How to get new sails for your boat

According to sailing lore, every time you hear a sail flog it’s the sound of its longevity, and money, being stripped off it.  

If the sails look old and careworn and are not holding their shape, a new set can make a world of difference to how the boat performs, both in terms of how they handle the breeze and how fast your passages become.

There’s also nothing as satisfying as the sharp “crack” of a crisp new jib as you cross the breeze for the first time.

Sail technology has come a long way over the past decade or so, which means adding a new set of sails to your boat could reap big benefits, particularly off the wind where huge benefits in speed with no loss of control can be achieved.

But how do you plan for a new set of sails? Let’s go through the steps to help you decide.

Sail lofts, where sails are made, are something of a rare thing these days, although there are still a few around.

They’re usually big spaces filled with large benches or massive open floors where sails of all sizes can be laid out as they’re cut and stitched together.

In most instances, the sailmaker you will go with is based largely on convenience – using one nearby can save money on trips to and from the site, as well as freight. It’s also good if you run into any fitting problems once the sail is delivered, or need advice on how best to fit and douse the laundry.

If you’re seeking multiple quotes, calculate them based on the cost per square metre. This can also sense-check what you’re ordering, with a quote that seems too high or low indicating the sail could be the wrong size for the boat.

Everyone wants a new set of sails at the start of the season, so see if you can negotiate a better price for sails made in the off-season.

This is probably the most important consideration when thinking about a new set of sails. 

Few sailmakers offer off-the-shelf sails. That means unless you have an internationally recognised hull built in big numbers, you’re going to have to go down the custom route.

Older boats may be difficult to match to an off-the-shelf sail plan, although some trailer sailers share common plans with racing yachts such as Etchells, meaning jibs and mainsails can easily be made up to measure.

There’s no point in ordering race-cut sails if all you’re going to be doing is cruising the local waterways. Likewise, there’s little sense in going for cheap cruising sails if you want to win the club championship.

If all you’re going to do is puddle around, sails made from Dacron, a type of polyester, provide a cheap, durable and long-lasting option. 

However, if you like heading offshore, sails made from polyester blended with a fabric called Aramid will provide lightweight but strong low-stretch panels suited to more variable and demanding conditions.

Nothing will beat Kevlar-reinforced sails such as Spectra or Dyneema if you're into your can racing. The stuff is expensive but long-lasting and well-suited to particularly larger cruisers.

If you’re in a smaller boat, weight is another important factor. For example, Flying Fifteen sails can come in cuts suited to crews that are less than 138kg combined weight, or over.

Getting a new kite is very straightforward. They’re made out of nylon – never wash them in bleach – in different weights so that they perform best in light or heavy winds.

If you’re a cruiser, having a furling sail is an important factor to consider, especially if it is a furling main. Furling sails are good for cruising, particularly if you’re constantly setting or dousing, while in racing they can greatly speed up sail changes.

Cruising sails also tend to use full battens that minimise flogging – the tendency to flap in the wind – while those cut for racing tend to use short battens to give more control over the shape.

It’s highly likely that no two boats are set up the same, which means a sail made for one boat may not suit the same boat moored beside it. Snap shackles vary in length, and furling drums may sit higher or lower on the deck or masthead, altering the length of the sail's luff (the forward edge) and leach (the back edge).

That’s why it’s always a good idea to bring your old sails into the sailmaker’s loft.

This allows them to double-check if there is something that will fit, and also make any modifications needed, such as extra reefing points if you’re heading offshore or blocks that are not in the same place as the original rigging intended.

If you can't take in your sail because the sailmaker isn't local, take your old sail down, lay it out on the grass and then measure and photograph every part of it, and provide everything to the sailmaker.

Sails aren't made to be modified. It means once a sail is stitched together, you're stuck with it.

Genoas are great in light winds but lose a lot of their efficiency when you need to reef them. A way around this is to get what is called a non-overlapping jib that can easily flip-flop from side to side, making them a much better choice in a strong breeze than a genoa.

There are also many more light-wind choices for going with the breeze, such as a gennaker or Code Zero that may add more versatility to the sail wardrobe over a spinnaker.

There’s not much point in hanging onto old sails, particularly if they become the third set.

Your options here include selling them on consignment via a sail exchange, give them to someone who repurposes them as bags or other household items, or use them around the house – cover some firewood, create a shade sail, make a screen or curtain, the possibilities are pretty endless.

The last thing you want to do is allow them to end up as landfill.