Sail material/maker

[delcrest]

Hi all, some information please, what material is the standard set of sails made from for a cruising catamaran, that won't break the bank, and be of reasonable quality, has anyone a sailmaker they could recommend and what are the "made in china"sails like.THanks in advance

[Kestrahl]

Originally Posted by delcrest

Hi all, some information please, what material is the standard set of sails made from for a cruising catamaran, that won't break the bank, and be of reasonable quality, has anyone a sailmaker they could recommend and what are the "made in china"sails like.THanks in advance

Standard cruising sails are made from woven polyester (called dacron). However there are a good dozen different dacrons from 5 manufactures available in 10 different weights, so a bit of choice!

Sails made in China vary a lot from small Chinese owned companies with fronts in HK to state of the art European owned and run factories.

[JPA Cate]

Delcrest,

If you list your boat and general location with your avatar, it will make the Forum's answers to your questions more pertinent.

Cruising cats vary a lot in size, for instance, and if you live somewhere you are likely to experience high winds that develop suddenly, that, too, would have to be factored into the answer.

Usually, dacron (polyester) is the material. The complexity of the sails is what adds most to their cost.

Getting personal here, our preferred method of buying sails is to have two or more local sailmakers give us written estimates, then we choose the one who works best with us, cost is not the only input we consider. You want someone who will come measure the boat (to be sure everything will fit properly). And, IMO, you want to be able to get it made right if there is an *oops!* without having to ship it halfway round the world to do it.

Ann

[delcrest]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

Delcrest,

If you list your boat and general location with your avatar, it will make the Forum's answers to your questions more pertinent.

Cruising cats vary a lot in size, for instance, and if you live somewhere you are likely to experience high winds that develop suddenly, that, too, would have to be factored into the answer.

Usually, dacron (polyester) is the material. The complexity of the sails is what adds most to their cost.

Getting personal here, our preferred method of buying sails is to have two or more local sailmakers give us written estimates, then we choose the one who works best with us, cost is not the only input we consider. You want someone who will come measure the boat (to be sure everything will fit properly). And, IMO, you want to be able to get it made right if there is an *oops!* without having to ship it halfway round the world to do it.

Ann

Hi the yacht is a 36' catamaran Waller design, and will be sailed along the South African coast, but hopefully world wide in 18months time, ( Richards bay Durban Cape Town)