Im confused about the variety of Dacron grades for my sailboat. I have to replace the 150 geona and the main on my 35'. I cruise and have no plans to race and the many sailmakers are suggesting that I go to a high tech material. I just want some good quality sails and am confused about the different levels of Dacron. Looking to keep things simple and somewhat cost effective. I have seen: Neil Pryde UK Quantum North Sails All have a good story and excellent quality. There is a bit of pressure to spend more for their performance cruise sails. Are these sails any better for the long run? They look great however I understand that they have a shorter lifespan. So spend more on something that will not last as long? Seasons Cheers
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Me too
Like you, my requirements are unsophisticated, but I want a well performing sail. I am in the process of quoting a 135 for my Pearson 34. Two sailmakers, one the local Doyle loft. Both started on the assumption I just wanted an economical crosscut Dacron for cruising, $2100-2300 . Good performance, long life, etc. I will probably go with an upgrade to a radial with one of the (I'll call it) hybrid dacrons. One calling it a laminated w/Dacron outer for wear (I don't have the full info yet), the other is Doyle's Quicksilver a "high performance woven" in a radial pattern (doylesails.com). Up-grade is on the order of 15-20% which I will probably do for better performance partially furled and light air. This is a sail I plan to have for a while. Brian Hancock's book "Maximum Sail Power" is pretty good about fabrics & understanding the construction & trimming of sails.
Like you, my requirements are unsophisticated, but I want a well performing sail. I am in the process of quoting a 135 for my Pearson 34. Two sailmakers, one the local Doyle loft. Both started on the assumption I just wanted an economical crosscut Dacron for cruising, $2100-2300 . Good performance, long life, etc. I will probably go with an upgrade to a radial with one of the (I'll call it) hybrid dacrons. One calling it a laminated w/Dacron outer for wear (I don't have the full info yet), the other is Doyle's Quicksilver a "high performance woven" in a radial pattern (doylesails.com). Up-grade is on the order of 15-20% which I will probably do for better performance partially furled and light air. This is a sail I plan to have for a while. Brian Hancock's book "Maximum Sail Power" is pretty good about fabrics & understanding the construction & trimming of sails.
Dacron fabric....
#1 fabric is woven. #2 It is either woven tightly or loosely. #3 While being woven there is different tensions on the weave. #4 each finisher treats their fabric differently. What does that mean? Fabric is woven with thread in two different directions. The threads along the roll are normally tigher than the threads across the roll. (Depending on the weaver)The thread along the roll distort less than the threads across the roll. So alignment in a sail is important. Most Dacron sails are broad seamed on most triangular sails. The tighter the weave the more stabile they are( pending the finishing process). A tighter weave requires less fill. The fill is in the form of resin during the finishing process. Even a loosely woven fabric can be filled and finished to a crispy feeling material. Material finishers use resin, and heat (actually shrinks the fabric)to finish the fabric. Each finisher trying to develope charactoristics that are desirable in a give sail type. A cruising sail that has some bias stretch might give a fuller sail shape that is more powerfull than a racing sail that has to maintain a given shape in all conditions. Sail Dacron is sold in most commonly 36" and 54" wide material. There are different weights to a weave. 4-9 ounce is common. The heavier the weight the stronger the material but also the less responsive to light air. Good racing 36" 6.4 oz material starts at about $21.00/lineal yard. Cruising 54" 6.4 oz material starts at about $17.00/lineal yard. About 25% savings in just the material. The workmanship requires less seaming by 30%. That is just my observations to this point. 12:30 am here in PA. Merry Christmas! r.w.landau
#1 fabric is woven. #2 It is either woven tightly or loosely. #3 While being woven there is different tensions on the weave. #4 each finisher treats their fabric differently. What does that mean? Fabric is woven with thread in two different directions. The threads along the roll are normally tigher than the threads across the roll. (Depending on the weaver)The thread along the roll distort less than the threads across the roll. So alignment in a sail is important. Most Dacron sails are broad seamed on most triangular sails. The tighter the weave the more stabile they are( pending the finishing process). A tighter weave requires less fill. The fill is in the form of resin during the finishing process. Even a loosely woven fabric can be filled and finished to a crispy feeling material. Material finishers use resin, and heat (actually shrinks the fabric)to finish the fabric. Each finisher trying to develope charactoristics that are desirable in a give sail type. A cruising sail that has some bias stretch might give a fuller sail shape that is more powerfull than a racing sail that has to maintain a given shape in all conditions. Sail Dacron is sold in most commonly 36" and 54" wide material. There are different weights to a weave. 4-9 ounce is common. The heavier the weight the stronger the material but also the less responsive to light air. Good racing 36" 6.4 oz material starts at about $21.00/lineal yard. Cruising 54" 6.4 oz material starts at about $17.00/lineal yard. About 25% savings in just the material. The workmanship requires less seaming by 30%. That is just my observations to this point. 12:30 am here in PA. Merry Christmas! r.w.landau
High quality dacron
Tomas: I think that RW's summary is on the mark. There can be a lot of difference in plain ol' dacron. My suggestion when you are getting sail quotes would be to get a quote on exactly the same material
Tomas: I think that RW's summary is on the mark. There can be a lot of difference in plain ol' dacron. My suggestion when you are getting sail quotes would be to get a quote on exactly the same material
Suggest you look at the newer....
