I am gathering quotes for a 135 roller furling genoa with a strong enough sailcloth for San Francisco Bay. I came across the site for South East Asia Sails: https://southeastasiasails.com/catalina-headsails/catalina-36-mk-ii-135-...
Has anyone had any experience with this company? I want to buy a decent sail, but the $3k+ prices I've seen from my local lofts as well as what's on the Catalina Direct site from US Sails are just out of my price range, as I don't have a very big sail inventory to begin with. (Currently just my 75% "blade" which does a lot of heavy lifting here in the Bay, a 155 genoa that's not really appropriate for where I sail and continually gets fouled in my spreaders and a pretty nice asymmetrical spinnaker from Rolly Tasker.)
The company above seems to employ a lot of people from Rolly Tasker, and the quotes on their site are even cheaper than RT.
Would love to hear anyone's experience with them, or other suggestions for sourcing not-too-expensive but decent quality sails for a C36.
Thanks, Joe
SV SYLBO
1994 Mk 1.5, hull 1337, M35AC
San Francisco Bay
I'm far from a sail expert, but I would check if they incorporate a luff rope or foam tape to facilitate furling. We've had three genoas- all with either the tape or rope so there must be some truth behind the need for it.
8 oz Dacron seems like the right material. I would guess labor is a big component of the sail cost and if the production is from Asia, and all other things are equal, the cost should be much lower. Hopefully, somebody has had experience with them and can offer comments.
Paul & Wendy Keyser
"First Light"
Rye NH
2005 C36 MKII #2257
Wing, M35B
Joe, I am in SF BAY aswell and in the market for a main sail. I explored the website you posted. Eventhough I have not dealed with them, from the images on their website I would not order their products. The plastic slugs, no battens included, composit head, I would think it will not last as long. The prices are attractive though.
the estimate I have from a US made product is just over twice their price.
Sail La Vie 1999 Catalina 36 MKII, M35B-17031, Coyote Point, San Mateo, CA
About Sail La Vie
Thanks Paul and Haro. I actually got some quotes back from them, and with the charges for things like UV and foam in the luff to enable better shape when reefed, as well as $400 in shipping, the prices seemed comparable to Rolly Tasker, within a few hundred dollars anyway.
But I think Haro's comments about the plastic components are probably right. I have a Rolly Tasker asym spinnaker, and while it's definitely not high end, it seems well made and the components on it are durable and sound.
On another thought, has anyone had any luck sourcing used sails for their boat?
Thanks, Joe
SV SYLBO
1994 Mk 1.5, hull 1337, M35AC
San Francisco Bay
To answer my own question about buying used, I found a good article here: https://waterbornemag.com/used-sails/
It lists several sail brokers and sites to peruse:
http://www.minneysyachtsurplus.com/sails.html
https://www.secondwindsails.com/
https://www.usedsails.com/
https://baconsails.com/bacon/select_sailboat_API.php
https://www.sailexchange.com.au/collections/mainsails?pf_t_luff_length_r...
https://mastheadsailinggear.com/used-sails/
I also came across this site: https://sailtrader.com/used-sails/
As well as a used sail section on this Sailbrite site: https://sailbritemidwest.com/collections/used-sails
Has anyone had any experience shopping for used sails along this route? One of the biggest challenges I've had so far is finding accurate measurements of the luff, leech and foot for the different sails. For instance, I called Catalina Direct to ask for the dimensions of the Ullman Sails on their site, but they didn't have at info.
Does anyone know, for instance, what the dimensions are for the 135% genoa for the standard rig? What about a 125%? Or is there a way I can figure that out based on the I & J measurements listed in the manual?
Thanks, Joe