Purchasing a brand new sail should be a rewarding experience, like applying a fresh coat of varnish on your teak or rerigging with new sheets and halyards.
For those on a budget (i.e. “most of us!”), a used sail can be a good option to add to a sail inventory especially for popular production boats when used sails are plentiful.
But buying a used sail does not always pencil out when you factor in unexpected modifications, or worse yet, making the wrong purchase.
Left: A small tear in a luff tape is a quick and inexpensive fix. Right: Unfortunately, some sails are not worth saving.
Here are some tips to help you shop for used sails either from a UK Sailmakers loft, marine consignment stores, or online.
- Determine your boat’s actual measurements. Instead of relying on the owner’s manual for the genoa luff for example, measure the luff length with attention to the height of the roller furler drum off the deck as well as the bottom of the swivel so the luff is not oversized.
- Make sure the UV cover is the correct side for your roller furler. If not, an option is to run the furling line the opposite way on the drum from your prior genoa.
- Confirm the size of the luff tape on the used sail to ensure it will fit in your foil.
- Make certain the sail cloth weight is appropriate for your typical sailing conditions.
- Find out if repairs were ever made. If so, ask which sailmaker did the work and check whether the repair cloth is consistent with the original sail material.
- Ask the seller how old the sail is and how many seasons it was used. UV degradation can significantly shorten a sail’s remaining life even if it looks presentable.
- Ask if the sail bag matches the sail. Sometimes the original sail bags were replaced with the bag from another sail. Not all sellers double check this.
- Does the seller have a return policy in case the used sail does not fit your boat?
- Find out if the sail measurements comply with a class rules such as the size of storm jibs for offshore races.
- Inquire if the sail numbers or class insignia consist of polyester cloth or were they painted on. Sail numbers on spinnakers are usually not able to be replaced without removing the panels of the sail, but if you are not a racer this does not matter.
- Compare the price and modifications of a used sail with the price of a brand new sail.
The value of purchasing new sails from UK Sailmakers includes our attention to the specific details of your boat’s rig as well as our ability to service your sail through its life.
Personally, I love a good bargain and have found good deals on storm jibs and delivery sails for my sailboats. Often the cost of needed modifications is minimal if you do your homework before purchasing a used sail.
Minor adjustments are often worthwhile, but a sail that’s truly past its prime is usually better replaced than repaired.
The most common modifications of used sails we are asked to make here in our loft include replacing the luff tapes on genoas and replacing sail numbers. Sometimes the cost of the modifications on top of the price of the used sail result in a higher total than expected.
In some UK Sailmakers lofts, including our Los Angeles loft, we have a great selection of used sails for sale. If you give us the make and model of your boat, we can usually tell you if anything we have in stock will fit your boat’s rig. Otherwise, we are happy to sell brand new sails and help you enjoy sailing your boat even more!
