I recently purchased my first boat. A 1995 C320. The previuos owner never did not maintain the boat well. The sails are need to cleaned and the UV cover for the furling jib needs to be stiched. I found a company on the Web called Sail Care which cleans the sails using a process called the LaMauney Process which cleans and puts resins,UV protection and a antifungicide into the cleaned sail. I checked with a local canvas shop on Norfolk and they saild the resin process decreases the life of the sail. I am looking for anyone who has used this company SailCare or know someon who has and what their experience has been. Their web site is WWW.sailcare.com Frank Young
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Chuck Reed
SailCare
My Genoa is there now. I talked with my sail guy about this, and he said that an old sail is an old sail. Nothing is going to change that but it will look better and give me that extra year or two I need before I replace mine. Check the archives nothing bad said about them.
My Genoa is there now. I talked with my sail guy about this, and he said that an old sail is an old sail. Nothing is going to change that but it will look better and give me that extra year or two I need before I replace mine. Check the archives nothing bad said about them.
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Bob
Good Experience
Frank: I used Sail Care two times to both clean the sails and to do some minor repairs and to add a foam luff and leach lines to a genoa. My experience - 100% satisfaction, good prices, great customer service and great results. I have friends who have used Sail Care with the same results. I doubt the claim of the canvas shop re decreasimg the life of the sail. Also, when you get the sails back, you will think you had just received brand spanking new sails. Am I a satisfied customer, or what?
Frank: I used Sail Care two times to both clean the sails and to do some minor repairs and to add a foam luff and leach lines to a genoa. My experience - 100% satisfaction, good prices, great customer service and great results. I have friends who have used Sail Care with the same results. I doubt the claim of the canvas shop re decreasimg the life of the sail. Also, when you get the sails back, you will think you had just received brand spanking new sails. Am I a satisfied customer, or what?
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Harry Ottey
Sail Care
I've used Sail Care in PA. several times. In my opinion, the sails look great and perform well. I only use my boat for cruising, so I can't speak to their performance for racing. I've had my boat 12 years, and used them at least twice for each sail. You wont believe how clean and new they look. I've never noticed decreased life. I'm a satisfied customer.
I've used Sail Care in PA. several times. In my opinion, the sails look great and perform well. I only use my boat for cruising, so I can't speak to their performance for racing. I've had my boat 12 years, and used them at least twice for each sail. You wont believe how clean and new they look. I've never noticed decreased life. I'm a satisfied customer.
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Andrew D.
Try North Sails
I don't know what SailCare charges, but a friend of mine took his sails to them and he was thrilled. They also looked brand new. However, you might try taking your sails to North Sails for cleaning and mending. I took a set of 9 year old sails to them a few years ago and they cleaned them, did minor mending, and stored them for the winter for about $125. When they came back they looked ALMOST new...
I don't know what SailCare charges, but a friend of mine took his sails to them and he was thrilled. They also looked brand new. However, you might try taking your sails to North Sails for cleaning and mending. I took a set of 9 year old sails to them a few years ago and they cleaned them, did minor mending, and stored them for the winter for about $125. When they came back they looked ALMOST new...
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Rick
Bad Experience
I got my jib back from Sailcare two weeks ago and they basically ruined it. It now has a half-dozen tears in it and 2 of the tears are over a foot long. When I first sent it in they sent me a quote for $230 for the cleaning and another $260 for a sun cover and another $90 for 3 hrs labor to install the sun band. I contacted them and told them that I intended to install a sun cover myself after it was cleaned - all I needed was the cleaning. Well, it wasn't ready in 2 weeks as they promised. Give it another 2 weeks. Then another 2 weeks. Finally it arrived (I sent it in Jan. and got it back in March). That would have been no big deal had my boat been hauled for the winter but here on the west coast we sail all year round. If they had been honest about the actual turn-around time I wouldn't have sent it in (and they know it). I eagerly open my returned jib and was shocked to discover the damage. Not only were there several tears near the leach (where a sun cover used to be) but even the best parts of the sail were visibly thinner from their process. I called them up and talked to Nancy (who runs the office) and asked about my order. She said it was my own fault for refusing to buy a sun cover from them! If I had spent an additional $350 for a cover the fabric in that area would have been strong enough to survive their process. What pisses me off is that they didn't tell me ahead of time that it would happen. If they had said that their process was too damaging for my sail (unless its reinforced) before they started then I would have had them send it back to me (undamaged). Of course that would have cost them a sale so they didn't. And then after they processed it they should have called and said there was damage, should they fix it while they have it in the shop? But they didn't. They just shipped it back with an invoice that had this message at the bottom: "Returning your sails to 'near new condition' has been our objective and we know that you will be pleased with the results." My main point is this: They do not care about whether you are satisfied or not. Once they have your payment you will get back whatever remains they send you. I am sure they have enough experience to know before they clean your sail if it is in good enough condition to survive or not but I'm sure it would really cut into their business to send back all but the best of sails. My sail was not that worn out, but their process is VERY abrasive. I would never had spent $230 to clean it if the fabric was as thread-bare as when they returned it. Dont just take my word for it, go to any sailmaker and ask them what they think of the La Mauney process. I am looking forward to talking to them at the Pacific Sail Expo next month. Calling in was no help because I couldn't get past Nancy in the front office. If they are still not interested in hearing about my dis-satisfaction maybe some of their prospective customers at their booth will be.
