• Untitled Document

    Join us on March 29rd, 7pm EST

    for the CBEC Virtual Meeting

    All EYO members and followers are welcome to join the fun and get to know the guest speaker!

    See the link below for login credentials and join us!

    March Meeting Info

    (dismiss this notice by hitting 'X', upper right)

1970 32 Needs new sails

Chris Haug

Junior Member
Looking to see if anyone has replaced their sails and could steer us towards
a sailmaker in the south orange county area.
Looking to replace the main and the furling jib.

Thanks,
Chris Haug
Ericson 32 #214 :egrin:
 

windjunkee

Member III
Chris,

I have a 1970 32-2 also, in King Harbor. I have a spreadsheet of prices for just about all the manufacturers in the area. I only replaced the #1 genny so far but I'm looking possibly at a light #1 and a main also. After all my shopping, I chose Ullman in Santa Ana. It was their personal involvement that really won the day. Their prices were higher though.

Let me know if you want the List I created. Know, though, that I was looking primarily at racing-cut sails and the #1 genoa we got was a kevlar laminate.

Jim McCone
Voice of Reason, E32-2 Hull #134
 

Chris Haug

Junior Member
32-2 Sails

Thanks for the reply jim...

Would like the spread sheet. and price if you got um...

Thanks
Chris Haug
32-2 #214
 

Dan Hayes

Member III
I've been getting quotes from Far East Sails, in Hong Kong. Looks like they make a blue water sail at coastal prices. Just had a bad experience with Ullman Sails in Santa Ana - quoted me "about $100" for a simple sail repair, then charged me $229. Which was silly, as I told them I am replacing all my sails this fall...

So, I'm still shopping.

I think you're OK getting sails by mail order, if you measure carefully and go with a company that friends have referred. Any other Orange County Ericson owners have a favorite sailmaker?
 

windjunkee

Member III
Well,
We're happy with our Ullman headsail right now. I understand some frustration with sail lofts. Before I started making sail changes, we had 35 year old hank-on sails, all blown out and ugly. I decided to go with a new headsail for starters and did some shopping. I wasn't initially interested in Ullman. They were too expensive for the materials they were using, compared with EP or North. But then they sent Sam down to the boat. His "hands on" approach really changed my mind. Ullman was the only loft that took the time to show that kind of interest. Maybe other lofts will give that kind of service for a TP52 but it seems they ignore the E32.

In any case, we changed out the hank on system to luff foil and had to convert a couple of our old sails to use with the foil. Took them to T&A Sails in Wilmington. He was consistent with his price, but his delivery schedule sucked. It took him at least 3 times as long as he had promised.

I'll be buying a new main this fall and I'm definitely going to go with Ullman again.

Jim McCone
Voice of Reason E32-2 hull #134
 

Seth

Sustaining Partner
Sailmaker

As a former SoCal resident and sailmaker (both in Chicago recently but in Socal years past), I can endorse Ullman without doubt-VERY high quality sails, great service, great people, and fair prices.

There some others I know personally and are worth looking into:

Elliott-Pattison Sailmakers-in the same area as Ullman (Newport Beach/Costa Mesa)

Quantum Sails-has a sales office in Long Beach-also highest quality-slightly higher prices, but in the ballpark-very good service.

T & A are not bad, as are Dair Sails.

In Socal, unless you have a grand prix racer, I would stay away from North-you just don't get the same treatment as with the local boys.

Obviosly Doyle makes VERY nice sails, but are not in the SOCAL area..

Hong Kong or any overseas sailmaker is FALSE ECONOMY. Without any doubt, the quality and materials are lower than that of most domestic sailmakers, and certainly the ones listed. Even more importantly, if anything needs adjusting after they come, and they often do, you are on your own! I just went through helping a NORCAL E-25+ (I think that's what she had-maybe a 28) work through a problem with Far East-the headsail did not fit the track, and was not what she ordered, but what can she do? No-one is going to come down, verify the dimensions, or even more than that, make intelligent suggestions for what sails she really needs and how best to use them. She won't make that mistake again. Sure-if it is an obvious thing, you can send them back and wait who knows how long for them to come back-and still no way of knowing if they will be right.

In terms of materials, there are so many choices, and they are a very important consideration. Your local guys will either send you or show (in a person to person meeting) the samples, and review the advantages and disadvantages of a given fabric.

Sails are not commodities, and the quality can affect the value of your boat. If anyone thinks their boat with overseas sails is worth the same as one with name brand, or even a well known local loft, they are very mistaken. Any knowledgeble sailor will not pay the same price for those sails.

Not that I have an opinion ;) :devil:
Cheers,
S
 
Last edited:
Top