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 How To Buy A Sail |
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Buying a new sail should be
a pleasure, not a terrifying, difficult or mysterious experience. If you're a bit
concerned about this, we'd like to explain the process.
New sails transform the performance of your boat. They can make
your sailing both more comfortable and more fun. As sails age, they lose their aerodynamic
shape (as people say, they get blown out); that makes your boat heel more and go slower.
With new sails, you will be able to cover greater distances - because you'll sail faster.
Sails are made to fit your boat, for the kind of sailing you want
to do, and the winds and waters you sail in. Each customer and each boat are different.
The more information we have about you and your boat, the more accurate our quote can be
and the more tailored-for-you we can make your new sails.
So, here are some questions to think about that will make the
buying process easier and insure that you get the sail you want. Our sail consultants are
very experienced and can usually make suggestions to help you along, starting with these 8 questions:
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1. What kind of boat do you have?
We need the make and model. If you say a 40-foot Beneteau, we
can't tell whether that's an Oceanis 400, a 40CC or a 40.7 - all very different. So, you
need to be very explicit. If you have a custom design, we may need a sailplan drawing, but
we are familiar with almost every production boat.
2. In what year was your boat built?
Builders often make changes year by year. There is a big
difference, for example, between a C&C 34 from 1980 and their 34R from 1987.
3. What rig does this have?
Many builders offer standard and tall rigs. For example, the
Catalina 30 comes either way and there is a very large difference between the two masts.
There are some boats that offer rig options such as conventional boom or wishbone boom.
Unless you tell us, we won't know and our recommendations and quote won't make sense.
4. Has the rig been modified?
Owners occasionally lengthen their boom or add a short bowsprit
to increase sail area on under-canvassed boats. Even more common, a furling system may
have been added; we need to know if your boat has one and, if so, what kind?
5. Where do you sail?
Sails cut for long ocean swells should have a different shape
from those used in choppy waters. Some places are known for strong winds, others for
zephyrs. We'd like to get the right shape and strength of materials for you.
6. Do you race, cruise or do both?
The choice of materials and features you should have will vary to
suit your usage.
7. What's the reason for buying a new sail?
Are you replacing an old one, moving to different waters and
sailing conditions, heading off on a worldwide voyage, looking for more speed and/or
durability? All these sorts of reasons determine what we'll recommend and its cost.
And
8. What key factors will influence your purchase?
Can you rank factors such as price, performance, multi-purpose
use, and durability?
Then you are ready to get a quote.
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To generate a quotation,
we'll need answers to those eight questions, especially the
ones which have to do with dimensions and tell us how you plan to use your sails. Our
computerized database has rig measurements for thousands of boats, so the chances are high
that we'll have yours in our system. We do have one reservation in this quotation: it is
subject to verification that we've actually identified your boat correctly - insuring that
the final measurements turn out to be reasonably close to what were used in making our
quotation. (Click here for an explanation of rig dimensions &
terminology used on our quotation form.)
If our price quotation is acceptable to you, we'll send you a
confirmation form to sign. It includes all sales terms. A deposit of 50% will get your
sail started in production; the balance is due when your sail is delivered. Normally, this
takes only 2-4 weeks, but orders placed when lofts are busiest (early Spring, especially)
will take longer.
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Before we actually start
building, we'll need some very specific measurements. If your boat is near
one of our lofts, we'll come over and measure; if not, we'll mail you a
measurement form. When you see this form, you will quickly appreciate how
"customized" every one of our sails is. (Click
here to download our measurement form.)
Finally, here are two helpful comments. First, measuring your old
sails is of little use: think of that approach as asking a tailor to make you a new suit
just from looking at an old suit. And a picture is, as they say, worth a thousand words:
snapshots of your gooseneck, genoa track location, headsail tack fitting, furling gear,
etc. can be of great value to us; these don't need to be fancy, just clear.
There's always the phone. Don't be puzzled or reluctant to ask questions. We welcome hearing from you and making
this process as fun, easy and exciting as it should be. Just call us.
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