What is self-tacking headsail?

Traditionally, sailing yachts used to have 2 standalone jib sheets, compelling your crew to pull one jib sheet off, while winding the other sheet on, whenever required. However, much of the hassles of manually maintaining such a traditionally complicated headsail goes for an off with the help of self-tacking headsail.
The concept behind self-tacking is very simple – with the help of the automated ticking, your headsail moves around from one corner to the other on its own; without having to grind any winches. It also means no alarm on the deck and your crew need not to manually rush around the deck for tacking.

Some of the key benefits of using a self-tacking headsail
Whether you are managing single-headedly or moving around with a team of inexperienced crew, you no longer need to have any sort of issues or worries. If you have kids on board, you can easily look after them. This kind of self-tacking headsail reduces your investment made on a crew. It is easy to manage; simple to install and most importantly offers you greater power of effortless sailing.

The self tacking process is  simple – it has primarily one jib sheet. The entire mechanism is so simple and advanced that it helps you effortlessly manage your sailing.
The traditional headsails were mush of a difficult thing and sometimes required experienced manpower for controllability. With a self tracker, you minimize your time, effort and money thereby saving on a lot of standalone things.

So, if you need to uncomplicate the entire process of headsail design, and sail through, switch to self tacker. It is easy to manage, simple to install and does not cost you more than you can afford.
If you want more info about how to manage a headsail, if you want to order a variety of headsails, and other sailing accessories; you can click the website of National Sail – the company has been doing quite well and has had a trusted track record of offering a range of improved sailing accessories.
You can visit the website to compare from different sail

What are the unique variations of a great spinnaker?

How do you define a great spinnaker – the definition, however, differs from sailors to sailors. For some, it works great if computer-design aided, for some the traditional spinnakers built using manual techniques work great. Actually, the usefulness of spinnakers vary from time to time, sailor to sailor, water to water and tide to tide. A great spinnaker however is one – irrespective of standalone conditions – that helps you enjoy a smoother ride, relaxing output, improved result and that helps a sailor tide away against the unruly wind.

Spinnakers have long been designed using a rage of styling attribute. The popular being using solid fabric, variety of flexible tools for maneuvering and architectural fundamentals. However; more recently, with the availability of new age tools and designs; having your spinnaker designed the way you want has become simplified. The modern design attributes of a great spinnaker include the following traits

Computer aided designs 
There are a range of design choices when it comes to building a spinnaker. The modern design techniques include computer aided design that ensures you avail great performance.

Quality design, optimum sail shape, and a great look are much important in designing today’s sail than it was before. The design basics differ from sail and the purpose of sailing – however the most basic part of designing a great sailing is actually ensuring that you can compare, buy and choose a spinnaker that can help you tide away the obstacles, an unruly wind and that which act as a helpful guide.

Spinnakers can be opted for with great design, and variations; but before you order yours from a sail supplies company; ensure that it has been designed using the advanced technologies.
To order a variety of spinnakers that are helpful for your sailing, you can take help of a renowned sail supplies company – National Sail. The company has been working really well in the industry and has been offering improved variety of sail design – depending what you require. If you need to order a great sail that works out; please click the website of National Sail.

Benefits of ordering your sail supply accessories online

With the option to compare, buy your products virtually, it has become relatively simpler for a buyer to relax at home, while ordering any type of products. The e commerce websites are helping shops coming close to vendors thereby narrowing down the gap between selling attribute and distances. Taking a clue from the trend, niche websites which specialize in offering a particular type of service are also coming up with their version of products. Sail supplies companies are also in the race.

Since people are gradually turning the whole world into a connected global village, sellers are attracting customers with improved variety of products. Today, you can have the comfort of having your products online. The niche websites are now offering some of the improved ways to buy the products.
The websites are coming up with features such as compare products in which you can compare from the inventory before opting for a product. You can even specifically have your features defined by entering your custom requirements. This actually paves the way. As a buyer, you can define your requirements which are standalone. And that you can even simplify your work. Typical products such as headsails for sale can be opted for after you are ensured of a custom design specific.

Besides the type of products which you can simplify, you even contact the webmasters and then in the contact us, you can ask for any other requirements. This way, the definitions are defined and that a vendor specifically gets the idea of what to order.

There are online sale supply companies which are redefining the concept of sail supply and that by entering specific search queries like – how to buy a sail for sale – you can opt for their websites. Among different companies which are doing sail supply online, you cantrust National Sail company – a niche sail supply company that has been helping its clients by offering affordable, trusted and genuine variety of sailing stuff. If you want to order custom designed sail, built to work and other sailing products which are affordable, please order yours from the website

How to choose a manufacturer – headsails for sale

The popular variety of sailing supplies is changing the way people used to shop earlier. The usual process was earlier to have compare, choose and opt for sailing supplies from any branded store near to the beach or if possible from posh city markets. The process however has met with some changes – today you can compare from a variety of scope to manually compare, choose and then opt for your sailing products. The sailing supplies companies can even be opted for virtually – that means you can sit at your home while comparing from the variety of alternatives.

The process of choosing your sailing supply online usually save you time, effort and necessarily money. You compare from the products and choose the feature you want after comparing from the factors which change or impact the sailing. The products you choose can be of unique types and that before you decide to hire a particular service provider, there are a good number of thing which you do to hekp improve your decision
You can read reviews of experts. That means before opting for the specialized company, you can authenticate its claims by searching about its record. People would review the product about the company online and that before actually ordering a product, you can even compare its features online

The headsails for sale can be chosen online, and that before you get to hire a service provider you can even compare its product features. The services of the company can be compared with other service providers and that you can even customize the headsails according to your standalone requirments.

If you need trusted variety of headsails products which are tailored made and are customized according to your standalone requirements, you can choose a trusted sail supply service provider. There are companies which claim to offer affordable products. But before opting for the products, ensure that the products are of quality and that the company has a trusted record of offering a trusted range of sail spiky products. I you want to ensure that the company has a trusted record and that it has been offering its clients with a range of trusted and affordable products, then you can click the website of the company

Custom sail – What is in it for you?

When we refer to the term custom sail, we necessarily mean a sail that you, as a user can customise – not necessarily after buying but before buying. Custom sail offers greater benefits than pre-ideated manufacturers’ design in the sense that these can be highly customised, and that a customer’s unique preferences are taken into granted while designing. The custom sail helpful in the fact that these can be ordered to be built based on format, type and methodologies. If you require to opt for a custom sail which is based on a number of standalone benefits, you can order a custom sail.

The benefits of ordering a custom sail
The number one benefit of ordering a custom sail than a pre designed one is that as a buyer you have the full control over how your sail would look like how many unique benefits would it include, how differ would it be from the rest, and why you require to buy it. A custom sail necessarily are designed according to your unique benefits and that it is geared to tailored to meet your customized requirements. Many sailors usually order custom sail depending on their voyage. The sail if required for sports differ than a sail which is required for usual outing.

Where to order your custom sail?
You can compare, choose, and opt for and before actually buying understand and necessarily customize the design. You can order your custom sail online, from different variety of manufacturers. Before you trust a service provider, ensure to compare their reputation. There are a good number of service providers who claim to provide you valued range of services. But before ordering your product, it is important that you ensure to review the manufacturer.

National Sail – a fastest growing sail supplies company has a trusted record of offering an improved variety of products based on custom requirements of audience. As a user, you can compare from improved number of choices and before actually ordering, custom order your products.
To compare, opt from improved variety of custom sail from a trusted sail supply company, click this  

Should you trust online sites of sail supply companies for headsails?

