wongaga said..
Anyone care to share their experience, good or bad, of buying a sail from an overseas loft?
Cheers, Graeme

Almost bought a new screecher from overseas as it would have been over a grand cheaper. Decided to buy local in the end.

The question you have to ask is : If the luff of your new sail is 100mm too long,or the luff curve is wrong, who will fix it? That applies to any workmanship issues.

If you use a local sailmaker, he will come down to your boat and take the sail for repair, then deliver it back.

MorningBird said..
I got my main from Fareast Sails. For the price it is outstanding. Measuring up isn't difficult and the assistance in getting it right is excellent. A few years ago it was $1350 delivered. Best local quote $3200.
If it isn't quite right a local sailmaker will correct it and there is enough competition to get a fair price.

+1 for FarEast Sails - I just got a new main.

Very happy :)

psychomub said..

"The question you have to ask is : If the luff of your new sail is 100mm too long,or the luff curve is wrong, who will fix it? That applies to any workmanship issues.
If you use a local sailmaker, he will come down to your boat and take the sail for repair, then deliver it back."

Not necessarily , my experience much different to that had to take it the local sailmaker to vcat to get a refund on a whole wardrobe of sails that were not fit for purpose.
Best thing about being local was that i had redress through our consumer laws.

Main from.far east, im happy

psychomub said..

wongaga said..
Anyone care to share their experience, good or bad, of buying a sail from an overseas loft?
Cheers, Graeme

Almost bought a new screecher from overseas as it would have been over a grand cheaper. Decided to buy local in the end.

The question you have to ask is : If the luff of your new sail is 100mm too long,or the luff curve is wrong, who will fix it? That applies to any workmanship issues.

If you use a local sailmaker, he will come down to your boat and take the sail for repair, then deliver it back.

Agreed, you need to be confident measuring to go O/S. I now have two friends who have ordered sails overseas and stuffed up the measurements. They had to go back to the local guy with their tails behind their legs resulting in the sail costing more.

A

I've had a good result from Hyde sails. Their agents are Australian but sail made in the Philipines. High standard of work. Price is slightly cheaper than best local price but workmanship is superior.

We have to pay for the fallacy of our politics in the last age.
High wages and living standards made the skills and industriousness of our nation go to who knows where. Asia?
So now we feed them with our demands saving money, and make them rich on the fat of our achievements till they decide to come here by force or stealth and eat us alive.
Aren't we stupid?

However, this thread is about sailing, so how about the sail the Aussie loft made for me three years ago is holding up well, while the Asian made crap, allegedly made in Oz, but really made in Crapganisia, looks like Mother Hubbard's washing, falling to bits after three years.

Ramona said..

FreeRadical said..
Most, if not all, the big loft's sails are made overseas. Very happy with our new Quantum cruising composites. Measured and designed here in WA by Quantum, manufactured overseas with some finishing off back here. Took a bit longer than expected due to a shift in the overseas site, but the measuring was literally millimeter perfect and the end product outstanding. Performance improvement for the boat is unbelievable, and we are still learning. You do pay for this level of product and service, but well worth it in my opinion if you want high performance cruising sails.

I have one of Tony Bull's {Galatea] headsails in a cruising laminate. Tony designed it and it was built in China. Excellent sail and was roughly half the price of a cruising North sail which are also built overseas. Few years old now and still looks new.

Tony Bull did me a Gennaker, built overseas. Good price & quality - happy.
regards,
Allan