I am relatively new to sailing, so I have much to learn. I recently replaced the headsail and mainsail on my Ericson 26. I am wondering what use, if any, the old sails may have. The Genoa headsail, removed from a roller furling, has a leech that is quite worn. The mainsail, other than having some prominent stains was in reasonably good shape. I also have a spare jib from the previous owner who used it prior to the roller furling installation. It is in near new condition (almost never used,kept folded in a sail bag). However, it is probably 12-14 years old. I am looking for advice. Do these sails have any re-sale value? Can they be re-worked for use as backup sails? Other options?
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Try gear here
Hi E. - It can't hurt to list them for free in the Gear Here Classifieds on this site (Click on the Boats for Sale pull down tab from the homepage). I off'd a tired old mainsail for cheap when I replaced it with new - helped out a fellow sailor, cleared space in my garage, and added a few bucks to my wallet! I'm sure someone is in need of sails - anything that will get them out on the water. Best, Trevor
Hi E. - It can't hurt to list them for free in the Gear Here Classifieds on this site (Click on the Boats for Sale pull down tab from the homepage). I off'd a tired old mainsail for cheap when I replaced it with new - helped out a fellow sailor, cleared space in my garage, and added a few bucks to my wallet! I'm sure someone is in need of sails - anything that will get them out on the water. Best, Trevor
Donate them to the Sea Scouts....
or similar non-profit group and get a tax deduction for the used sail value, if any. The loft from which you purchased the new sails should be able to give you a fair market value. Check to see if you have a group in your area. They can always use extra sails.
or similar non-profit group and get a tax deduction for the used sail value, if any. The loft from which you purchased the new sails should be able to give you a fair market value. Check to see if you have a group in your area. They can always use extra sails.
How about luggage?
You can probably find a canvas shop that will make a nice set of duffle bags out of them. You can never have enough soft bags for carrying clothes and gear to and from the boat. Les Murray s/v Ceilidh '86 C-36 #560
You can probably find a canvas shop that will make a nice set of duffle bags out of them. You can never have enough soft bags for carrying clothes and gear to and from the boat. Les Murray s/v Ceilidh '86 C-36 #560
Old Sails
The spare jib that you described as nearly new (albeit some years old) could certainly be used as a backup for your boat, or sold. There is a lively market for used sails in relatively good condition, on this site (Gear Here) and on eBay. I recently sold two very good sails on eBay and they were bought at the "Buy Now" price within hours of my posting them. I think that happened because I was very detailed in describing these sails and included a number of pictures of them. I recently bought a used jib off of the "Gear Here" site. I went to some trouble to ask very specific questions about the sail. The seller answered those questions, but in one critical detail, he was not honest. So, if you do post your sail for sale, please keep my experience in mind. Your other sails sound like they would have little value as sails, per se. You could always use the material for patching purposes on your current sails, if need be. If you are handly, you could make a wonderful cockpit awning out the old sails. Beyond that, I agree with the other poster that you may just want to donate them to some organization that could use them.
The spare jib that you described as nearly new (albeit some years old) could certainly be used as a backup for your boat, or sold. There is a lively market for used sails in relatively good condition, on this site (Gear Here) and on eBay. I recently sold two very good sails on eBay and they were bought at the "Buy Now" price within hours of my posting them. I think that happened because I was very detailed in describing these sails and included a number of pictures of them. I recently bought a used jib off of the "Gear Here" site. I went to some trouble to ask very specific questions about the sail. The seller answered those questions, but in one critical detail, he was not honest. So, if you do post your sail for sale, please keep my experience in mind. Your other sails sound like they would have little value as sails, per se. You could always use the material for patching purposes on your current sails, if need be. If you are handly, you could make a wonderful cockpit awning out the old sails. Beyond that, I agree with the other poster that you may just want to donate them to some organization that could use them.
Riding Sail
I turned my old wore out main into a 6x6x6 riding sail. This hanks on to the back stay(2 hanks) and the clew attaches to the mast. This keeps the boat dead into the wind when anchored. Sort of like feathers on an arrow. I used the single reef points for the hanks,clew, and tack of the new sail. Only one new grommet was required. Works great. Hope this helps someone. Sean
I turned my old wore out main into a 6x6x6 riding sail. This hanks on to the back stay(2 hanks) and the clew attaches to the mast. This keeps the boat dead into the wind when anchored. Sort of like feathers on an arrow. I used the single reef points for the hanks,clew, and tack of the new sail. Only one new grommet was required. Works great. Hope this helps someone. Sean
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