Sail saga --a warning!

[Vara]

dolphin sails by any chance? they seem good in my eyes, the fella is doing loads of boats in the marina. And they do the stuff for oyster up in ipswich i belive. but ive been quoted around £1100 for a bimini including stainless on a 38 footer, a new spray hood at a cost of £800 using original stainless, and £300 for new uv strip on each of my headsails. to me its a lot of money but then this seems to be the going rate for a piece of fabric with any sailmaker! them prices are not including vat by the way.

I've got Dolphin spray hood,cockpit tent and hatch covers made by Dolphin. (commissioned by previous owner).

Not impressed, I would follow Fullcircle's advice and go elsewhere!

[alisdair4]

Big Thumbs up to Both Jess Sails (who came in well under budget for a Spray hood) and Saturn who were £70 cheaper than they quoted for sail valeting. Jess Sails in particular gives fantastic service.

[Searush]

While we are on the topic - a big thumbs up for Roger of Mouse Sails (Holyhead) who made my cockpit enclosure. Two existing sprayhood frames covered (main & aft cabins) with zip-out bimini centre & roll up/down sides. Total cost £1250 - fits llike a glove & does exactly what I wanted it to.

We love our conservatory & are currently trying to decide what variety of tomatoes would be best - Ailsa Craig perhaps?

[LONG_KEELER]

Sorry to hear of people having problems.

My two penneth worth...............

Just had a new genoa from Jeckells/Norfolk.

They did everything they said they would.

Sail is fantastic. First trip last week and what a difference !

Pointing and power............

Threw orgasmatron over the side. No longer needed !

[Ludd]

Finally ordered new m/sail from Saturn Sails at Largs,who gave me a lead time of 5 weeks.They came to boat ,measured,discussed possible options and designed me a sail giving about 10% more area. They delivered in FOUR weeks!

I took delivery and sailed the Clyde for a week in winds from F0 to F6,and the sail did the business.On returning to Largs to refuel and change crew,John from Saturn was on the pontoon to check if everything was satisfactory.

Not cheap,but cheaper than Quantum, and at least I got a sail.

Leaving Largs ,had a great sail to Paddy's Milestone----then motored in thick fog and flat calm for 20 hours to Holyhead. Hoping that doesn't happen crossing Biscay!

[LadyInBed]

Do we all have our sail sagas?

Mine is that I use a one man band loft in Weymouth.
He isn't VAT registered and quotes good prices.
He does an excellent job and works accurately to drawings.

What is the down side?
I put an order in at the beginning of February for:
- Re-cut main to shorten by 6" and take a bit of fullness out
- Change to full battens in main and mizzen
- Make new sail and cockpit covers to my spec.

Got the sails back at the front end of April
Picked up the Sail covers last w/e
Still waiting for the cockpit cover . . . .

Four and a half months and counting, but he does do a good job!

[Pitterpatter]

in Dunfermline fitted new UV strip to my Genny for much less than that. More a sails and textiles jobbing shop that a hoity toity sail maker.

Have my old mainsail if you want to borrow it. Its old and nothing special - I nicked a few luff slides off it but would do a job if you need to get going. It needs battens i think too.

Will get it back sometime - my duty main is in good nick so I'm not worried about giving you it for a while.

Seconded for FMT - I've used these guys for a number of jobs over the years and find them great. Currently I'm getting a new sprayhood done and either a canopy or boom tent (depending on how much I can pilfer out of the account without getting rumbled!). The cost for the lot is about what you southerners seem to be paying to a sprayhood - which makes me smile! I've had sails valeted, UV strips added and last year a stack pack made (I think the grand sum was £260 for the SP). As as for quality? In the club/yard/boat graveyard place that I used to frequent on the north side of the Forth there are lots of examples of fabric bits and pieces made by Forth Marine Textiles that seem to be outlasting the rotting hulks they are on.

I saw a 'complaint' on here a while back about the fact that a customer had never met Gerry. Not an issue for me, he is always more than pleasant on the phone and he measures up and fits when it suits him - ie he is in the area. I guess that helps keep the costs down?? I buy lots of things from people without meeting them so I'm not really sure how that is an issue, but each to their own!

[vyv_cox]

Completely different experience from Northrop Sails in Ramsgate. I left my genoa there for restitching of tthe UV strip and some other stitching that had become a little worn, plus a minor repair. It was expected to take about a week. I drove home to North Wales the following day, to find a message on the answer phone that it was finished.

In view of this I had a new hood made from the pattern of the old one, but with a number of detailed modifications to improve ventilation and shade. Plus a new mainsail cover. The two were delivered to my home address in less than two weeks, price as agreed for both jobs. Excellent workmanship in all cases.

[charles_reed]

It is this modern world,

I had a local engineer make some Delrin anchor rollers with big s/steel pins. Gave him a nice little drawing and said need them by Christmas.
No Problem I was told.
A week and a half before christmas I was asked to pay upfront, just a hundred quid.
Being of the generous sort I did so.
Saw the engineer just before Christmas and asked if (this is the last working day before christmas) I am going to get me rollers?
No said he "I am on Holiday"
At the end of the London BS I spoke to the engineer by mobile he told me that the rollers were done and could he have a further 60 quid!

So My rollers are now so late that there is no time to have other made, I have to pay the extra and when I got them to the boat he had cut the shafts 20mm short.
I went and found a decent welder to extend the shafts for me.

This sort of behavior is driving the UK down the drain.

Simes

In fairness to the engineer friend, he might have been caught out the same way as I was, by the price of large diameter delrin rod going through the roof (from stockholders). The price increase was about 65% and due to one of 3 suppliers stopping that particular section - I was looking at 120mm.

[gandy]

This thread shows how variable prices are, or maybe that prices have come down in the last few years. We paid £228 to replace the UV strip on our genoa a couple of years ago, and that was after shopping around. Our sail is 30' on the leach, 16' foot so probably a lot smaller than the examples above.