Far East Sails

Status
Not open for further replies.
Sep 12, 2006
17
Beneteau 361 Chesapeake
Does anyone have any experience buying sails from Fareastsails.com ?
It seems that they have a lot of referrals and tetimonials, but I'd be grateful to hear it from the folks on these threads.

Just looking to save a few $$$

Thanks all,
 
Jun 2, 2004
5,802
Hunter 37-cutter, '79 41 23' 30"N 82 33' 20"W--------Huron, OH
I can vouch for Lee Sails but not Far East. Lee is in Hong Kong and in 2001 were half the price of North. I had a new North main and wanted a new matching yankee(jib). I just could not justify the difference when I started comparison shopping. Yankees are an odd shape and I wanted the new one to be slightly oversized. Lee Sails paid to have my old one shipped both directions to insure a good fit. We traded a few e-mails and a couple of phone calls to get it right. The "new" yankee still looks good and the workmanship is excellent. I wanted to stick with my loft but if I had $1000. to waste I wouldn't be sailing a 1979 boat.
 
Dec 2, 1999
15,184
Hunter Vision-36 Rio Vista, CA.
You get what you pay for !
I agree! And try asking them for custom enhancements. The price will soon be equivalent to a local sail maker.

I don't believe that they want to do things like a "Dutchman".

You want to specify the same/equivalent hardware (slugs, headboards, stitching etc).

When I had my last sail made the sailmaker new our sailing grounds and built a sail for our conditions. I do not know if the "other guys" do this or not.
 
Jun 2, 2004
5,802
Hunter 37-cutter, '79 41 23' 30"N 82 33' 20"W--------Huron, OH
Agree with Pkdaily and disagree with Steve. If you can get a quality product and save a $1000. then "you get what you pay for". You should see my Lee Sail and how the stitching is done, how rugged the head, tack, and clew were built, sewn in blocks for the leech line, and on and on. Lee sent me sailcoth choices, all U.S. made dacron from DuPont I think. I'm not sure that I like it but we have a global economy and the overseas companies have to compete. I drove Saabs for 20 years and went back to Chryslers because of this kind of thinking. You have any idea of the quality and fun that I gave up?
 

Gazuum

.
Oct 23, 2010
67
Pearson P365K Port Angeles
I've used them twice. First time was good. Second time was for a 130 genoa cut high for cruising. It came out way too high. I took pics, did all my own measurements and they replaced it at no cost. Came out good.
 
Jan 13, 2011
5
Catalina 320 Florida
Hey - I bought sails from fareastsails in Hong Kong last year - very happy with them - they had a fellow named brian i think who worked me through some details - sails look great perform very well - saved over $1000 dollars from local loft - I am going to buy a code zero from them later this spring - take your time and get the details right - i think that is what makes the great sail from the average sail.
 
Feb 6, 1998
11,701
Canadian Sailcraft 36T Casco Bay, ME
If you want EXCELLENT quality sails at a very affordable price National Sail Supply in Florida can't be beat. I have purchased 8 sails over a ten year period from him and had zero issues. I also consider myself a very picky customer. Dirk has exceeded my expectations and the sails are very high quality.

National Sail Supply (LINK)


A little more on NSS:

Dirk used to work for Rolly Tasker in Phuket and was his general manager at the largest sail loft in the world. He decided to move back to Florida and open his own sail business selling and importing, from Rolly Tasker, all his sails.

The sails are made of Bainbridge Challenge sail cloth which is basically the same cloth, coming off the same machines as NorDac, North Sails "proprietary" Dacron. How do I know this? My local sail maker got a batch of Challenge hi modulus and it was accidentally packaged in NorDac wrapping.. Doh.. oops...!

Another thing about Rolly Tasker sails is that they build cruising sails for LOTS and LOTS of the big name companies here in the states. I promised Dirk that I would not disclose who RT builds for, and I don't know them all either, so I won't, but you would be horrified if you knew even a few, trust me. Oh and often they charge up to three to four times what Rolly charges them or Dirk for the sails.

If you think your small loft is actually building your sail you may be wrong as Dirk & Tasker also supply many local small time guys who sub out the cruising sail business through Dirk.

I ordered a new main last winter for my CS-36 and this was my eighth NSS sail. My sail is triple stitched, my old North is double, my Tasker sail has a solid riveted head board the North does not, my reef points are built to an off shore standard the North sail was not, my tack & clew reinforcements are built for off shore use and my old North are clearly coastal, my batten pockets are more secure, better designed and adjustable, my clew and tack are both hand finished and stitched in UV resistant leather. The sails are TOP quality.

Both sails look to have been designed on the same computer system. I'm sure before the North gave up the ghost it had a shape similar to the RT sail.

My new sail with top two battens full, draft stripe, logo, 8.3 oz Challenge cloth, two reef points, shipping, and I also ordered a brand new Sunbrella sail cover was $1713.00 delivered. The old North was $3400.00, coastal built, and no sail cover and that was more than ten years ago....

I can't speak highly enough of the Rolly Tasker / National Sail Supply quality.

Dirk has the inside scoop and as Rolly's ex general manager (running perhaps the largest sail loft in the world) knows a thing or two about the business. I assume, because of this, he gets better pricing than just about any other Tasker dealer but don't know that for sure. What I do know is that I have compared the specs from other US Tasker dealers and Dirk includes more features for less $$..

This is not a one time deal for me I have purchased CD-27 sails C-30 & C-36 sails and now CS-36 sails all have been spot on and incredibly priced.

Like anything companies can make mistakes and no one is perfect but so far my success rate has been 100% over 8 purchases. Pretty good odds.
 
Dec 25, 2008
1,580
catalina 310 Elk River
We are due, did not see the C310 listed on the NSS sight.
What about Mack sails? My friend with a C34 really liked his, and the price.
 
Jan 22, 2008
198
Montgomery 17, Venture of Newport, Mirror sailing dinghy, El Toro sailing dinghy Mound, MN -- Lake Minnetonka
I'll second the plug for Dirk and NSS. I bought my tanbark main, jib, and staysail from them last year and paid $1300 for all three sails. The main has two reefs and a cunningham and the staysail has one reef. I couldn't be happier with the quality and fit; much better than OEM.
I just got a tanbark sail for my El Toro dinghy and ordered a storm staysail for Chiquita from Dirk as well.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.