Help replace my mainsail...

Hi Greg,

Thanks for the special invitation to the raft up. I have been following that thread. Unfortunately I wont be able to make it because we are doing the Baja Ha Ha and will be headed down the coast on the 20th. I really would like to meet the other Vikings on the Bay, the timing just isn’t right this time.

Thanks again.

Cheers

Phil

Phil,

I'm jealous. We did the Ha-Ha last year and had a blast. Get ready for way too much fun. Are you going to stay in Mexico for a while?

Phil...

I'm very interested in your offer..and grow more so hour by hour. Would you please call me or e-mail me your tele#?

Howard
Sea Quest (minus one mainsail)
Berkeley
707 280 6360

Howard Keiper said:

Hey, MSC...

You say it fit perfectly...OK, what were it's luff & foot?? )

howard

Click to expand...

I'm in beautiful Muskegon Michigan for the next two weeks on business. When I get home I'll send you the measurements I gave. Off the top of my head I think the luff was 36'7'' and the foot was 13'6". There were quite a few other measurements taken as well. I have very little experience with new sails but I think the sail is awesome. It draws beatifully up wind and on a beam reach.

Michael

Howard,
With FX sails (or AirForce or, to a lesser degree, CDI and some others), you take your own measurements. The sailmaker will not visit your boat. It may be that if you have a poor fit, they will blame it on your measurements. I would think twice before buying a mailsail for which measurements are critical. For an spinaker or an asymetrical, on the other hand, you might get a great deal and the measurments are not so critical.

With FX Sails Bill James will talk you through the measurement process. Discuss the fit of your old sail and any thing you would like to change. He also will pay shipping to have your old sails picked up and delivered to his lost for verification of the measurements you took then get the pine needles that were on the sail from your driveway off and fold and repack your old sails and ship the m back to you.

If you can read a tape measure and follow a diagram of the areas to measure it is very simple. He also had me send a picture of my boat with the main up because I told him my boom sagged. He probably spent three hours with me on the phone discussing the different options and when I told him I didn’t remove the TV and sound system from the boat for races he said forget tri radial save over a grand and enjoy the cross cut sails. When I first started talking to Bill I asked for reef points in the 155 and other poor function or non functional items and he would not supply anything that was a bad investment without telling me that it was a total waste of money. In short he past the test for honesty. He also said re-cutting my old 150 while it was at his lost would give me a marginally functionally sail if cut from one edge and an overpriced worn-out sail if we took material off the luff and leach.

Incase you can’t tell I like Bill James of FX sails and think they are very good sails for a very good price. I would love to have someone measure my boat (= wallet) and make my sails and personally deliver them, install them and test sail the boat but for a grand I can buy a case of beer and have a few friends over to tell me what a great fit the sails are and how great she sails with $980 left over.

The personal service comes with a price and as always if you feel you need it and are uncomfortable measuring your boat spend the money or if you feel like measuring carefully and learning more about sail dynamics than you ever thought you would do your homework and measure and save money. Although my sails have not been raised I have sailed under a new FX main on a Catalina 25 and what I learned preparing for the measuring I am amazed at how much better I am able to read sails and what I can get out of a boat.

Marvin’s Catalina 25 has always been the fastest cruiser in our club until Jim C. joined with crisp new sails on a Catalina 25 that is bare bones and race ready. I have sailed with both and helped make Jim’s boat faster by changing his sail attachment at the clue and a couple of adjustments. we beat Marvin soundly. The next race day I crewed with Marvin and by applying what I learned studying before ordering sails we were off by 45 seconds on the start clock some how and started a distant last but finished ahead of Jim the first race taking second and were far ahead on the next two races finishing first on both races.
Study and apply.


Sorry for the long book. I will have a Margarita before my next reply to mellow me out.

Phil...

You don't list your e-mail address...I have no other way to contact you. I'm interested in your sail offer. Please give me a buzz, will you?
tnx

Howard

Sea Quest
Berkeley
707 280 6360 (cell)
707 746 7163

Greg,

Yep, I know how much fun the ha ha is. This will be our fourth one. It’s the funest sailing event we have ever done. Beats the hell out of the Trans Pac.
We can’t take any extra time off in Mexico this time. I had originally planned on sailing her back single-handed from Cabo via the clipper ship route. Unfortunately I had a bad motorcycle accident earlier this year and now I can’t take that much time away from work so a couple of friends are flying down to Cabo and will sail her home for me. It will be a quick trip, just three weeks down and fly home, but that’s better than nothing.

Howard, I will talk to you soon.

Phil