Trust National sail for an improved variety of sailing accessories.
How do you choose your mainsails quite often make or break your choice of opting for quality products? Seasoned sailors understand when it comes to voyaging out to far and wide; an orderly-fashioned, properly-devised and made to order headsail works like a horse in the running circuit.  It protects them of unruly wind, tidy weather and untamed waves; it gears them of proper source and most of all, if maintained properly, it helps them staying out of competition. With the popularity of headsails increasing, it is a good thing that sailing supply companies are even coming up setting their virtual shops online. That means gone are the days of manually comparing, and then opting for your sailing supply. With the help of sailing accessories, and the popularity of these accessories, people are rapidly buying their products online

One of the good thing of such vendor’s availability online is that they are easy to find off, and then you can save on your money, time and effort and investment. Just compare the products, and choose the one that you think is good. There are service providers who you can compare, choose before working out to buy. The unique thing of online sail supply is that you can customise your order depending on your standalone choices. It helps you with unique traits and that you can factually compare from endless variety of choice. That means you can opt for your sailing supply online how you require.

When it comes to choosing a company, because of the Internet you can even review the reputation of the company online. That means you can compare from the variety of choices and before opting for a trusted variety of choice, you can work out with deciding ways.

Online sites of sailing supplies can be of trust if it has a trusted work system and that if it maintains credible list of reviews by its customers. Before you get to choose a company, you can even opt for its services online and after you are customizing the products 

Main sail buying tips

When buying a main sail for your boat (whether it is a brand new or a used one), you need to take care about some factors which may affect your boat’s performance during the offshore trip or race. By understanding these basic factors you can help yourself in your main sail search.

• Material: while the earlier sails were made up from Dacron, today the premium plastic made sails are the hot favorite due to their low cost, longevity, durability, soft touch, UV stability and better performance in all types of wind conditions. But the only problem is , it cannot deliver the same weight saving or shape that is usually offered in Racron.
• Corner, clews and eyes: In the opinion of traditional sail makers the hand stitched corners and clews are best, but the others prefer the high quality pressed-in eyes. While a wide range of quality of eyes is available in mainsails for sale, the stainless steel made eyes are regarded the best.
• Batten banter:  It is completely your own choice to decide that whether you want to buy a full length batten or a partial batten. While partial batten is simply adjustable, easy to trim according to wind and cost effective. For more improved results, you can have two partial battens for distributing the load of sails.
• Reef Points: After deciding the batten style, pay attention to the number and position of the reef points in the available options of mainsails for sale. Instead of traditional three reef points, today the two reef sails are popular because of better area and performance.
• Loose or fixed foot:  You can choose the mainsail in any of these two options as per your convenience, yet the loose foot is the ongoing trend as it helps in easy and efficient sail trimming.
• Taming of mainsail: The classic Dutchman stowage system is still effective even after the launch and popularity of modern flaking systems with lazy jacks and cover system combos.
Making the decision for selecting a right option from many mainsail for sale is difficult one for an average sailor. So take your time and consider the cost efficient, high performing and potentially durable mainsail for your boat. 

What is storm sail ?

Did you know marine insurance premiums are most often cheaper and easy to pay off if leisure boats carry storm sails abroad?

A storm sail is generally a sail of smaller size, which is designed using stronger material than its rivals ones used in ordinary weather. They are popular for being one of the essential accessories in the sailing wardrobe used by sailors – for recreational or racing events. Storm sails are very important when sailing offshore in areas with storm winds and a unruly weather is a necessity.

The benefit of storm is that it offers better steering and reduced hassles. There are some important buying considerations which you should take into consideration before buying one. They should be rugged and strongly finished to ensure that they are capable of handling storm conditions. For a better steering and improved variety of flexible design changes, a storm sails with gearing accessory is very important. There are a range of methods which you can opt for to compare, buy and opt for your storm sails, but before opting for a sail, you need to be very much careful about choosing a product from a trusted vendor.

With the help of the online vendors, you can even customize your storm sails according to your standalone and budgetary requirements. Before choosing your online storm sail vendor, you need to ensure that the company is experienced enough. Ensure that it has the proper skill set. The company need to have a trusted portfolio of work.

There are online vendors who offer an improved variety of trusted work system and there are service providers who understand how to cater to the custom design requirements. Before you choose your service provider, ensure that it has in its portfolio sailing accessories, which you can customize.
You can order your custom sailing products online from the website. The company has a trusted portfolio of products and before serving its clients, it listens. The company has in its portfolio products that a user customize according to needs. To order the products, to compare from listed variety of products at an affordable price; please click the website

Let’s get some knowledge about spinnakers

Usually people feel uncomfortable to deal with spinnakers and that’s why, they are often found buried in the fore cabins of cruising boats. Only the trained and expert sailors know that a spinnaker can bring a light wind passage to life and help you in the resorting to the engine. More you use them,more you will start exploring its benefits in an offshore sail and they become you easier to handle.
There are two types of spinnakers:  asymmetric and symmetric. An asymmetric spinnaker is installed by flowing on the bowsprit that fits on the bow of a cruise boat. On the other hand a symmetric spinnaker is flown on the pole in the front of the mast. A spinnaker has three corners and three sides; the corners are generally labeled with color codes, starboard side is colored green and  the seaport side is colored with red.

Turtles (spinnaker bags): It is used for storing and hoisting the spinnaker. It is a tubular hoop that is sewn into the opening that keeps it open so that the sail can freely fly. For securing it to the guardrails, there are snap hooks outside the turtles. So there is no fear of being lost overboard when the spinnaker is hoisted.

Spinnaker poles: the role of a spinnaker pole is to hold the windward edges of the spinnaker and to position it. It is installed on the mast and there are an uphaul and a downhaul connected with it to support its weight.  In the market, there are two utterly different types of pole system available:

• End for end pole system: It has two bridles run from each end. The middle of the top bridle is attached with pole uphaul and the middle of the bottom bridle is attached with the pole downhaul.
• Dip pole: Here, both the uphaul and the downhaul are connected to the outer edges of the pole.
The other essential accessories with a spinnaker are halyards, sheets and guys. While halyard is used to hoist a spinnaker, guys and sheets support in controlling the ship.

Headsail for sale – How to buy

Before you buy a headsail, it is important that you are defined about your expectations. Buy a headsail from a brand. Read how to buy your headsail
Headsails – whatever purpose be it required for – whether a simple cruising down the line or competitive sport – you need to be very much apt and informed about your sailing product. A good headsail can help you sail through unruly wind and tides; but the product need to be manufactured using top quality material and that it need to be structured. With the help of the Internet, you can virtually compare, choose and opt from headsails, but before stooping to opt for a product, you need to be informed. With the help of a good headsail, you can scale through. Read how to choose a good headsail for sale .
Headsails can be bought from specialised sailing accessory companies and stores. Before purchasing one product, you can compare from the alternatives and depending on your customised and budgatery requirements, purchase. However, before you buy your headsail; ensure that the product is designed and manufactured by a top quality brand. Opting for a cheap product is a bad move since it risks your sailing safety.
Headsails can even be compared, chosen and ordered online. With the help of the World Wide Web, sailing product suppliers are coming online to reach to a wider group of audience. You can reach one next to your locality or near to the sailing start off. The good thing about the headsail available onlne is that you can customise them – when we refer to the term ‘customise’ we necessarily mean that you can change the size, and features based on your requirement. After entering such basic details you can see a preview of your product, before getting it ordered.
Such facilities are helping uncomplicate the entire task of headsails for sale. People can save on time, money and effort by ordering and comparing product from home. Sellers can reach to a wider set of audience. To order your headsails, to customise your headsails etc., please click the website 

How to buy your storm sail?

