Sails for your 30
Dennis, There are many differences between sail makers and even between sails offered by the same maker. I have not used a sail that National made, but I have heard in passing that they make a decent product for the price. Like anything else in sailing, for the most part you get what you pay for. If you do not need a performance sail, National might do the trick. I would prefer to spend more up front for a sail that is likely to last longer. With propper care, there is no reason that a quality sail from a reputable loft cannot last 15 years or longer. Good friends of mine sail a 1976 Peterson 46 with the original main. The boat was at sea for years with this sail flying and it is still in good shape. They have covered it religiously when not in use, and had it recoated twice. The differences between sails include the quality of the cloth used, the strength and type of stiching, and engineering that goes into shape. Sails are incredibly dynamic creatures and even relatively low performance sails take a lot of design work to do well. The new mylar laminate sails take more computing power than the space shuttle. Like almost anything else in life, used sails can be fine but you need to be sure you know what you are getting, and how to check for the amount of life left in them. I think that unless they are a wicked deal, used sails are probably a false economy. Justin - O'day Owner's Web
