shellback sail choice?

[gray duck]

Curious about what kind of canvas to put up so I'd like to take a poll:
1) polytarp tape and go
2) woodenboat order direct for 320 or something
3) Dabbler - which was recommended here - 420 plus shipping -I'm partial to ducks (as in name) but is the duck patch of dabbler worth 100 bucks? (Dab, if you're reading this I appreciate your quick response/quote and I like the way your sails look.)

[paladin]

Dabler makes nice sails....and he's made a few for me......but right now I'd use the polytarp and go sailing no matter how cold it is........but I would wear the dry suit.......:p

[Clinton B Chase]

OR you can order a complete sail through Sailrite. OR you could have them send a kit and you can sew it yourself.

Google Sailrite...I think they have online quotes.

Cheers,
Clint

[Thorne]

http://www.sailrite.com/Shellback-Dinghy-Mainsail-Sail-Kit
$169.

If you are going to sew your own dacron sail, then making one from polytarp might be good practice. Otherwise I'd be temped to pass on something that costs half of what a real sail kit for the boat would cost.

Another alternative might be to buy a used sail of roughly similar dimensions and rig up a temporary mast and sailing rig for the winter.

Bacon sails has old Sabot sails for around $45, and you can make a mast from 2 2x4's (planed down) and a boom from a good fir rod or 2x2. Just fold the tube luff over and put a grommet through the fold every 2' or so, then lace it to the mast.

http://www.luckhardt.com/brickyardcove1.jpg

That would get you sailing with a real sturdy sail for not much money.

[almeyer]

I ordered a sail kit from Sailrite; the panels were all cut and the instructions were excellent, but neither of the two sewing machines I had could handle the fabric, especially where the corners were reinforced. I finally farmed out the sewing job to a local sailmaker. If you've got a heavy duty machine that can handle multiple layers of dacron, I'd recommend not messing with polytarp, go straight to a Sailrite kit. I can't say that I'm fond of poytarp in the first place, the ones I've seen had a definite "homemade" look to them. You've got a nice boat, spend the money up front and get a decent sail deserving of the boat, and don't look back.
Al

[Nicholas Scheuer]

Anyone considering Polytarp sails shouldn't be asking for opinion.

They might get a frankly honest one.

Moby Nick

[gray duck]

Thanks for the quick and helpful responses. I'll check out the sailrite site.

(Moby Dick, I mean nick, don't be one (subtle hint) and hide your honest opinion in a smart remark. C'mon out and be honest and helpful. Smile.

[Ron Paro]

One more vote for the Sailrite kit. Here is more about constructing the sail: http://jimmyskiff.blogspot.com/2007/05/another-stitch-in-time-plus-nine.html


http://bp2.blogger.com/_XuaT2XHyCMw/Rjf7WTDMKFI/AAAAAAAAAPM/dDx1iz4Az8A/s400/IMG_3128.JPG http://birdsbloomsandbutterflies.com/JSimages/th_IMG_3119.JPG

http://birdsbloomsandbutterflies.com/JSimages/th_FH000009.JPG http://birdsbloomsandbutterflies.com/JSimages/th_FH000013.JPG

[flydog]

I built a 12' sailing dinghy and went through the quandry of the sail. I took the advice of someone on this forum and had Tom Bell of Bell Sailmakers construct a sail for me for $350. I have been very happy with this sail. Here is the link:http://www.bellsailmakers.com/5701.html

Flydog

[JimConlin]

Your earlier posts showed that you've done a good job of building. Get the best sails you can afford.

[openboater]

there is no law that says you can ony have one sail.

build a polytarp now, play with it, buy a kit or pre-made sail later.

those who say bad things about using a poor mans toy (polytarp) have never watched a kid unwrap an expensive toy and then play with the box it came in. enjoy something for the joy it gives YOU. If you sail from a club where everybody wears white, by all means get the professionally made sail.

[Steve Lansdowne]

http://www.duckworksbbs.com/sails/custom/index.htm

[Todd Bradshaw]

....maybe the kid's playing with the box because the toy that came in it doesn't work properly......:)

Seriously though, I always get a kick out of these threads. I suppose I should stand up for my industry and protest, but I don't need more work.

If you've done a nice job on a boat, why should you build a kit or buy a real sail? Maybe because much of the time it will be your only source of propulsion, determining not only how fast you can go but in some cases what direction you can go as well - or is this unimportant because you're only into floating?

If a fellow forumite builds a lovely runabout and asks the collective what outboard to hang on it, are the same people going to come out of the woodwork and suggest that just jerry-rigging a lawnmower engine or a garage-sale trolling motor on it is the way to go for now? There really isn't much difference between the two scenarios. In both cases, you're talking about the "motor" that's going to move your boat (or not) and whether it's worth having a good one or a not-so-good one.

There is also frequently the implication that most people are capable of making a perfectly good sail (which they are) but without really knowing how, learning how or essentially renting that technology via the kit route (which they're not). No offense, but most of you are about as well prepared for scratch-building your own sails as you are for scratch-building your own outboard motors.

The gold standard for home-made, owner-designed sails is generally for them to earn the lofty "it works great" status. It's truly amazing that such a huge percentage of them have attained this level in the eyes of their owner/builders. All these boat owners couldn't be lying, could they? My natural reaction is usually "Compared to what?" but I generally bite my tongue.http://www.woodenboatvb.com/vbulletin/upload/images/icons/icon10.gif

Sailrite has a couple of good videos on their website that show a kit being assembled. They're pretty long and take a while to load, but they're worth watching if you're thinking about doing the kit thing. The page is here:

http://quotesys2.sailrite.com/videoselections.aspx