Sailmaker recommendation – Main Sail, CD22

[mhovis]

I am ready to replace the main sail on my CD22 and am looking for sailmaker recommendations. I've never purchased a sail before, so I could benefit from the collective experience here.

A few details, related questions:

– Casual lake sailing. No racing, no ocean going. Common wind speeds are 6-18 knots.
– My current main is loose footed. Is that the recommended approach for these boats?
– Single reef and battens that aren't full seem to be the norm on CD22's. Seem right?
– I'm considering shortening the luff length a bit to accommodate a bimini. Does anyone have experience doing that on a CD22?

Thank you for any recommendations / recent experiences you may have.

[mgphl52]

Yet again, I must recommend Precision Sails...
They did an awesome job for me and have multiple cloth grades/weights to match up with your style/area of sailing.
I am a died in the wool believer in both loose foot and full battens.

[lrak]

I would avoid Somerset Sails. I've heard good things about the Rolly Tasker dealer in Florida and my local North loft.

[Bibster]

You could also check with Bacon Sails in Annapolis. They built two sails for my CD 26 (a roller furling genoa and a mainsail) and the quality and workmanship was outstanding. I did a quick check and a new main built to your specs would cost approximately $1150.

[Nebe]

I had a 135% built for my CD27 over the winter by Hyde Direct. It came out great and was about 30% less than what a local loft in my area would have charged.

[Steve Laume]

I have worked with a local loft to have sails re-stitched and a new sun cover put on my Yankee. I have also had them evaluate a number of used sails that I had. The beauty of this is that I could talk to the sail maker who would be doing the work. They could speak to the condition of each sail and go over it to make sure everything was sound while adding fresh tell tails and a few stitches here and there.

When it came time that I wanted a brand new main, I went to a sail maker, Squeteague, who gave a talk at our winter meeting. The loft I had dealt with previously has switched to mostly doing canvas work. I liked the philosophy put forth in the talk that was given. I pretty much knew what I wanted but could go over each point with the sail maker and ask for his opinion and suggestions. The pros and cons of different sail cloth weights, batten lengths and the merits of loose footed or sail slides and a jack line for the mast slugs. I also brought along a couple of main sails that I had used on the boat along with detailed measurements of my boat. all of this insured that I would get a sail that would fit well and be appropriate for the type of sailing that I do. I also got to meet the owner of the loft, see his shop and meet the woman who would be crafting my sail. I felt good about giving them my money.

I could have saved a couple of hundred dollars by getting a stock, Persision sail but it would not have been the same sail. I would never have been able to meet the maker and shake their hands. I like the personal aspect of dealing with someone who truly cares about their work and will stand behind it. They emailed me to make sure everything was okay and when I did have a concern about the slides in the boom they were willing to change them, free of charge while I waited. It turned out the the slides they used were of higher quality than the ones that would have repolaced them and the ones they used fit in my new boom just fine. It was good to know that they would have taken care of this if needed.

It is just good to know that you are helping people to make a living at their craft and they will stand behind what they make. They cared about more that just one more order. The money stays local and I was much more involved in the design of my new sail, Steve.

[steve poulin]

Hi Matt,

I've been on the same journey the last ten days, seeking to replace a torn main on my CD 27. Found a place in Florida (Masthead Sailing Gear) that had a used one on the shelf that they are shipping up to me to complete my season, while they sub-out the building of a new Rolly Tasker. When the new one comes they have agreed to apply the cost of the used sail to the new one upon its return. Nothing in my hands as of yet, but I sure like the idea of salvaging the remaining months of a New England season and getting a brand new main at a good price ready for next year.

That said, somebody on this board recommended Mack Sails out of Florida and they came in with a very competitive quote for what appears to be a high quality sail that they build themselves. Check them out on Youtube before making a decision. If I hadn't needed something yesterday I would have gone with Mack. Precision, too, has a great website and unparalleled customer service--they know what they're doing. I have no doubt that my local shop--Doyle--would have built me a fine sail but it wouldn't have been ready until the boat was back on its stands, which would have left me been nosing around Narragansett Bay with my 150% these last six weeks or so.

Ultimately, after talking with a lot of these sailmakers I went loose foot, with two full battens on top. Never had a loose foot before, but seems to be becoming the industry standard, and sure makes sense on paper.

Good luck! It's a major bit of gear that you want to do right.

Steve Poulin

[tjr818]

Travis at Mack sails did a wonderful job for the new genoa on our 27, although that might not be local for you, it wasn't for us.
You might not have to shorten the luff to accommodate a bimini, we just shortened the leach on our 27. That method leaves the gooseneck in the original position and you would not lose as much sail area. Take some measurements and talk that over with your sailmaker. We only had to shorten the leach 10".

[mhovis]

Thanks to everyone for the great input!


- Matt.