What to do with a baggy main sail op

[C08]

I have an in mast roller reefing main sail where the material, stitching flew lift and tack all seem good but the leech is pretty booked presumably because the sail material has stretched and it is noticeably!y baggy.. is this a case for getting the sail recut or is this rarely successful and just throwing good money away. Usage is cruising coastal UK.. yes I will ask a sail maker in time but I would like some unbiased opinions about sail recutting.

 

[Tranona]

Been through the same thing in the past. There is very little shape in a furling mainsail and if it has gone baggy then it is the material stretching. Whether it is worth recutting depends entirely on the individual sail and whether the person doing it thinks he can improve it. With my sail the advice was to live with it until it started to fall apart rather than spend money on it in the hope of some improvement. Sold the boat and let somebody else worry about it.

So, you are unlikely to get unbiased opinion, only experiences like mine which might not be transferrable to you.

 

[DanTribe]

I have had a couple of sails recut but never been happy with the result. On both occasions I wished I had put the money towards buying new sails.

 

[Pete7]

Scrap it and start again. Good news is that most of the sail makers will hold there boat show prices and discounts to Xmas so order quick. We did just that a year ago and now have a very nice new Kemps main at a really good price.

Pete

 

[dom]

I have an in mast roller reefing main sail where the material, stitching flew lift and tack all seem good but the leech is pretty booked presumably because the sail material has stretched and it is noticeably!y baggy.. is this a case for getting the sail recut or is this rarely successful and just throwing good money away. Usage is cruising coastal UK.. yes I will ask a sail maker in time but I would like some unbiased opinions about sail recutting.

Can you expand a little more about the problem and your sail. First, is the sail crosscut or radial and what sort of condition is it in?

If its basically good, how far in from the leech is the problem area and, if crosscut, how many seams is it between? If this is just an isolated leech problem, a couple of small darts in the seams could be easily and cheaply added by a competent sailmaker, which may very well sort the problem. If the sail is basically knackered, then fully agree with others; forget it!

And finally, those boatshow offers. Very tempting, but in truth they don't really exist, save to the extent to pass off cheapo sails. If there's no rush, talk to a couple of sailmakers and sort out your preferred cloth, cut, etc. If time is not of the essence, perhaps open the delivery window to a timescale which suits them, then ask for the best possible price when you're actually ready to deal. A good loft wants to design a great product, do a firm deal, make the sail and with that hopefully a happy customer.

 

[Elemental]

I can't imagine that a recut will be significantly cheaper than a replacement sail. A furling main is a flat cut and therefore about as cheap to construct as a sail can be. Given that the furling main is already providing less drive than a conventional reef main I'd want the sail to be as powerful as possible and a blown fabric (if recutting) is unlikely to do so.

Just my opinion...

 

[C08]

Thanks for responses. I was thinking that trying to resurect a basically knackered sail was just a futile waste of money and others experiences confirm that. I have asked Batt Sails, Jeckells and Crusader for quotes for a budget reefing main sail and any experiences with these sailmakers good or bad would be appreciated. I will not sail this year now so time scales are not an issue but I do wish to get on with it.

 

[SailSouth]

I have asked Batt Sails, Jeckells and Crusader for quotes for a budget reefing main sail

Unless you plan to sell the boat in the next couple of years I would not buy a "budget" sail as you will have a lower quality cloth that will stretch more quickly and you will be in the same position again in no time.

You get what you pay for so suggest you have a chat with a sail-maker or two and take their advice.

 

[C08]

Got a couple of quotes back for a new sail and not too bad but it is not a very big sail. Any views on Bainbridge SPX Dacron or HTD Dacron (not sure who makes this?).
Also what is the normal cloth weight for a mainsail (8m catamaran) and does the in mast reefing normally require a lighter cloth than a traditional mainsail?

 

[Daydream believer]

And finally, those boatshow offers. Very tempting, but in truth they don't really exist, save to the extent to pass off cheapo sails.

Not in my experience. Some dinghy & dayboat ( ie Squib) sails for instance are exactly the same

 

[dom]

Not in my experience. Some dinghy & dayboat ( ie Squib) sails for instance are exactly the same

A bit more colour perhaps; a sailmaker's margin will be roughly the same all year round, with the biggest variable being free man-hours; pre-Easter being the obvious hot spot and the summer a quiet period.

Boatshow offers tend to depend first and foremost on how busy the sailmaker is at that time and to a lesser extent if he himself is getting a bulk discount on a batch of say foreign made sails, or a big cloth order.

If you find the sailmaker of your choice, choose the cloth and cut and are prepared to place a hard order, as opposed to a general pricing enquiry, then you'll rarely be disappointed by asking for a 'boatshow' discount. What they might say though in perhaps Feb is, "love to make these sails, but would say a June delivery work?"

That way you get the cloth, the sailmaker and the finished product exactly the way you want it and at a competitive price.