North 3Di 330/370 Ocean

[markiobe]

Does anybody have any experience of these relatively new North sails (330 and 370 Ocean) on a 13.2m performance cruising multihull? We're having one built and wondering about sails.

We have no plans to race and will be tropics cruisers. Coming from a racing background I'm clear on the benefits of shape holding and weight and as far as I can see North would win on both counts. The question then is longevity, chafe and UV resistance. They seem more expensive than equivalent sails from Doyle, or made with Contender sailcloth so do they last that much longer?

[FlyingScot]

I guess not. I just got a quote for 330 and 370. Very interested in feedback of others.

[markiobe]

How was your quote when compared to other high end sailmakers/cloths?

[FlyingScot]

Originally Posted by markiobe

How was your quote when compared to other high end sailmakers/cloths?

I don't have any other quotes to compare as of yet.
Of all the higher end sails, these are the ones I want based upon what info I could find.

[psk125]

Whenever I've tried to deal with North, all that came back was proprietary gobbledygook about their different materials and performance, with little information on longevity or durability. They didn't seem able or willing to compare their stuff to anyone else's. It was all them and only them. Because of this, I had no way to tell how much longer their sails might last or how they might be better than the ones I'd gotten from UK, or Z sails, or Schurr. It was really frustrating. We've ended up going with sailmakers who will talk with us and discuss features and options against benchmarks that we are familiar with. Over the years we've spent thousands of dollars on new sails, and North has not gotten any of it.

[Jim Cate]

^^^^^

Over the years we've had similar experiences with North, and have similarly ended up using local sailmakers with whom we can have useful conversations about our options.

I don't doubt that North makes good sails, but their know-it-all attitude and propensity to tell me what I want have caused me to spend my considerable dollars elsewhere.

Jim

[Boatguy30]

The original circa 2014 grey 3di sails have been very long lived. I assume you re meaning the white polyester 3di product. I’m not sure there isn’t enough experience with them yet to say, but in general 3di has been a very good product

[Kestrahl]

I've seen three 330 sails in the last year, two were finished in Sri-Lanka and the other was finished at a western north loft.
While I think the material itself has a lot of potential, it was the details that killed it on all three. Dacron edge tapes on the furling genoa leech and foot instead of the acrylic wrapping around the edge, I would give those a year in the sun. Slider attachment, batten reinforcing was all done like a club racing sail, not a offshore cruising sail. Insignia cloth bands around the edges - that is normally done on a film race sail.
Alright if you can take it in for your yearly service at North sails, but not good for bluewater cruising. Still different lofts even under the same umbrella can vary greatly.

[mdsilvers]

I can speak to the North 3Di 330s. I have them on my boat and have had them for two years in the tropics in SE Asia. Durability so far has been excellent. We've put about 8,000NM since installing.

I did have an issue, and that was mold. North forgot to add their mold treatment to my sails, and they went 'off' in the past six months. Structurally excellent. Not so great with looks.

I let North know the issue, and they are building a full set of new 3Dis, shipping to Langkawi in a month. Like them or hate them, I've had North on my boat for over 40,000 NM in the past nine years. My original sails were Norlam, and they were great. However, the tropics and 7 years, 30,000 miles was hard on them, so they started to delaminate. That is why I switched to the 3Dis. So far, after two years they've been great, and North stood by their product to fix the mold issue with a new complete set of sails.

That's customer service!

[GRIT]

I'm late to the thread, but thanks mdsilvers for your report on North 3Di 330 sails. We've just talked to North about new sails, and they're suggesting the 370 would be the best to suit my stated goals.

We have dacron now, but at two years old, I'll swear the main's already developing a belly.

We are full time cruising, and don't shy away from weather. We're also averse to running the engines, so the sails get a lot of use. Whatever the reason, the main is bothering me, and I'm glad to read about your experience with the 330's.

Cheers.
Paul.

[Loredo]

To add a data point to this discussion. Sails are 3Di 700 ocean. Main is mast furled with full height vertical battens. Boat is a fully loaded Jeanneau 57, roughly 27 tons.



A pic often says more than words...
Slack tide, no currents to speak off, flat seas.

[GRIT]

WOW.

Well done.

How old are your sails, and in what condition are they now? Are you happy with them, as far as wear and tear?

Cheers.
Paul.

[Loredo]

Exactly, WOW!

I'm +/- speechless. When I ordered these, of course I was after good performing sails. They're way beyond any sail-porn dream I've ever had.
I can't say anything about their longevity, got them summer last year.
The look & the feels tell me though that they'll last a very long time.



Now, I've got the 3Di because I'm 100% certain that laminate sails are the way to go (I've had various laminates for the past 25 years or so.)
I wanted the best possible performance. Honestly, longevity is secondary, although still important, to me. Sailing performance is what I'm after. I want to use the engine as little as possible. Thus far, North customer service has been excellent.

[GRIT]

Congrats. We're still on the fence, as our Dacron sails aren't quite 2 years old yet; but I think we're getting there.

Can you guess, as a percentage, how much faster you think your boat is now? Is the improvement linear along the speed scale, or do you find a bigger difference in light winds?

Cheers, and thanks for your comments.
Paul.

[Joli]

Originally Posted by Loredo

Exactly, WOW!

I'm +/- speechless. When I ordered these, of course I was after good performing sails. They're way beyond any sail-porn dream I've ever had.
I can't say anything about their longevity, got them summer last year.
The look & the feels tell me though that they'll last a very long time.



Now, I've got the 3Di because I'm 100% certain that laminate sails are the way to go (I've had various laminates for the past 25 years or so.)
I wanted the best possible performance. Honestly, longevity is secondary, although still important, to me. Sailing performance is what I'm after. I want to use the engine as little as possible. Thus far, North customer service has been excellent.

3di isn't a laminate, there is no mylar carrier therefore there isn't a shrinkage problem. It's an assembly of ribbons glued together with a thermoset over a 3d mold. Very cool technology. Also very expensive, roughly triple the price of a triradial hydranet sail. I would like to try a 3di but not at the prices I've been quoted.

https://www-northsails-com.cdn.amppr...-its-different