I got my jib back from Sailcare two weeks ago and they basically ruined it. It now has a half-dozen tears in it and 2 of the tears are over a foot long. When I first sent it in they sent me a quote for $230 for the cleaning and another $260 for a sun cover and another $90 for 3 hrs labor to install the sun band. I contacted them and told them that I intended to install a sun cover myself after it was cleaned - all I needed was the cleaning. Well, it wasn't ready in 2 weeks as they promised. Give it another 2 weeks. Then another 2 weeks. Finally it arrived (I sent it in Jan. and got it back in March). That would have been no big deal had my boat been hauled for the winter but here on the west coast we sail all year round. If they had been honest about the actual turn-around time I wouldn't have sent it in (and they know it). I eagerly open my returned jib and was shocked to discover the damage. Not only were there several tears near the leach (where a sun cover used to be) but even the best parts of the sail were visibly thinner from their process. I called them up and talked to Nancy (who runs the office) and asked about my order. She said it was my own fault for refusing to buy a sun cover from them! If I had spent an additional $350 for a cover the fabric in that area would have been strong enough to survive their process. What pisses me off is that they didn't tell me ahead of time that it would happen. If they had said that their process was too damaging for my sail (unless its reinforced) before they started then I would have had them send it back to me (undamaged). Of course that would have cost them a sale so they didn't. And then after they processed it they should have called and said there was damage, should they fix it while they have it in the shop? But they didn't. They just shipped it back with an invoice that had this message at the bottom: "Returning your sails to 'near new condition' has been our objective and we know that you will be pleased with the results." My main point is this: They do not care about whether you are satisfied or not. Once they have your payment you will get back whatever remains they send you. I am sure they have enough experience to know before they clean your sail if it is in good enough condition to survive or not but I'm sure it would really cut into their business to send back all but the best of sails. My sail was not that worn out, but their process is VERY abrasive. I would never had spent $230 to clean it if the fabric was as thread-bare as when they returned it. Dont just take my word for it, go to any sailmaker and ask them what they think of the La Mauney process. I am looking forward to talking to them at the Pacific Sail Expo next month. Calling in was no help because I couldn't get past Nancy in the front office. If they are still not interested in hearing about my dis-satisfaction maybe some of their prospective customers at their booth will be.
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Paul Gallimore
Sail Care OK
Frank, I've used Sail Care 3 times now on 14 year old sails. I just got them back a few weeks ago and they look brand new. Although my sails are old, they were not used and were dry stored for 7 of those 14 years. I have asked them about how many times the process can be used. They responded that it depends on the condition of the sail and especially the stitching, but for properly maintained sails, 3 to 5 times is not unusual. Sails won't last forever with any process, but Sail Care has extended the life of mine for several years. I do, however, plan to purchase a new set next year or the year after. As to cost, this last time both main and 150 genoa cost me a little over $500, which included some minor repairs.
Frank, I've used Sail Care 3 times now on 14 year old sails. I just got them back a few weeks ago and they look brand new. Although my sails are old, they were not used and were dry stored for 7 of those 14 years. I have asked them about how many times the process can be used. They responded that it depends on the condition of the sail and especially the stitching, but for properly maintained sails, 3 to 5 times is not unusual. Sails won't last forever with any process, but Sail Care has extended the life of mine for several years. I do, however, plan to purchase a new set next year or the year after. As to cost, this last time both main and 150 genoa cost me a little over $500, which included some minor repairs.
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John Visser
re: previous reply
I don't understand how cleaning sails can extend their life: "Sails won't last forever with any process, but Sail Care has extended the life of mine for several years. " If anything, I would think cleaning will wear them a bit, shortening their life; enless you are saying that you would replace them soonner if left dirty. I also don't understand how sails could get so dirty as to warrant this industrial-type cleaning. I imagine a good fresh-water rinse to get rid of salt, and then proper storage is all that is needed. Comments? Thanks, jv
I don't understand how cleaning sails can extend their life: "Sails won't last forever with any process, but Sail Care has extended the life of mine for several years. " If anything, I would think cleaning will wear them a bit, shortening their life; enless you are saying that you would replace them soonner if left dirty. I also don't understand how sails could get so dirty as to warrant this industrial-type cleaning. I imagine a good fresh-water rinse to get rid of salt, and then proper storage is all that is needed. Comments? Thanks, jv
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