[C320-list] Head'sl Question

[Joe Geiger]

I went to the Newport Boat Show and had a chance to talk to some sailmakers. 

The guy at Doyle (which is right next to our club) said they use rope, tapered at the ends, instead of foam in the luff as it holds up better over time. He said the foam ones get compressed and lose their benefit. He also recommended a 140% as the best choice between 150% and 135% for our area.  His price ($2675) was not far off the Ullman 150% not on sale. 

I also talked to the guys at Quantum but they didn’t give me a price or talk about what might be best for my boat in the bay. 

As many of you have pointed out, there is great benefit of going with a local loft with their ability to measure, customize and support it. It’s good to support a local business too. 

I think I’m going with Doyle.

Joe
--
Joe Geiger
Vega #722
Greenwich Cove, RI

> On Sep 15, 2019, at 3:18 PM, Ted Harrison <tharrison at innovations-plus.com> wrote:
> 
> And the 30 percent exchange rate is like getting a 30 percent discount. 
> 
> I have heard good things about them. 
> 
> Ted Harrison
> 
>> On Sep 12, 2019, at 6:44 PM, islgirl3 at aol.com wrote:
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> You may want to check Precision Sails in Canada. They built a 135 for me. Excellent customer service and pricing.Rich Nuzzolo 
>> Barbara Rita 
>> On Thursday, September 12, 2019 Jack Brennan <C320-List at Catalina320.com> wrote:
>> OK, I did find the prices on Catalina Direct. There just wasn’t an obvious  link from the email they sent me promoting the sale.
>> 
>> Ullman prices a fully equipped 135 at about $2,400 minus a 15 percent discount, say, $2,050. That compares to $1,700 at Rolly Tasker. I wonder what the local lofts for the same sail are charging these days?
>> 
>> Trying to compare the quality is difficult. Ullman has a huge loft in South Africa. Rolly Tasker has been making sails in Thailand for 50 years. Both have decent reputations for service. I presume any defects would be handled in a professional manner.
>> 
>> If you’re a competitive racer, I think it’s probably worth the edge to hire a local guy whose reputation is at stake. 
>> 
>> If you’re a cruiser, as I am,  I think most of these sails from well-known lofts are going to meet your needs. The 320s are relatively fast boats, so it’s not difficult to get them up over 5 knots, which is a nice speed on a cruise, even in relatively light winds.  
>> 
>> In heavier winds, I tend to heed my automatics reefing alarm – my wife yelling at me. 😊 That’s usually when we’re going more than 6 knots and the boat starts getting uncomfortable. Speed becomes secondary.
>> 
>> I wouldn’t worry too much about measurements unless your 320 has undergone alterations. These are modern, mass-produced boats, and you’re not going to see the measurement differences that you would with, say, a ‘70s model with a production run of 20 in some obscure warehouse.
>> 
>> Jack Brennan
>> Sonas, 1998 Catalina 320, no. 528
>> Tierra Verde, Fl.
>> Dolphin Cruising Club of Tampa Bay
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Sent from Mail for Windows 10
>>