Number 1 argument for you at a local loft...around here Doyle is good

Dwight Veinot
C&C 35 MKII, Alianna
Head of St. Margaret's Bay, NS
-----Original Message-----
From: CnC-List [mailto:cnc-list-boun...@cnc-list.com] On Behalf Of Sébastien
Lemieux
Sent: October 17, 2012 10:01 AM
To: cnc-list@cnc-list.com
Subject: Re: Stus-List New sail purchase

Hello Bev,

  I am currently going through the same process for my furling genoa.  I've
obtained quotes and been discussing with quite a few lofts (some local, some
less locals).  I've come to the conclusion that a 135% would be a good size
to go with (we have a 100% jib and an asym spi).  We also do essentially
weekend cruising with quite a few day sails, no racing on the horizon.  Our
boat is a C&C 30-mk2 of 1987.

  I have been considering three sail types and I haven't finalized my
decision yet, so I'll throw in the arguments I have for each:

1) A classic cross-cut dacron sail.  The least expensive option at each
loft.  Prices can vary from loft to loft but if more than 5% variation, then
there are differences in the construction.  Some lofts would suggest using
rather thin 5 oz. cloths, most preferred to go with 7-7.3 oz since we would
favor using the spi when going with the wind and a heavier cloth would be
more durable and more forgiving for the beginners we are (3 years with the
boat so far, first boat).  Some lofts offer different levels of "firmness"
of the cloth, usually with a price premium (around 10% extra) and I've come
to the conclusion that this upgrade makes sense (the sail should hold better
shape for longer in higher winds).

2) A tri-radial design using fill-oriented dacron (UK Halsey warp drive or
North Radian).  From the quotes we have, price is about 30% more than for
the cross cut dacron.  The sail should hold its shape much better and should
be as (if not more) durable than the classic cross-cut.  The sails for which
we received quotes where all made in Asia.  North said that any repairs or
adjustments need to be done at their headquarter in Connecticut.

3) A cross-cut sail using cruising oriented laminates.  Here the cloth is a
laminate that includes fibers supporting the loads in directions that are
aligned with tensions applied on a sail (see pdf brochure from Polyant:
http://www.dimension-polyant.com/en/pdf/DP_Flex_Polyester_Cruise_E.pdf ).
It is called a cruising laminate because it is protected on both side by a
weaved taffeta that protects the laminate from chafe.  This allows the sail
to be made using the less labor intensive cross cut construction.  I have a
quote from Haarstick (Rochester, NY) that comes up to about 25% more than
the classic dacron cross-cut.  The sail should hold much better shape and it
seems that with each new generation of laminates designed for cruising, the
durability increases.

The level of discussion I had with each sailmaker varies a lot (both in
verbosity and quality).  The most informative discussions I've had has been
with Haarstick ( http://www.haarsticksailmakers.com ) where Doug Burtner has
provided a lot of great info, was prompt to reply and everything he wrote I
could confirm with further research.  Two local lofts I contacted were quite
disappointing (Evolution sails never sent back a quote, North rep. was very
verbose [on the phone] but not so informative and I've found that they don't
have any loft and would do all repairs and modifications in Connecticut).
Among the various sailmakers I've contacted, two have confirmed that the
sail cut and construction would not be sent off shore: Haarstick (Rochester,
NY) and Port Townsend sails (near Seattle, WA).  The sails from PT sails
seem to be fantastic classic cruising sails but they are extremely expensive
(about 2x the price of a classic dacron sail from other sailmakers).
Although I haven't investigated them much because of budget constraints, it
seems like the type of sails I'd consider if I was to leave for a multi-year
cruise.

In my case, although I've been putting emphasize on durability, I've
realized that we put fairly little hours of use on our sails per year (short
sailing season, family+work schedule, etc.).  I'm currently leaning toward
going with the cruising laminate cross-cut proposed by Haarstick.  The fact
that the high-tech fabric allows a less labor intensive construction
(cross-cut) means less incentive to export labor offshore, I put some
"morale" value into that!

For the local lofts, they proposed to come to our boat and take
measurements.  In all other case, they propose to send all necessary info so
I can take the measurements myself.  Some mentioned that I should complement
the measurements with large amounts of digital photos to fully document the
rig and make sure that there is no misunderstanding of which measures are
which.  I'm fairly confident that this is the way to go.

Feel free to contact me off the list if you would like to discuss the
specific details of the quotes I've received, I'd be happy to share them if
it can help you with your decision!

Sébastien Lemieux
Merlot X - C&C 30 mk2 1987
Mooney Bay - Lake Champlain

On Oct 11, 2012, at 12:53, broo...@aol.com wrote:

> Hello listers,
> Bob Morgan  and I have been mostly lurking on the list for the last few
months, although we have had a few postings.  We bought a C&C 37 (Bob's 5th
C&C) one year ago and just discovered the list a few months ago.   After
following all the conversations for the last few months  we now want to take
advantage of all the knowledge that is out there.  We had thought maybe we
could get away with having our sails inspected and some repairs done this
winter but now that we have taken them down and had a closer look we
realized that was overly optimistic.  I would like to ask what
recommendations you can make for new sail purchases.  We would appreciate
your thoughts  about everything - sailmakers, type of fabric, battens,
measuring.  We are currently weekend cruisers with no thoughts of racing.
At this point we are planning on a new main and a furling genoa - 130%. What
sailmakers do you recommend?  What are the important questions to ask the
sailmakers?  What are your preferences for main sail reefing? (Not mast or
boom furling.)I think we currently have one line slab reefing.  Are there
standard measurements for a C&C 37? Do we really need to be measured.    Is
this a subject that has been covered recently?  If so, is there a way I can
find it in the archives?
> Thanks everyone.
> By the way, I still have pictures from the Mystic Rendevous that I would
like to post. I just haven't had time to figure out how to get them on Photo
Bucket or Picasa or ?.  It's a bummer when your working life interferes with
your sailing life. And you are too old to remember how you posted them the
last time.
> Bev Genader
> Quicksea - C&C 37 - Little Sodus Bay Lake Ontario.
> _______________________________________________
> This List is provided by the C&C Photo Album
> http://www.cncphotoalbum.com
> CnC-List@cnc-list.com




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