product. I have bought 4 new sails in the last 3 years, all from a well known UK sailmaker and what I value is sitting down with the designer to work through the options to get the best possible end product for me. Might cost a bit more but sails last a long time and worth getting it right from the start.