.... "cruising laminates" these are made of an internal mylar film and a layer of woven dacron is "sandwiched" to both sides of the mylar. These are lighter weight and stronger than plain Dacron. Dacron will protect the mylar, plus such sails are able to be 'folded' many times without harm; but, if you primarily roller furl such sails a dacron-laminate is probably your best value. The problem with the high tech materials is that although they may be good, they simply dont hold their shape (they eventually 'creep' under load) as long as well made dacron. Such lofts who push such materials on cruisers ..... probably dont have your best economic interest at heart or are depending on you not really using such sails to their limits. For longevity, nothing beats top quality dacron fabric such as from such manufacturers as Bainbridge, Marblehead, etc. but you will pay a little extra for these 'quality' materials. There is a lot of cheap dacron 'crap' showing up in sails, especially those made 'offshore'. You usually get what you pay for. A little 'twist' that can offer a good compromise between long life and economics for a roller reefed genoa is a radial cut made from different weight materials: heavier material at the leech (as the heavier less shape control needed leech is only exposed when the sail is reefed/rolled; and, lighter weight material at the luff - easier to roll, makes for a tighter roll and is only exposed when the wind range is appropriate for that weight. Less weight aloft, tighter and better 'rolls' (overall shape) when 'reefed', etc. Unless you are planning on an open ocean passage, I'd recommend that you consider one of the newer 'cruising laminates' for your genoa, consider different weights of cloth for luff and leech and consider a radial configuration (for shape holding ability). Will cost a bit more, but will result in a sail that will last longer, hold shape longer, etc. etc. For offshore, consider triple stitching and easily replaceable UV protective foot/leech edge covers. Also consider adhesive strips (PECO, etc.) under the stitching for panel joining. If you have unlimited funds you might also consider the stitching thread to be changed from polyester to ultra-modern UV resistant "technora" PTFE. Also consider for polyester thread ... one weight higher (heavier) than the normal grade - thicker will last longer in UV. Cheap 'crap' is ultimately more expensive as you will replace it sooner.
.... "cruising laminates" these are made of an internal mylar film and a layer of woven dacron is "sandwiched" to both sides of the mylar. These are lighter weight and stronger than plain Dacron. Dacron will protect the mylar, plus such sails are able to be 'folded' many times without harm; but, if you primarily roller furl such sails a dacron-laminate is probably your best value. The problem with the high tech materials is that although they may be good, they simply dont hold their shape (they eventually 'creep' under load) as long as well made dacron. Such lofts who push such materials on cruisers ..... probably dont have your best economic interest at heart or are depending on you not really using such sails to their limits. For longevity, nothing beats top quality dacron fabric such as from such manufacturers as Bainbridge, Marblehead, etc. but you will pay a little extra for these 'quality' materials. There is a lot of cheap dacron 'crap' showing up in sails, especially those made 'offshore'. You usually get what you pay for. A little 'twist' that can offer a good compromise between long life and economics for a roller reefed genoa is a radial cut made from different weight materials: heavier material at the leech (as the heavier less shape control needed leech is only exposed when the sail is reefed/rolled; and, lighter weight material at the luff - easier to roll, makes for a tighter roll and is only exposed when the wind range is appropriate for that weight. Less weight aloft, tighter and better 'rolls' (overall shape) when 'reefed', etc. Unless you are planning on an open ocean passage, I'd recommend that you consider one of the newer 'cruising laminates' for your genoa, consider different weights of cloth for luff and leech and consider a radial configuration (for shape holding ability). Will cost a bit more, but will result in a sail that will last longer, hold shape longer, etc. etc. For offshore, consider triple stitching and easily replaceable UV protective foot/leech edge covers. Also consider adhesive strips (PECO, etc.) under the stitching for panel joining. If you have unlimited funds you might also consider the stitching thread to be changed from polyester to ultra-modern UV resistant "technora" PTFE. Also consider for polyester thread ... one weight higher (heavier) than the normal grade - thicker will last longer in UV. Cheap 'crap' is ultimately more expensive as you will replace it sooner.
Weight vs Strength
I have had OEM Main & 110 jib Dacron sails, cross cut and bi-radial 155% mylar Genoas, and tri-radial mylar scrim/dacron laminated 135% genoas on my 28.5 since 1986. The standard original equipment dacron 110 is still in good condition and not stretched or blown our , but it is used very little if at all in the course of a season. Conversely, the 155% gets used most and we're on our second 3.5 oz bi-radial mylar 155% Genoa. Meanwhile, the mylar scrim/dacron laminate tri-radial 135% Genoa with multiple cloth weights is the most high tech design, but seems to have outlasted everything else given its hours of use in the wind strength for which it is sized. Assuming you want one rollerfurling cruising Genoa but want the best performance and longest life for the money; I'd go for a Dacron/mylar laminate tri-radial genoa in the size most appropriate to the winds you regularly sail in. In my opinion, there is no point in going to a high tech LIGHT WEIGHT sail construction, get the strength and weight exactly where you need it and it will last the longest with the best performance.
I have had OEM Main & 110 jib Dacron sails, cross cut and bi-radial 155% mylar Genoas, and tri-radial mylar scrim/dacron laminated 135% genoas on my 28.5 since 1986. The standard original equipment dacron 110 is still in good condition and not stretched or blown our , but it is used very little if at all in the course of a season. Conversely, the 155% gets used most and we're on our second 3.5 oz bi-radial mylar 155% Genoa. Meanwhile, the mylar scrim/dacron laminate tri-radial 135% Genoa with multiple cloth weights is the most high tech design, but seems to have outlasted everything else given its hours of use in the wind strength for which it is sized. Assuming you want one rollerfurling cruising Genoa but want the best performance and longest life for the money; I'd go for a Dacron/mylar laminate tri-radial genoa in the size most appropriate to the winds you regularly sail in. In my opinion, there is no point in going to a high tech LIGHT WEIGHT sail construction, get the strength and weight exactly where you need it and it will last the longest with the best performance.
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