Strom sails buying can be hard task, things get even tough if you do not have proper variety of skills and understanding and that if you are new to the sailing world. Before opting for your storm sail, there are some important things that you need to take into consideration. First of all, buy your storm sails for sale from a respected sails manufacturing and Accessories Company. The company needs to have a portfolio of services and the products need to be distinguished based on type, size and features.
Storm sails is an important part on your sailing voyage, the sail type helps you unwind and technically uncomplicate the task of waving though tough time, and unruly wind.. But some of the storm sail types are best operated by technically-skilled people, and sailors who have had enough years of experience. If you are a beginner, it is importantly vital that you stoop to purchase a low-profile yet easy to handle and inexpensive storm sails that you can easily mount on your yacht, and then operate without having to much worrying about your crew to handle it. Buying a storm sail that is simple and uncomplicate to operate is the first essential step to gradually earning top most skills to operate a highly complicated and big storm sail. So, start of small!

After your storm sail selection – based on which type of sail you want – is decided, you need to technically choose a good company. Technically refers to a service provider that has a trusted track record of offering updated and customized storm sail products to clients. The company need to have a portfolio of products, and that its products need to be clustered based on type and feature variation

The company need to offer you customized products selection feature. That means you should be able to tell your personalized and budgetary requirements to the storm sail company, and then it should offer you products based on your requirements.
If you require to buy storm sails for sale, if you want to post any type of inquiry about maintenance and operating procedure of your storm sails for sale; please click the website

How to choose your headsails?

Whether you are racing or cruising; choosing a headsail that works is perhaps one of the most difficult yet challenging tasks while sailing. Choose a wrong headsail and complicate the use, performance and safety of your voyage. Choose a big headsail, and risk your boat of becoming over powered. On the contrary, if your sail is small, the speed and performance will be reduced and that there may not be any feel at the helm. If you are choosing a large boat, which usually can contain ample variety of headsail, the staysail which is set on proportionate angle is good. Be your sail is headed for racing or simple cruising; choosing proper headsail gives you the skills and ability to correctly position it, handle it and that if you are out on a voyage with a crews, the crew could manage it effortlessly.

Selecting proper headsail is somewhat a technical matter, and the more accurate your headsail is according to your cruise, better performance you get. With the popularity of sailing sports and cruising, there are a good number of companies that manufacture headsails, staysails and mainsails. The specification and price of the products usually vary depending on the custom requirments of users. As a sailor, you can even customise the products according to your standalone requirements. There are headsails for sale which you can compare, choose and buy from reputed manufacturers; but for a new sailing adventure; particularly with a team of new crews, it benefit to have a new headsail – designed according to your requirements and considering the unique traits of your sailing.

There are a good number of companies; some even have websites. Today, it has become simple to order your headsail. One such companies is National Sail – a reputed company that has been set up with the core intention to offering its valued customers a range of unique sailing products including headsails, mainsails. You can compare, choose and opt for its products from its portfolio. The products are designed and custom developed after considering the unique budgetary and personalised requirements of clients. To know about the products, or request an order; please click its website 

Read about spinnaker and the perfect way to buy it custom designed

First it happily flies with the wind and then balloons out in front of the boat when deployed –helping the boat move steadily without wave and wind hassle. Usually constructed using light-weight fabric such as nylon and often coloured shiningly; it is easy to optimize to cater to a particular range of wind angle. They have long been a preferred device for sailors to sail of the wind from a reaching course. We’re talking about spinnakers – named by different titles in different places; such as a kite and chute.

There are two basic forms of spinnakers in use today namely symmetric spinnaker and asymmetric spinnaker. Choosing the right spinnaker depends on a number of factors; some of which necessarily include – the wind speed, wind angle, type and duration of sailing, no of people on board etc. The symmetrical spinnaker is perhaps the most widely used. Asymmetrical spinnaker is also in use for racing events. Both type of spinnakers are functionally useful and easy to use. But how you use and which type of spinnaker is a classic type depends on the factors we told earlier.

There are service providers and sail manufacturers who offer improved type of spinnakers. These spinnakers can even be customized according to sailing requirements. There are service providers who assure improved variety of custom designed products. Before you choose a product, it is important for you to compare, choose from the products; and before buying; you should compare the features with your initial requirements.

Articulate your requirements, define your needs and calculate the savings in terms of the products and your budget. Generally, if you are to buy a custom designed spinnaker, you require to invest more since the manufacturer needs to put in added skills and time by customizing the original design.

A good service provider to get your custom built spinnaker is National Sail – the company leverages on its domain expertise, skilled manpower and calculative process to design, automate and manufacture your spinnaker according to your custom requirements. You can ask the company for quote about designing a custom spinnaker 

Should you buy custom-designed mainsail online?

Traditionally, sailors have always preferred to buy mainsails and other custom designed sailing equipment locally; since it is easier for a manufacturer to visit the sailor, inspect the boat and then custom design it as per the requirements and design. This has always been a good decision until the arrival of the World Wide Web; which has made the whole world a global village. Today, you can order anything at the click of a mouse. Add to this, the virtual mode of purchasing your products save your time, effort and money. Read why you should buy your mainsails for sale online.

Every sailor knows that how important is the design specification when it comes to manufacturing mainsails for sale. A wrong design can virtually hinder the process of free vessel movement other than affecting the speed, and usability. That’s why before a vessel’s main sail is designed, the manufacturer should have proper understanding of the vessel. Manually selecting a manufacture from your locality or region is helpful in this regard, but then these days manufacturers who have online presence, are putting forward easy to use software and scope for sailor to enter the specifics about manufacturing a main sail and other sailing equipment.

As a sailor, you need to choose from a range of designs and sizes etc. Once the specifics are defined, your manufacturer begins the manufacturing process and keeps you updated with the process so that you know what is being done, and how. The virtual mode of purchase means your products will be shipped at your door step. This means if you want to develop custom designed sails from a specific manufacturer, you need not to worry about the geographical distance between you and the company.
To order a main sail, to request custom quote; please click the website.

How to make your headsails go longer?

The term Headsail is used to refer a specific kind of sail in a sailing vessel that is pointed towards the foremost mast. Headsail incorporation is crucial for altering the speed and balance of a vessel, and ensuring that wind direction is properly utilized in favor of the vessel. While opting for a headsails for sale deal, make sure that the sails are of best grade.

If you have sailed any time before, you might’ve seen staysail, which is a thoughtful combination of jibs and genoa. This staysail is the most common form of headsail. Some headsails are however used and set without the incorporation of any forestays; for example a spinnaker.

How to ensure your headsail works for longer?
The initial shape and design of a headsail gets changed as it ages. Laminating the sail using proper ingredients could help you extend its life. If the sail is not functional, you however need to uninstall it from the vessel and then keep it secured in a dry place.

To ensure improved functionality of your headsails, it needs to be installed, mounted and unmounted by an expert. Once it is installed, it should not be used quickly. Give the headsail some time so that it can adjust with the wind and then slowly move forward. Every journey you embark on should be facilitated with a cool, evenly distributed headsail.

Buy your headsails from a trusted headsail manufacturer. Sailors who complain mostly with the quality of their sails are the ones who have purchased without defining their needs. Before buying your sail, define what you need, understand the size and specification of your vessel and your itinerary as well.
To buy superior quality headsails for sale from a custom sail manufacturer, please click the website now. The company is supplying custom designed sails, headsails etc. for nearly 19 years.

Why you need a storm sail for your boat

If you love to sail off-shore more than just cruising along the coastlines, obviously you will need to keep a number of good storm sails aboard. It can be a storm jib or a trysail. Ideally you should have both. We wish you don’t get trapped in storms often but you need to keep your eyes on storm sails for sale offers to grab best deals.

