VIC
29 posts
hi,
im just after feedback and suggestions from anyone who has had
experiences ( good and bad ) with buying sails from far***tsails
in hong kong.
getting quotes for a roller furling genoa and finding prices are high
which is ok but im told the sails and or fabric are coming from asia
so why the high prices.
Ta...
NSW
397 posts
Hi Fairhaven
Everyone i met who bought sails from FES had good things to say and their prices are ridiculously cheap, I recommended them to a mate with a 53 ft Ketch who when receiving them left Cairns to sail to Foa in Tonga, Against the trades and 6m waves without testing them before he left, Everything on the boat broke except for the sails.
There was a thread on this maybe 6 months ago on this forum so do a search. Good luck.
p.s. 6 years ago i bought an overpriced main from Doyle sails, Full radial cut, CX laminate, fully battened etc etc. Over 25000 NM on this main and everytime i pull it up im amazed at the beatiful shape it holds still!!. I think i would go back to Doyles to get a replacement and be happy to pay the extra price even though it is probably made somewhere in Asia.
TAS
824 posts
I understand the price difference but you have to understand what you are getting from a good local sailmaker.
They will come down and measure your boat, give you educated options on fabrics and shapes, fit the sails to the boat and most will go for a sail or two to make sure the sails are what you want and that you are happy. And on top of all that your hard earned is going back into the local community and back into the sport we love so much. Next time you see a YC program have a look at how many local sailmakers, chandleries and riggers sponser local and or junior events!
For a pure cruiser some or all of the above may not apply but for mine I would always rather pay for the right product the first time and if it is not have some sort of re-course/warranty.
NSW
7757 posts
I started a thread a few months ago when I was shopping for a new roller headsail.
Tony Bull Sails in Geelong who is Galatea on this forum provided some interesting info on where most of our sails actually come from. Check out
http://www.leesails.ca/images/Sailsfromchina2.pdf
See if your sailmaker is on the list of clients.
I ended up getting a quote from Tony for a bi radial cut No2 in cruising laminate with all the extras. Tony said straight off the sail would be made at the cfc factory to his design. I had quotes from North and Hyde for the same sail. Norths are made in Sri Lanka and Hydes are Phillipines.
Tony got the order mostly because he was good to deal with and he was far cheaper than Norths in particular.
The sail is superb. Worksmanship is first class. I had the option of a rope luff padding to improve the sail shape when partly rolled and this makes the fully rolled sail a bit fatter on the foil but otherwise its been a first class experience.
I was out sailing yesterday and have been making a movie the last couple of trips of the sail.
I would recommend giving Tony a call.
NSW
2711 posts
I have bought sails in Oz, dealt with Oz sailmakers and bought a Fareast main for my boat. The Fareast main was less than half the price of the Oz quotes, made of Contender cloth, has an excellent shape for cruising and club racing. I am delighted with the sail and the post sale service and advice from Fareast. It cost me $1300 delivered.
My sister is now ordering a main and genoa from them.
If you want to be a competitive racer by all means buy a locally made sail (not one ordered locally and manufactured overseas a la Rolly Tasker sails). You will get a high performance sail with someone to sort out problems; and you will pay for it. My quotes for an Oz made sail were around $4000.
VIC
119 posts
Thanks for the kind words Ramona, we have set up a business plan which uses offshore assembly of our designs. We still have presence here in OZ witha small loft in Geelong in which I spend my days servicing, repairing and making sails. Yes we still have to make a few in-house for a quick turnaround.
With the current value of Oz dollar it would be foolhardy to attempt to match the on-line pricing. So I am certain we are on the right track and the last couple of months business has boomed. I actively encourage people to contact me with their quotes. We look to see if we are talking apples and apples first and then we see if we can match them. If we can't do a product I would be happy to sell you for the that price I will tell you. Then it is your call? But in a few cases we have been able to match far east sails. I must admit most of the FE sails I have seen have been reasonable crusing sails but interspersed in there have been some shockers, usually relating to luff curves and such which will probably be measurement errors.
