I am beginning my look into sails for my 40/40. Hoping to retire in 2-3 years and move aboard half time to cruise in the islands. I spoke to Steve Thurston (Thurston Quantum sails) and Neal from the RI loft from Haarstick. These are the two lofts with the most Freedom experience. I got totally conflicting advice. Thurston was totally for laminates, whereas Haarstick was against them, siting longevity and cost versus the minimal performance gains if one is not racing. Interesting to hear what different opinions are out there.
Any thoughts out in cyberspace?
Hi Craig,
I’ve been looking into sail material for a while and I agree with Haarstick’s observations. Many other lofts state the same. Laminates are used for the best sailshape and least weight going over all other considerations, such as costs and durability. Laminates are not very durable and have problems staying in one piece in sunny and damp conditions. Mold buildup between the layers seems very hard to prevent, they sometimes even use fungicides between the layers I’ve heard. So if you’re going to the tropics, consider this.
Another question you should ask yourself is: how often do I sail with a reef? Laminated sails don’t like reefs very much.
You might want to look into some of the more modern dacron materials, most big clothmakers have their own version of improved dacron that keeps it’s shape much longer. Also try to get an idea what kind of cut pattern you want or need, triradial or straight or a combi. Every cloth type asks for its specific way of cutting to get the most out of the characteristics of the cloth. Sail costs are mostly labor, so the more intricate the cut pattern, the more expensive. Glued laminates are often made in a mould and then stiched, this adds to the cost.
Also, think about the cloth weight you want, the heavier, the harder it is to handle, but the shape will be kept longer, even if it’s ordinary dacron.
Good luck,
Michel
Personally I find Haarstick’s sails over priced. Remember that many of Freedom’s vendors were chosen due to their proximity to their factory. This is not to say that Haarstick doesn’t make good sails.
I went through 1 main and several jibs that Haarstick made for BlueJacket and then switched to UK Sails. All of Haarstick’s jibs bellied out, but then again I was sailing in some pretty high winds. My first UK jib was a tape drive, which didn’t handle the cruising environment well. It held its shape very well, but the laminate cracked when it flogged when dropping it in heavy weather. I always drop the main first, which generally takes a minute or two and if you’re in high winds, the jib will flog which really beat up the material. My current jib is also a laminate made out material by Dimension Polyant made out of FLX Penta Taffeta. http://www.dimension-polyant.com/en/Laminate_Cruising_2_3_2_Specs.php
My main, also made by UK, is made of 8.3 oz Dacron and has performed well.
– Geoff