Apart from off-shore sailing, storm sails do have another part to play. These are essentials in yacht racing. Sailors need storm sails made of strong Dacron to participate in the raching competitions. This is rule you’ll find everywhere. Storm sails can bear the force of high wing knots. Not only the material, stictching too is important.

But a sailor needs to be experienced enough in order to judge whether the prevailing weather will require the use of storm sails or not. You cannot set these sails when the storm has already taken you in its grip. Ttiming is highly important--when to reach for these sails and when to set them.

When we talk about the right and suitable sails, the basic requirements are:
• It must be constructed with a very heavy-weight sail cloth, ideally a strong Dacron
• This must be suitable to the size and dimension of the boat.
• The color of the sail must be bright (usually sailors prefer orange), so that it can be easily visible in the gray and white sea.

A variety of Storm sails for sale are provided by many manufacturers and you will obviously choose according to your budget. Pick a company or supplier who has earned a name. Check the credentials, learn who is the sailmaker and then decide. Don’t go for the gloss, experience is what you should value.

But we must say that although the sail is designed to safeguard you and your crew aboard it is much better to avoid risk. Pay attention to the weather forecast before you start.  

There is something about the mainsail battens

The speed of a boat and the shape of the mainsail is highly affected by the battens that mainly aim to support the roach of the sail. 

The battens are usually available in two types:

• Full length battens: this kind of battens cover the extends of the entire sail; from the leech to the luff. These are further categorized on the basis of their bend and draft position.

• Leech battens: It extends from inboard to leech and available in a large variety such as hard, medium-hard, medium soft, medium and soft. 

It’s the sail manufacturer who chooses the battens according to the shape, size and material. 

Although, the battens are selected to set the draft position of the sail and not to alter it, yet the batten stiffness and tension can be changed to maintain the desired shape of the sail.

Installation of the battens 

The mainsail leech has two types of pockets where the battens can be attached:

• The leech pockets, where no further adjustments are possible.

• The pockets where batten tension can be adjusted as per the circumstances.

Choosing and changing the battens

According to the experts’ recommendation, always the middle two battens, that your sail manufacturer has provided to you, should be used. Further the batten should be used to the softer bend so that the lower leech may receive improved power and pointing. To make things easier and simpler, one should carry the two top battens. When you are buying online and checking the 

Mainsails for sale available, you must inquire for the batten details.  

It’s also good to carry some extra battens on a sailboat and keep changing them according to the circumstances. Though it seems a tricky and troublesome task; if you can do it properly that will help increasing the speed of your sailboat.

When you are buying a sailboat for the first time

The idea of buying a sailboat of your own is of course an exciting one, but it also is a daunting task if it’s your first sailboat. Needless to mention that you’ll need to do a proper research and homework before making a deal with the seller, whether you are going to buy a factory-fresh one or have your eyes set on the one that has already been into stranger shores. There are some points that must be considered so that you can feel a proud owner of your first sailboat.

The purpose
You may need it solely for recreation, to take your friends and family on board for weekend trips or vacation coastal cruising or the purpose is absolutely commercial like fishing or touring. Apart from all these, you may want a super-performing boat that will make you win races. Off-shore boats, racing boats and simple weekend sailing boats further differ in terms of hull type and keel type. One that’s best for extensive saltwater sailing may not be ideal for river cruising.

The cost 
This is the next most important point to be considered. It includes the basic cost along with the insurance charges, dock fees, training (operational and functional), upgradation, safety equipments, regular maintenance charges and many other applicable costs.

Online research is a must 
The very basic step to be taken by the first time buyers is to go online and conduct a proper research about available options, model, configurations, comparative prices, opinion of the experts and the reviews by the existing owners. It could be a catamaran, a yacht or a racing dinghie, find every detail available on the web.  All these can increase your knowledge to find the best deal.
You should do the same while buying sails. Find a reputed supplier who can provide you both custom and stock sails, be it Headsails, Mainsails or Spinnakers.

Inspection and trial
Before buying the boat you choose, a trial ride is a must. Inspect properly, every inch of it. Ideally you should hire a consultant and take him along. 

Why people prefer sailboats over the motorboats

Sailboats and motorboats are different in terms of craft, construction, engineering and the ‘fun’ factor. People prefer one over the other according to their convenience and will. While a motorboat is fast, don’t require air to sail forward and is a hassle-free vessel for short trips with friends and family, sailboats combine the thrill, adventure, and excitement of manual sailing. Although motorboats are convenient and easy to sail, those who are passionate about sailing will always vote for the sailboats. Many of such Pro sailors even sail with kids on board.

First of all, sailboats are less burdensome so far as the maintenance is concerned. Not only the buying cost, day to day maintenance expenditure of the sailboats is low. It’s absolutely wallet-friendly. By spending a small amount for engine maintenance and parts, you can enjoy sailing the boat for many years. Besides, since fuel requirement is low, these boats are economical. Just a few gallons of gas and it can last for the season. You and your friends can plan long trips, whenever you like, without feeling weighed down because of the fuel charges.

Now let’s get to the main point, the real reason behind sailboats being preferred by the bravehearts. With a sailboat you can set yourself free with the wind and the waves. Nothing can match the thrill of finding your way against the odds and the excitement of feeling the adventure on your skin while the high knots and waves throw a challenge to your courage. This cannot be experienced on a convenient motorboat.

But if there’s a hero of the show in sailing, then it’s the sail itself. We always suggest sailors to go for custom built sails, if they are not in a hurry. Custom sails provide better performance and control than stock sails. Do check the link to take a look at our inventory.

Popular sailboats and their uses

When we visit to a seafront, we often see a large variety of the sailboats sailing on the water. It’s sometimes hard to differentiate and identify. Let’s take a look at some popular sailboats, how we can identify them and their uses.

There are three main criteria or the characteristics on which sail boats can be classified:                        

•Keel type: The lateral surface on any sailboat is the keel that aims to counter the force of wind and create the lift by generating the forward motion. Some types of keel used in the sail boats are wing keel, fin keel, centerboard, daggerboard, etc.

•Hull type: A hull is the main part of any sailboat that is usually made up of fiberglass, wood or metal. When we say types of hull, we mean the number of hulls in a boat-- Monohull (one hull), Catamaran (two hulls) and Trimaran (three hulls). A Trimaran hull gives comparatively more stability to a sailboat.

•Sails and mast configuration: (catch, schooner, cutter, cat, yawl, sloop, fractional rig sloop, etc.)
Uses: From the ancient time, sailboats are being used for many purposes like trade, sport and naval defense. With the advancement in sailboat engineering, propulsion now is less dependent on the wind-force. Contemporary sail boats are very versatile and comfortable. These can be extensively used for a number of coastal cruising itineraries, recreational activities and racing.

Spinnaker boats, dinghies and some other newly developed models have redefined sailboat racing. The trend has picked up more pace in recent years and in a country like US that boasts of such long shorelines it’s quite natural that we’d have at least one yacht or boat racing championship in every month of the year.

So hobby sailors get busy all the year around, cleaning, polishing and repairing their boats, testing the spinnakers, placing order for a new one or working hard to improve race timing. 

How to buy customized sail boats and sails online

Buying a sailboat requires well-planned execution of calculated ideas, basic understanding of your sailing challenges, and type and form of the sail boat you would need for cruising. With the availability of a host of online sellers who offer unique ranges of functional sail boats ready for delivery after tweaks and customization, the task of choosing a sail boat has become simpler.

You just need to decide on the features and functionalities you would require-- its shape, size, basic configuration and brand. Online sellers have uncomplicated the process of buying your custom-designed sailboats.

