I’m trying to buy a sail from a guy on here. When I look up shipping rates for an 8 foot long package the price goes up well over 100-150 if the box is 10 inches square instead of 8 inches square. Do y’all think a 27is h foot luff main would roll up to fit in the 8 inch box. Otherwise I may have to have it folded and rolled. It’s Mylar.
If mylar, you must roll the sail - never fold it. Roll and put in round tube. Diameter of tube for mainsail and battens would need to be 10" or 12". 8" seems right for a jib. You could call a sail maker and see how they ship. I have found UPS better on larger freight than fedex.
Just shipped an A-Cat main from GA to PA, Fedex had the best rate, $75. I think we managed to get it into an 8 or 9" box. Pull half the battens out and roll as tight as you can. You'll also have to check UPS and USPS, as shipping rates vary drastically depending on the to/from address.
If you can use a commercial address many times it is a substantial savings on shipping. I have found fed ex ground to be the best price wise. Service is another story with them.
I've shipped a Hobie 18 Pentex main, they key was that the overall box length stayed under 108" and as small a girth as possible. You can fiddle with the cost estimator and see the changes. I kind of "made" a long box out of two four foot by 8 inch square boxes and a LOT of tape. That was in 2012, it was still expensive but can't remember exactly.