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.