Like the sailboats, sails too can be customized based on your necessity – be it a spinnaker or a mainsail. Online sellers usually have templates and entry form in which you can key in your custom information. You can enter your name, email, boat type, type of spinnakers etc., address for shipping, other comments and then submit.

Doing this, you can expect a quick reply from the online sellers who would provide you with a predesigned mockup of your sails. You can review it and after some basic modifications you can get it ordered online. Once done, the custom-designed sail will be ready for you and be delivered at your doorstep. The process is as simple as this!

There are a number of such vendors online but you need to check the credentials before ordering. One of such companies is here – you can compare, view, review, and order your custom sails boat or even customize one depending on your personalized and budgetary needs.

The company has been helping clients with quality yet affordable sails and sailing equipment with a mission to help sailors rule the seas. Click the company website for custom-built sails. They have a range of in-stock sails too. You can pick one if you are in urgent need.

Things you need to consider before buying a headsail

Choosing a proper and effective headsail, be it for racing or for cruising, is perhaps the most difficult yet important decision for a sailor. A wrong headsail could have negative effect on the safety and balance of the boat. If your headsail is too bigger for the boat, expect the boat to become overpowered; this would result in heel and helm. If your sail is too small, expect compromises on speed and power.

The choice of headsails should be simple – it should help you maintain an evenly-built balance while without compromising in the power of sail. It should properly give you an edge to winding through the waters, without making a huge effort. There are different kind of headsails available for you to choose from including the custom-designed ones, constructed according to the type of your sail boat and nature of sailing.

More complex, ambitious, and challenging your cruising itinerary is, more improved and sturdy should the headsails be. As an example; a heavier sail is good for breezy days while a lighter, fuller sail performs well when there is less wind. Apart from the variations in wind, the nature of cruising also acts as a deciding factor.

Most headsails are built to perform well within a specified wind range. For conditions in which seas are choppy, you need more power, it is important you keep fuller sails towards the top of the boat range. While choosing your headsails, it is important that you compare and then choose from the branded products.

Choosing a quality headsail for sale improves your chance for a safe sail. To compare, choose, review and opt from quality headsails, you can click the website – the company has in its portfolio trusted range of affordable headsails, manufactured by Rolly Tasker, the most experienced sailmaker of our time.  

A first time buyer’s guide to choose a new or used sail boat

Want to get a sail boat soon? Which one should you consider – New or Old ones? Well, things depend on a lot of factors – cost considerations, buying process, and the condition of the boat etc. Some choose to buy a new one because they want everything new whereas some want to pick from used boats to save a few hundred dollars. What should you be choosing from? We take a note!

Define your needs 
Which type of boat do you need – a simple recreational boat or a boat for family outings?
Which form of basic sail boat should be good for you – sloop vs. ketch, catboard vs. catamaran, fixed keel vs. centerboard? Knowing which basic form of boat serves your purpose reduces the hassle of choosing the boat you want to buy.

Where will you be sailing? A more flexible yet sturdy boat is what you need if you will be sailing on tough tides.
What should be the size of your sail boat? As mentioned above, if you require a simple boat for weekend recreational trips, skip the larger ones.

Besides, sailing gears, the time needed for you to manage your boat, the brand of sailing boat etc. are needed to be considered when choosing between a used and new sail boat.
Generally, an old boat is not a bad deal if it seems to be sturdy, has not been used too frequently by the sailor, if it is made of solid materials and has scope for further upgrades.
Still if you don’t like the idea of buying something that has been used by others, wait for a while and accumulate the money for a new sail boat.

To know about sailing boat, mainsails for sale, storm sails for sale etc., click this website. We have an inventory of ready-made sails and are a pro in custom built sails.  

About Spinnakers – Your friend at sea

A spinnaker is a special type of sail specifically designed for sailing off the wind – it could be lightweight in material and even large. More commonly, it comes as balloon-shaped, and is easy to store away when unused. The basic purpose of using a spinnaker is to make the most of any downwind air while the yacht is running in that direction.
A very important tool and part of sailing, a spinnaker can be attached easily and detached quickly. They come in different designs and patterns and of course colors. You can order pre-made spinnakers or place an order for one that meets your custom requirements.
Whatever you buy, the longevity of your spinnaker depends on how good you are in taking care of sailing equipment and sails.

Some best practices to have a spinnaker that works for a long time--
• Make sure you are buying from a trusted spinnaker supplier
• Make sure that the sail-cloth can support your itinerary. If you are going off-shore, you’ll need stronger Dacron and if you are picking one for racing, then again you need a special variant of Dacron or else your sail can get torn apart.
• Pack properly and store in a safe place.
• Your sail should not suffer from any type of decay. Use it at intervals.
• Clean your spinnaker to remove airborne contaminants.

As mentioned above, buying your spinnakers from a trusted supplier is very important. Opt for a supplier that has a credible record of providing spinnakers in great variety of designs, patterns, and fabrics.  Besides, it should give you a guarantee of quality. One of such suppliers is here – the company has carved a niche of its own for providing quality spinnakers, custom built sails etc.
Check the spinnakers for sale or design your own, according to your personalized choices. 

How to order your storm sails

Did you know that sailing in heavy weather becomes dangerous not necessarily for unruly waves and unfavorable wind but most common mishaps usually happen because of lack of judgment from the sailors and an inability to predict the next course of action?
Things become worse if you have sailing tools that are outdated. Imagine this – You are trying to maneuver your boat against high waves and wind. Gradually the waves become so steep that the top of your boat collapses on the face of the wave – leaving you struggle for balance which you find hard to accomplish because of your outdated sailing tools, a storm sail for example that does not work.

Every single sailing tool is important. In this blog we will discuss about storm sails.
Every boat that ventures into off-shore routes should carry a suite of storm sails as the most essential equipment. To sustain the stormy wind and waves, these sails are designed using very high quality cloth. There are different variations of storm sails. You can order your pre-designed storm sails or get one custom-designed from online suppliers.

Some basic requirements to remember before you buy or custom design your storm sail--
• Your sail should be tailored according to the dimensions of your boat. A computer designed, hand finished sail works well.

• Sail cloth should be designed in a way that it can handle rough weathers.

• It should come with extra stitching for increased endurance.

You can choose from different designs, patterns and fabric variations. Before you order your storm sails online, it is important you read reviews of the users who purchased from the store earlier. Choose someone who is reputed, in the trade for not less than 10 years and has a record of providing affordable solutions. Click here to get your storm sails for sale.

What does it mean by a custom-built sail?

The trend of buying custom-designed sail is up, and for some good reasons. People are opting for bespoke designed sails depending on their specific requirements and surfing habits. Instead of just adding ready-made sails to the cart they are learning about the types, built and quality of the sails.

And they definitely don’t buy if they don’t seem happy with the product descriptions. Besides, some vessels are so designed that you cannot think of anything else than specially designed sails.

This trend is not a new one. In the early days of seafaring, sails had always been custom designed. There was no internet and online shopping. Sailors and owners of the boats used to visit the sailmakers, discuss about the sail plan, provide them with the measurements and the sails were made.

20th century had to introduce bulk production and ready-made sails to cater to the rising demands but almost 50% sail buyers always preferred custom sails like they do today.

A sail should be designed in such a manner so that it can withstand the wind and bring a balance between surfing time and power. It is designed based on certain quality aspects so that to provide the surfer with necessary grips and edges.

When it is designed on the basis of custom preferences of a customer, it is called a custom-built sail. Even in the ‘70s or ‘80s buyers needed to make an appointment with the sailmaker and he used to visit the boat, take measurements before getting into work.

Today, everything can be done online. You just need to log in to the supplier’s site, learn about the ordering process, provide the details and place the order. The sail will be delivered at your doorstep. Check our site for example. We are the proud supplier of Rolly Tasker sails. But if you want to have a ‘loft’ experience, you are always welcome. Your custom sail order will be taken care of anyway.

