Replacing the sail on your sailboat or yacht is investing in your sailing future. There are fabric, construction and many sail design options to consider. While various sail makers offer more options than can reasonably be laid out here, the major upgrades and options are explained below.
Material is a major option to consider. The three chief materials are woven fabric, laminate and polyester or fabric laminate. Woven fabric sails are the least expensive option and offer great chafe resistance, though sails made of this material are heavier and are subject to stretching. Laminates are much more expensive than woven fabric sails but are far less susceptible to stretching. They are less chafe resistant but are far lighter in weight than woven fabrics. Polyester or fabric laminates are created by sealing loosely woven fabric material between two sheets of Mylar or similar film. The result is a medium weight, fairly stiff, somewhat chafe and stretch resistant material with a middle-of-the-road price tag.
Seam stitching and reinforcement stitching is the second most important option to consider. Because sails are built by sewing patches of material together, double or triple stitching is offered by many sail makers to create a few layers of protection against tearing.
Reinforcements can be added to various parts of a sail, usually for an additional cost. Common reinforcements offered include leech gussets, corner patches to distribute loads, webbed- or pressed-in stainless steel rings, roller reefing headsail reinforcements, double tapes on the leech, foot and/or luff. You can also shop for a variety of different rope materials and colors.
Sail makers understand that sailors want to protect their new sails against the elements as much as they want to prevent tears. Protection options usually include UV treatments to protect against the sun's rays as well as protective flaps and cleats on the footline and/or leechline.
Once you've chosen function and form, you may want to add a bit of a personal touch to your sail. Sail makers will usually offer to add numbers, letters and draft stripes to suit your taste. Windows are offered by some but not all sail makers. |
|
|
