New Sails…

There is nothing quite like the feeling of being carried along the face of the Ocean, aboard a well designed sailboat, under solely the power of the wind.  It is a sustainable mode of transportation.  We made our way to and from, and all around the Bahama Cays last winter sailing the majority of the time.  We rarely fired up the ‘iron genny’ (engine for you landlubbers).  It is loud and drinks diesel fuel which especially in the Bahamas costs a lot of money.  While we didn’t keep exact records of our fuel usage we estimate at most we used 100 gallons in six months of sailing down the East Coast, traveling to the Exumas, Family Islands, Eleuthera, Abaco and our return offshore.

So with all of the above mentioned you can imagine having good sails that are not blown out is very important for boat handling and boat speed.  While we have had sails in good shape on our first boat, the Westerly, and our present boat…they were by no means new and had seen wear over the years when we took ownership.

Our genoa was shredded in the storm on July 1st.  Despite the roller furler being completely furled in with multiple wraps on the sail – the wind that day unfurled the sail and when it was over our genoa had torn in multiple places.  We decided with the new genoa we would also order a new Main since it was just a matter of time before the present one would need to be replaced.

We made quite a few calls and met with a couple of local sailmakers.  Then one day Chris drove to Beaufort to check on some work a friend was doing for us, and he ended up giving another cruising couple a ride to their boat where he saw their new sail created by Paul Lockwood of Omar Sails.  He was impressed with the craftsmanship, and unlike a lot of sailmakers these days who order the sails which are completed in factories overseas and sent back, Paul has his own loft and builds his own sails locally, with in size specs of most average length cruising boats.  http://omarsail.com/

We chose a sail fabric called Hydra Net which is known for its higher flex strength, resistance to mildew, and ease of handling.  Paul was happy to work with this particular fabric.  http://www.dimension-polyant.com/en/Hydranet_2_2_1.php

It has been a pleasure working with Paul through this process.  As soon as the weather cooperates and we get a good day we will be going out with him on the water and testing the sails.  We have been told by others that he is an accomplished sailor and sail trimmer, and we should pay rapt attention when we do get out there.

I am looking forward to experiencing how the new sails affect our speed, and just looking up and seeing that new fabric above our heads.  I will definitely be open to learning some new pointers in regards to the fine art of sail trim from Paul.

Until then, enjoy the gallery below of photographs of s/v Alchemy getting her new suit of sails. She is looking sharp…