Tips to buy a spinnaker that will last long

Sometimes clients knock our door with loads of complaints about the spinnakers they bought from other suppliers. Some of them complain about the longevity issues, some of them think that the design is too bad but they couldn’t visualize before buying. (This is why we have kept design your own spinnaker section on our website)

Many of them say that the sail couldn’t survive tough winds and they had to be in deep waters. Now, we prefer to remain tight-lipped. We can only talk about our quality and we know that we don’t have to say anything out loud. Performance speaks and our Marketing department makes merry.

Believe us, we never go fishing customers, they in fact hunt us down. And here are a couple of words to help you out buying a spinnaker that will last long.

Quality 

A good company usually manufactures products ensuring the customer requirements and provides improved type of solutions. A spinnaker needs to be chosen based on quality, if you know that the company that manufactures spinnakers is working well with a trusted record of providing value-oriented solutions, you can buy one!

Price

Do not buy spinnakers without comparing prices offered by a number of suppliers. Prices of course vary because of the quality of the Dacron used, stitching, quality of the threads, type of stitching, craftsmanship and a lot of other things. You should buy something that will be value for money.

Itinerary

Where are you heading or what you are going to do with your boat and the sails is a key factor for the longevity of any kind of sail, not only spinnaker. With a spinnaker made for simple moderate wind cruising you cannot expect to win a yacht race. Even if you manage to win, the sail will pass away right after.
To learn about different types of spinnakers for sale, please click the website.

10 tips on sailing offshore in heavy weather

Even experienced sailors sometimes suffer from anxieties leading toward poor decisions. What actually can make you survive in a storm is the presence of mind.
And of course you should have a detailed knowledge of the sails and sailing equipment so that when the big waves strike and wind blows high you’d know what to do or which sail to switch in order to keep the boat in balance.

Below are 10 tips. Let’s assume that the wind is blowing in an average of 25/30 knots and waves are high enough, 8 to 10 feet.
• The first thing you should do is reefing the main so that you can reduce excess power.

• If suddenly caught in high winds, start the engine first and keep the bow straight. This is for buying time while changing the sails.

• After the main is reefed, the very next task is to raise the storm jib as a foresail. The combination of a reefed main and a headsail is good but not too many headsails.

• You need to flatten the luff of the mainsail so that the point of entry becomes narrow. Tighten the halyard and move the traveler to the leeward.

• The jib halyard too needs to be tightened and the jib sheet loads needs to be moved aft.

• Mast bend needs to be increased to tension the backstay. This way the mainsail center can also be flattened.

• You should eliminate any kind of flutter along the leech by tightening the outhaul but never over-tight the leech line.

• Tacking may cause some problems but if you have to do it, start the motor before tacking. You can put it on the gear and bring the bow around.

• If the boat stalls and then start backing up, while you cannot steer ahead turn the rudder into some other direction.

• Carrying the tack further through the wind is another mistake you should avoid or else you’ll be caught up in the heeling forces of the wind.

Buying strong and properly engineered storm sails is necessary before going off-shore. You can check our site for the storm sails for sale.

Tips to buy the right sails for your boat online

Many a time we have seen that purchasing sails is treated as the last thing to do. Sailors tend to keep their chief focus on the equipment purchases and when it comes to buy sails they either visit a local loft or add to cart in a hurry.

Sails should never be bought that way. Ideally one should go for an inventory of custom-built sails.
But if you are short in time then you have no other option left but to buy ready-made ones. But never give in to the cheap sale deals.

Let us share a few tips on how to choose the right sails online.

From exclusive sail suppliers only
Never buy sails from multi-product shopping sites. Do find out exclusive sail suppliers. Most of them sell sails coming from their own lofts and it’s more likely that you’ll get quality sails on those sites.

Check the credentials
Even before sorting the products, check the credentials of the sailmaker and the supplier.
Write down the measurements
Sails are bought according to the boat size and specifications. Before you’ve logged in, note down all the details in a piece of paper. This will help you to sort products and also to pick the appropriate sails for your boat.

Read product descriptions carefully
Be it a mainsail, headsail or storm sail, you should take note of the sailcloth, type of stitching, kind of batten pockets, radial patches etc. According to your itinerary, the specifications will differ. For example, if you are going off-shore, then the mainsail should be constructed with alloy headboards.

Get a good sail plan
You should ideally consult with an experienced sailmaker to get a sail plan done. Sail plans are made keeping in mind the itinerary and the measurements of the boat. If you have one ready, buying online will be easy. 

Changing headsails in the middle of a race

Changing headsails when the race is on is very crucial and this can actually make the team win or lose. With a change in weather and knots, you need to promptly switch to a different headsail or else you’ll slow down and someone else will leave you behind.

Please go through these steps/tips--
• First decide who’s going to take care of which part of the job so that no confusion arises while changing.

• Marking the jib tracks and the halyard is the first thing to do before the race get started.

• Decide about the halyard tension and make sure that the hanks run smoothly.

• Ensure that the Jib blocks are stored in a known place.

• Middle and Bow crew should keep white tape rolls. These is highly recommended to tape the snap shackle of a Jib.

• While approaching the line the Skipper needs to be alert of the wind shifts. If you are sailing downwind with a spinnaker up when the Bow team will change the headsail, the Skipper will need to steer or somehow balance the boat as the bow part will be down due to forward weight.

• In case of downwind-spinnaker situation, the middle crew should jibe the spinnaker pole and then raise the headsail.

• Flaking requires enough hands but this is a good trick to help a quick change. Fold the sails in to thirds and tie them loosely. Raising the sail will be faster.

• For the headsail which is not in use, reeve one extra set of Jib sheets.

• Flaked headsail with tack facing forward should be placed on the deck in a way that it can be hanked on right away, whenever needed.

• The Bow team member should always keep the sail between his knees while unhanking.

• When the waves are rough, the Genoa clew and leech should be bungeed down.

8 useful tips on coastal cruising

Have you bought yourself a Spinnaker sail boat and now you think that you are all ready for coastal cruising? Now, that’s a great idea since this will not only it let you explore your adventurous side but will also be an ideal weekend getaway.
But you should know how to navigate your boat in the right way. That’s kind of challenging for new sailors. Below are 8 handy tips—
•You should first lay out an itinerary and choose your sails accordingly. Take advice of experienced sailors if you don’t know which one to choose for which kind of weather.

• You should know how to operate various electronic navigation equipment like GPS, radar, depth sounder, HF and VHF radios.

• You should be familiar with the sound of various alarms and learn what they mean, and you should also know how to handle different types of cruising situations.

• Always look for the forecast of next five days before setting out.

• You should have the skill to carry out a few mechanical adjustment and other repairing work all by yourself. You should be able to detect any anomaly with your boat at the earliest instance.

• You’ll need to understand the water currents and cope up with any sudden change. It requires practice. Initially, always sail with an experienced crew member on board.

• Do keep enough food, drinkable water and medicine in stock. Even if you are out for two days, you’ll never know when an emergency would strike.

• It’s okay to be adventurous but don’t ever ignore safety measures. If you have children on board, then you’ll need to be more careful. Keep enough life jackets and wear PFDs.

