I'm thinking of ordering new sails from National Sail who distributes Rolly Tasker Sails made in Thailand. Has anyone had experience with how well that works out?
Thanks,
GB
Thanks,
GB
Rolly Tasker Sails
- Thread starter Tha Gaol
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I had a Rolly Tasker sail that I bought new from sail warehouse. It was as good as anything else that I had seen and the price was right. I will be buying a new headsail soon and plan to go with National also. For me they are almost half the price as other quotes.
What are you going to be using the sails for? Are you going offshore, on a blue water passage, or just daysailing, and weekending??
The construction of the sails as well as the features included will vary depending on his usage. The features a sail for an extended bluewater passage needs are not required on the sails for a daysailing/weekend cruising boat.
Sailingdog does bring up some good questions. I know the Taskers for my boat come in 8.5 oz and 7.3 oz dacron so they should be some pretty heavy duty sails.
Have purchased..
I have purchased a fair number of RT sails from Dirk at NSS and all have been excellent cruising sails with a very good shape.
I would probably not buy them if I were racing but for cruising they are very good sails for the money.
Dirk is very good to deal with too. You might also try and get a quote from SailBoatOwners.com your gracious hosts..
I have purchased a fair number of RT sails from Dirk at NSS and all have been excellent cruising sails with a very good shape.
I would probably not buy them if I were racing but for cruising they are very good sails for the money.
Dirk is very good to deal with too. You might also try and get a quote from SailBoatOwners.com your gracious hosts..
We use RTS for some of our small boat sails like the C-22's. We use other lofts for most of our other sails. There are drawbacks to RTS just like there are drawbacks to practically any supplier. Most good lofts will have more than one production loft they deal with because different lofts have their owns strengths and weaknesses. We work with a few consistently and have a few others that we'll use for a specific project.
In general I'm not a big fan of "off the shelf sails" as they seldom fit well. If things like tack pin setback, outhaul pin height, tack back, and tack up are not being addressed you will likely get a poorly fitted sail. What many people don't realize is that they can get a custom crafted sail for roughtly the same amount that they see those "off the shelf" sails advertised for. More importantly you deserve a sail that is designed for your local sailing conditions and the type of sailing you do. One size or cut does not fit all. A sail for a choppy bay should be designed differently than a sail built for an inland lake or ocean sailing.
You should never have to compromise on things like how your mainsail foot is built (loose or attached). You should always get the choice between boltrope and slugs if it's a smaller boat with a luff groove. Whoever you deal with should be able to educate you on the pros and cons of the various choices.
Educate yourself on topics like luff hardware and how it's attached. There's a reason that better built sails don't use plastic shackles and those little plastic guards over the eyelets. How are the batten pockets constructed and what closure method is used?
When you see a price that is way lower than everyone else in the business common sense should tell you that you need to be asking questions like "what are they leaving out" or "I wonder if this sail was built with some manufacturer rejected cloth (aka seconds.)"
www.IslandPlanetSails.com
In general I'm not a big fan of "off the shelf sails" as they seldom fit well. If things like tack pin setback, outhaul pin height, tack back, and tack up are not being addressed you will likely get a poorly fitted sail. What many people don't realize is that they can get a custom crafted sail for roughtly the same amount that they see those "off the shelf" sails advertised for. More importantly you deserve a sail that is designed for your local sailing conditions and the type of sailing you do. One size or cut does not fit all. A sail for a choppy bay should be designed differently than a sail built for an inland lake or ocean sailing.
You should never have to compromise on things like how your mainsail foot is built (loose or attached). You should always get the choice between boltrope and slugs if it's a smaller boat with a luff groove. Whoever you deal with should be able to educate you on the pros and cons of the various choices.
Educate yourself on topics like luff hardware and how it's attached. There's a reason that better built sails don't use plastic shackles and those little plastic guards over the eyelets. How are the batten pockets constructed and what closure method is used?
When you see a price that is way lower than everyone else in the business common sense should tell you that you need to be asking questions like "what are they leaving out" or "I wonder if this sail was built with some manufacturer rejected cloth (aka seconds.)"
www.IslandPlanetSails.com
Some interesting information
For those interested in RT sails from National Sail Supply here is some interesting information.