Consult a sail supplier for the sail plan

A sail plan is basically a two dimensional representation or sketch of the sail that defines its area, rig type, size and shape in general terms. It also shows the mainsail and the other important parts of the sailboat.
The task of the sail plan is to provide the sailmaker with enough details so that he can estimate the power of the boat’s sails and also make sure that the center of these sails cooperates properly with the hull so that it results in a well-balanced sailing.
As the sail plan is mainly a two dimensional figure, it does not actually provide sufficient amount of details to create a good sail. In the majority of the cases, the sails are 3D figures with intricate works on them.
Sail design involves taking the two dimensional sail plan and creating a 3D rendition of it.
A sail plan is generally a combination of sail proposals made for different wind/weather conditions. It can be a normal or working sail plan, a storm sail plan and a light air sail plan.
If you are an experienced sailor, you can chalk-out on your own and provide it to a sailmaker so that he can build you following your sketches. If you are a new sailor, then it’s better not to try your hand in it.
Just make a detailed description of your sailing itinerary and consult with a good sail supplier and sailmaker. They will guide you in a proper way. You can highly visit a loft and set a meeting face to face.
Alternatively ask them to visit your place and see your boat. That way they can take the measurements on their own to come up with an ideal solution. If you are a new sailor then you should invest for an inventory of sails and the experienced sailmakers can guide you on that regard. 

Sailing in a stormy weather

Sailing in a stormy weather requires a very different set of discipline than when one is looking to sail in calm weather. Storm sails have their very own challenges and most sailors who limit themselves to inland and coastal waters will not experience critical stormy weather conditions where winds of 40 knots plus speeds are the norm.

This is also accompanied by huge waves that go as high as 20 to 30 feet. During such heavy weather, items like parachute anchors, drogues and warps can be critical in escaping the harshness of the sea and surviving the rough tides.

The different variables that play a major role in bad weather include wind speed, wave direction, wave height, length of boat, direction of boat and the set of sails.
Before actually heading out from the sheltered waters, you should be well aware of your own as well as your boat’s limits. While keel boats are designed to withstand strong winds, they can still fall short of their effectiveness when they have to face a combination of high wind and high water.

If you are carrying a crew, then make sure that they are well acquainted with the location of all the safety gears. They should also be instructed on how to use them.
The various safety gears that are used in stormy weather conditions include flares, PFD’s, fire extinguishers, flashlights, horn, life ring, life raft, throwing lines and safety harnesses.

Check the condition of your VHF radio to see if it’s working properly. You should also let others know how to operate it and make sure that they are wearing their PFD's, foul weather gears and personal locators. The crew should also know how to use jack lines and should fasten their save harness before they actually step onto the deck.

5 reasons you should not buy used sails

The argument should start with why should you at all buy used sails? The one and only reason can be budget. Mostly, people invest on the sailing inventory once and then whenever they require a lose headsail, mainsail or spinnaker they seek used sails to save money.
Although buying and selling used sails is a too common a trend, we shall always recommend you not to go for it. Find the five reasons below—

Faulty construction
When a used sail is up for sale, you can be rest assured that there are certain issues. Maybe the sail has an in-built fault in the construction which prevented the previous owner to get the desired performance out of it.

Worn-out sailcloth
This is one of the chief reasons sailors want to get rid of the sails. Clever sailors put these up for sale while they buy fresh sails for themselves. They manage to raise a part of the money by selling off the old sails.

Repairing doesn’t help
Some people tend to buy used sails and then send them for repairing in order to save money. But not all kind of sails are repairable and there’s no guarantee that post-repairing the sail will last long.
Maybe the buyer would have to spend again after a short while.

Low durability
In general, used sails have low durability than fresh sails and if you are wise, you shall rather spend $50 more to get a new sail which will last for years than saving $20 on a used sail which will make you buy another one or two years down the line.

Custom-made
Sails should preferably be custom-made so that you can get it constructed to fit perfectly with your boat design and if you think custom sails are expensive then you need to change your perception.
Please check our site and ask for a quote. 

Would you buy or would you build?

Many sailors feel the confusion whether to buy a ready-made sail or to ask a good sailmaker to provide custom built sails for their vessels. We know that many a time people don’t have choice but to buy stock sails if they are in a hurry. 

But we shall always vote for custom sails if you are going for a long trip off-shore or going to participate in a competition. For these two occasions you need to make sure that you’ve got what is best for you. 

Custom sails are always built keeping in mind the specific requirements of the boat and the sailing itinerary. Not all the time you can get a stock sail fitting in perfectly. If you have enough time in hand before you set out, do go for custom sails. 

Any kind of off-shore sailing makes the sails exposed to differential wind conditions. So, first you need a proper inventory so that you can switch sails as and when required.
Secondly, while going off-shore you are bound to pass through the areas where winds blow at more than 20knots on an average and anytime you can find yourself in a stormy weather. 

To withstand the extra pressure, sails need triple stitched seams, UV stabilized threads, reef reinforcements, and premium Dacron crosscut high aspect sailcloth, heavy duty batten pockets and so on. 

If you are going for a weekend sail trip in a nearby lake, a performance Dacron crosscut sailcloth in one-row three step seam will do. But for coastal cruising, high modulus Dacron crosscut sailcloth is what you’ll need. 

If you are going to take part in a competition, you will need sails that will provide extra push to your boat speed. 

Sails may look simple from a distance but each one is constructed with lots of engineering and even if you are seasoned sailor, you should always consult with a sailmaker for the custom sail that will serve you the best.

The benefits of self-tacking headsails

Sailing is all about smartness. We, the sail makers and sailing hardware innovators always brainstorm on how to make things simpler. A self-tacking headsail is highly recommended for those who love to sail alone or for yachts that have limited number of crew members.
Without self-tacking, your crew will have to take one jib-sheet off and wind the other.

Now that’s not so easy for those who are new to sailing. By using the self-tacked headsails you can cut the hassles.

How it works 

A self-tacked headsail has one jib sheet and the hardware installation is so done that when needed you can automate the process. 

The jib-sheet will move from the clew to the stand-up block that is mounted on the self-tracker track. The sheet will then be back down inside the mast and will go back to the winch. 

It will be like sliding from one side to the other on its own.  

Benefits

Any kind of automation does come with a set of benefits and there’s no exception with a self-tacker. 

• You can move the headsail in no time without keeping any crew member engaged with the process.

• If you are sailing alone then you must have a self-tacker.

• If you have a yacht boat full of inexperienced crew members, you won’t have to train them or scratch your head to make them learn how to move the headsail.

• For small family yacht sailing, a self-tacker is highly helpful. One of the adults can keep an eye on the children while the other will keep the boat running.

• With a self-tacker you can make your headsail last longer since there’s no chance of getting it caught on the guard rails.

• You won’t have to ask your friends or crew to move out so that you can grind the winches.

What is a Storm Jib?

Those who are new to sailing should have a knowledge about the sails that are used during storms. Even if they don’t have any plan to head toward zones that are prone to high winds, they should at least learn to differentiate between a storm jib and a trysail. Both are storm sails but are different. 

A ‘Storm Jib’ is a typical storm sail that is engineered to withstand extreme wind conditions. 

The basic features of a storm jib are—

• It has a high clew

• It has no foot round

• It’s made of a heavy fabric, ideally heavy Dacron

• It weighs between 280 gm to 400 gm approximately

• Behind each hunk, there are reinforcement patches

• It has oversized corner reinforcement patches

• It has got a set of sheets spliced to the clew

• It should have a strop spliced at the tack

• The sail is always raised off the deck so that waves can pass without any obstacle

• It is set either on the forestay or on the inner forestay

Sometimes sailors try to cut a storm jib out of an old sail. We shall recommend not to do that. Ordinary sailcloth is not strong enough to withstand gusty winds. 

It is not only the shape of the sail that matters, the strength of the cloth and all the other related features mentioned above are all important. Maybe highly experienced sailors can choose an appropriate piece of cloth and can build a Jib on their own but new sailors should never think of trying anything of that sort.

They should always ‘buy’ a storm jib. If they have budget issues, they can look for used sails.

While buying a Jib, pick one that has got fluorescent color. Most sailors prefer fluorescent orange as it glows in the dark and the other boats nearby can identify the vessel. 

Choose the right Mainsail for your cruising boat

Are you planning to buy a mainsail? Are you surfing through the web in search of a good deal of mainsails for sale? But mainsail cannot be bought just like that. Not only mainsail, no sail should be just added to cart. 

Before purchasing or placing order, you first need to find what is best-suited for your boat and also for your sail plan. 

The latter is more crucial since your sailing itinerary will determine the kind of weather the sails will be exposed to. In our previous post we discussed about the wind conditions and type of sails to choose. 

At this post we shall focus on the size of the boat as a vital determinant of the type of mainsail you would require for your cruising boat.

Find the common mainsail cuts and their corresponding boat sizes below—

Full-Radial 
 
This one is ideal for the smallest cruising boats. To keep the boat in balance, the mainsail should have less stretch and this cut conforms to that. 

Besides this cut is perfect for in-must furling system where the mainsail goes without battens.

Vertical Cut 
 
This too is ideal for battenless mainsails. This is meant for small to medium size boats. Load-bearing seams are eliminated from the leech edge. 

Cross Cut
 
This one is the most popular of all the cuts and frequently used by small to medium size boats. Although this kind of mainsail has got lower stretch than the other cuts, still that is higher than the full-radial cut. 

Bi-Radial
 
A cut that suits medium to large boats. The sailcloth is heavier along the leech section and lighter in foot-luff. 

Tri-Radial
 
This is meant for large boats. The radial shape allows the flexibility of using sailcloth of different weights. Here the overall stretch is kept as low as possible. 

Lighter cloth is used in the center and heavier cloth in the corners.

Symmetric Vs Asymmetric Spinnakers: The debate is on

Sailors often differ in their choice of spinnakers. Symmetric spinnakers are convention but asymmetric spinnakers have rapidly become favorite of many post 1980.
In every racing championship or in every GT of sailors, this eternal debate is kicked off. We think debates keep us healthy.

• The basic difference is the difference in shape and that has made them generate lifts differently. A symmetric spinnaker does it from the top while an asymmetric does it from the left. 

• For day sailing and cruising asymmetric is the best option since it doesn’t need a pole and helps in light air reaching. 

• Heavier keel boats prefer asymmetric as it helps to sail faster. 

• From the sailmaker’s point of view, asymmetric is better than symmetric. Let us explain. While designing the latter we need to compromise on what is optimal. In case of asymmetric we can make optimum luff curve and optimum leech exit. In symmetric the luff and leech are often switched between each other. 

• Previously people thought that asymmetric spinnakers can’t sail as low as the symmetric ones which is not true. With the use of a pole and a squared back there is more speed control with the asymmetric spinnakers. 

• Downwind oscillation of day sailing and light cruising boats can be solved with an asymmetric spinnaker. 

• For racing boats also asymmetric sails or A-sails are great since these sails can make sailing faster. But at the same time these sails need tighter apparent wind angles. Less experienced crew members can hardly pull off a good jibe. This is a handicap that prevents lot of sailors not to prefer A-sails. 

• For downwind sailing, most sailors opine that symmetric spinnaker is far better in performance than asymmetric ones. 

Everything said and done, your boat length, design and sail plan are the factors that determine whether you need a symmetric or an asymmetric. Ideally you should keep both in your inventory.

Put an emblem, or ask for floral prints

The best part of ordering custom sails instead of buying ready-made ones is that you can design the sail the way you want. For those who take sailing as a passion and want a signature on everything they do, custom sail is the option.

It will reflect your style, your persona and will make your vessel stand apart from all the other boast or yachts on the water.

You can ask the sailmaker to print an emblem on all the sails you have ordered or you can ask for any motifs or floral prints on the dacron. We are not telling that all the lofts actually can deliver any kind of customization you are seeking.

But there are suppliers who are dealing with the sails and sail supplies for more than two decades. Approach them and they will be up for it. If you talk about us, we have already kept a section on our website for our customers so that they can design their spinnakers.

This is actually fun. Just choose the type of spinnaker you want, fill it with the colors you like, save the template and send us. Of course you will need to mention the measurements.

If you are sailing a Catalina, then you may not think otherwise but a custom sail option. These luxurious yachts are meant for special people and need to be treated in a special way.

We provide sails for almost all the Catalina models. You just need to tell us what the measurements are.

How about an Easter party on board?

Here comes another celebration time and we all are very excited. Everyone around is planning to do something special on this Easter weekend and we say how about an Easter party on board with the spinnakers on?

This occasion is a nice chance to catch up with the cousins, in-laws, parents and grandparents or with a league of friends whom you haven’t met in 10 years, after leaving school.

If you are a passionate sailor, then simply make arrangements and give them a surprise party on board. And if you are thinking of a tête-à-tête, your partner will definitely love the idea.

They will be high. We bet.

Just go by the checklist below before setting out for a short day-trip --

• You should keep type III life jackets with whistles, x+2 in number. Extra jackets are good to keep.

• Each crew-member should have one rigging knife

• Keep heaving line, radar reflector, handheld spotlight.

• You will need sailing gloves, hats and glasses straps. 

• Make provision for boat shoes, rain gear, towels, blankets.

• Your first aid box should contain tampons, gelusils, Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen, chapstick, hand cream and Kleenax

• Motion sickness pills are must-haves. Also keep acupressure wrist bands and artificial tears.

• Sunscreen or tanning cream is optional of course.

• Do not forget to get loads of band-aids in different sizes, adhesive tapes, Q-tips, cotton balls and sterile pads.

• Your navigation kit should include the log-book, compass, knotstick, tide tables and all the geometric equipment that come in handy.

• Keep in your tool box flashlight, wire cutters, assorted bungee chords, duct tape, spare winch handle, leatherman, vise-grips, dacron lines and nylon lines.

• 7x50 binoculars are must in at least 3:1 ratio-- one per three people. No one should feel left out when all be watching a sunset or a flock of birds flying towards the horizon.

• Bring pre-cooked food, foiled, packed and ready-to-eat confectioneries, patisseries. We think there’s no need to remind you about the beverages. That’s the first thing you will pick up, we are sure.

Storm sailing: Coastal and Offshore

Storms are the challenge times for the sailors and if you are a new kid on the block we have got some tips on how to get yourself through this kind of weather. Do not just jump on the so called lucrative deals of storms sails for sale up on the web. First learn what you would require and then buy.

For Coastal Storms

Shortening the sail is the best option.

• When the wind blows over 15 Knots, drop to the first reef.

• If it goes beyond 15 but below 20 Knots, roll up the Genoa. 

• Beyond 20 Knots, put in the second reef.

• Then again if it rises up to 25, sailing under the reefed main is the option. Furl up the Genoa.

• Now if it is over 30, drop the main. On those times sailing under the bare poles is the wisest option.

Now what will happen if the threat is beyond? If there’s a sudden strong squall or high sea?

Apply ‘heaving to’. This is simply setting up the rudder and the sails in a way that they oppose one another. This will stop the boat making headway. 

For Off-shore Storms

• Typically all the off-shore sailors carry Trysails and most essentially a storm jib.

• You can also reef or furl regular sails but generally the fabric of these sails cannot withstand strong winds. So you should always carry special sails for storms while going offshore.

• Staysails are great weapons to fight storms off-shore but you should ideally get those custom made. Vessel type does matter for the construction.

• Lying Ahull is one of the best techniques to combat off-shore light storm, not high storm. Simply drop the sail and stop steering. The boat will fare for itself.

  
   But, there is a but. It is applicable if the waves are not that big.