1) Dirk, who owns National Sail Supply, used to be Rolly Tasker's production manager in Phuket, Thailand. To say that Dirk has "connections" to the largest custom sail loft in the world would be an understatement. He is well connected and gets his orders processed quickly, very quickly. His sails are also specked at a higher construction rate than most other Tasker resellers as standard issue.
I ordered my sail from Dirk two days ago and it is already on the floor being cut and sewn as I type. I should have it in my hands in about two weeks, from Thailand!
2) RT sails makes cruising sails for a number of the "big guys" here in the US. Sails you may pay double or triple for because it has a big name on it may actually be built by RT in Phuket or the other large loft in Hong Kong.
I promised Dirk I would not disclose names so in respect to him I won't, and please don't ask, but do know that what you see & buy from a big name loft is not always what you get. Most cruising sails from big names are now almost exclusively made off shore. The same quality product, perhaps built on the same floor next to the big names, can be bought much cheaper through a guy like Dirk.
3) Even many small local lofts are now ordering through Dirk for dacron cruising sails. He simply applies there logo and ships it out..
I guess there is a reason Rolly Tasker sails is the largest custom made sail loft in the world. Dirk really knows his stuff and treats his customer right!
This will be sail number eight for me from NSS/RT. For those of us who cruise they really can't be beat!
For those interested in RT sails from National Sail Supply here is some interesting information.
1) Dirk, who owns National Sail Supply, used to be Rolly Tasker's production manager in Phuket, Thailand. To say that Dirk has "connections" to the largest custom sail loft in the world would be an understatement. He is well connected and gets his orders processed quickly, very quickly. His sails are also specked at a higher construction rate than most other Tasker resellers as standard issue.
I ordered my sail from Dirk two days ago and it is already on the floor being cut and sewn as I type. I should have it in my hands in about two weeks, from Thailand!
2) RT sails makes cruising sails for a number of the "big guys" here in the US. Sails you may pay double or triple for because it has a big name on it may actually be built by RT in Phuket or the other large loft in Hong Kong.
I promised Dirk I would not disclose names so in respect to him I won't, and please don't ask, but do know that what you see & buy from a big name loft is not always what you get. Most cruising sails from big names are now almost exclusively made off shore. The same quality product, perhaps built on the same floor next to the big names, can be bought much cheaper through a guy like Dirk.
3) Even many small local lofts are now ordering through Dirk for dacron cruising sails. He simply applies there logo and ships it out..
I guess there is a reason Rolly Tasker sails is the largest custom made sail loft in the world. Dirk really knows his stuff and treats his customer right!
This will be sail number eight for me from NSS/RT. For those of us who cruise they really can't be beat!
Great thread! I am ready for a new mainsail for my Lancer 36' and am in the process of gathering info to make a final decision this fall. My local North Sails outfit has quoted me for a new, fully battened mainsail, but I've also priced one rather competetively through our hosts and their affilliate, Doyle. I've also requested a quote through National Sail Supply as per Maine Sail's recommendation above.
That said, my Local North Sails outlet has been very responsive and reasonable with the sail repairs they've done for me, so they are earning some loyalty points. On the other hand, as a business operator who needs to watch the bottom line, it makes sense to get some competitive quotes.
I certainly realize it's difficult to get an apples to apples comparison on this sort of thing, as the quality of materials may vary from supplier to supplier even if the sails were to be cut and assembled on the same factory floor. Does anyone who's recently purchased sails from multiple vendors have any input on this subject? In terms of use, this sail will be getting lots of it, in a cruising context. I teach predominantly in under 20 kts of wind, but regularly sail in a fair bit more than that - in sometimes fairly lumpy conditions in the Georgia Strait of BC, Canada.
Well-informed thoughts would be appreciated!
That said, my Local North Sails outlet has been very responsive and reasonable with the sail repairs they've done for me, so they are earning some loyalty points. On the other hand, as a business operator who needs to watch the bottom line, it makes sense to get some competitive quotes.
I certainly realize it's difficult to get an apples to apples comparison on this sort of thing, as the quality of materials may vary from supplier to supplier even if the sails were to be cut and assembled on the same factory floor. Does anyone who's recently purchased sails from multiple vendors have any input on this subject? In terms of use, this sail will be getting lots of it, in a cruising context. I teach predominantly in under 20 kts of wind, but regularly sail in a fair bit more than that - in sometimes fairly lumpy conditions in the Georgia Strait of BC, Canada.
Well-informed thoughts would be appreciated!
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