Does anyone know anything about a sail loft in Riviera Beach, Florida called Super Sailmakers ?
I'm shopping for new sails for my Dart 20 and these guys popped up on the google. I've never heard of them, wondering if anyone has any experience with them.
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Dart 20
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Super Sailmakers?
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Posted: Nov 08, 2020 - 07:58 PM
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Posted: Nov 08, 2020 - 09:36 PM
They made two very good sails for my Mirage but I don't know what experience they have with multihulls.
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dk
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Posted: Nov 08, 2020 - 11:28 PM
Thanks for that feedback dk. They came up on a search for "beachcat sails". They list a bunch of the usual beachcats in their inventory even the Dart 18 (but not the 20). Their prices seemed good and they're the only domestic loft I've looked at that even acknowledges the existence of Dart cats. I plan on calling them I just wanted to check with the wonderful folks here to see if anyone has used them as I've never heard them mentioned before.
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Dart 20
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Posted: Nov 09, 2020 - 07:40 AM
They've been around a long time. I first used them in the 80's and a couple of times a few years ago. Even with the shipping they were a little more affordable. The quality is good, not great and I don't know how they are with anything but dacron. Had a minor issue once and they corrected it without question.
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Bill Townsend
G-Cat 5.0
Sarasota
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Posted: Nov 10, 2020 - 12:28 AM
Thanks Bill, appreciate your opinion. My Dart 20 is a cruiser and dacron is probably the choice for this boat.
I can't help but thinking I'm missing something in choosing the best sails for this boat. Some on this forum
have said this is a slow boat, I haven't found this to be true in my neighborhood even with tired sails.
The Bore
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Dart 20
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Posted: Nov 10, 2020 - 08:25 AM
Slow? i have never heard that
these are designed for high wind (n sea, s africa) , don't do so well in light air but sail like a champ in med and heavy air.
I have been out in crazy storms on a 18 with a rooster tail high in the air - was a blast - but ended up being kinda dumb
I have been in 45 on a stampede. I like to say the girl in front of me was screaming, I was crying, the skipper was grinning ear to ear. This was on a race day that we decided NOT to race but went for a "fun" ride. we didn't plan to be out in 45 but it happened. We snapped some battens but the skipper didn't care at all.
I know super sailmaker has made lots of sails for g-cats and i have not heard bad things about them but have no first hand knowledge
I will say a new set of sails (main and jib) is like putting a new engine in a car. the results are very notifiable.
i will suggest you talk to the sail maker about sail material. Dacron is probably preferable for furling jibs as furling puts lots most wear on a sail but i would be open to other materials for the main. they hold shape until they fail and can be a significant reduction in weight. Issue with a dacron main is it will stretch and defrom for a very long time. While this may get you on the water, it does not help performance - ymmv -
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Posted: Nov 10, 2020 - 01:43 PM
I once had a boat that had sets of both dacron and mylar. The difference in stretch was very noticeable with the downhaul. The mylar would tighten so far and then to get it really tight another inch would do it. The dacron would move several inches. The mylar was lighter, the main advantage for me was rolling up the sail by myself while standing on a not so stable boat. I had another boat with mylar and I made the mistake of rolling up the sail wet with salt water. The water mitigated into the layers of material around the battens via the stitching. Ugly streaks of brown mold formed that no amount of soaking with a mild bleach solution would remove. Dacron does not have this problem. I got 8 years out of these sails, both started delaminating at the head, possibly because I would roll them starting from the head, the roll being tighter there.
I have a friend that sails a Hobie and even though the sails are worn out and 40 years old they still get him on the water. I was told that if you don't rinse dacron, salt crystals can get in the fiber and abrade it and over the years can shorten the life of the sail. I would like to hear a comment on this.
So my humble opinion is if you are going to race, get a modern, hi tech, low stretch sail. If not, stick with dacron. You won't notice any difference in speed but your wallet will thank you.
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Bill Townsend
G-Cat 5.0
Sarasota
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Posted: Nov 10, 2020 - 02:30 PM
They've been around a long time, I had a blue H18 jib from them many years ago. Their niche as far as I can tell is still the low end. Basic sails that will get you going for a good price. I know my blue jib seems to fade unusually fast, but it got me sailing at the time for a price I could afford.
You might compare with Slo Sail & Canvas, I don't see Dart listed but might be worth contacting them.
https://www.slosailandcanvas.com/sails/
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Damon Linkous
1992 Hobie 18
Memphis, TN
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Posted: Nov 10, 2020 - 02:58 PM
Chip @ whirlwind is my go to sailmaker these days
not nearly as expensive as others - has lots of sailing experience
i purchased 3 from him last year and am very happy -
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Posted: Nov 10, 2020 - 04:33 PM
I had a Dart 20 Stampede. I added a bow foil to be able to lower the jib and add increase the size.
I was then able to use Mystere 5.5 Jibs ( think these may have had to be cut down a bit) and Tornado Jibs-had to be cut down at the top about 12 inches.
I have used Mystere 5.5 Main Sails on the Dart 20. I thought they were a great fit. Only had to add a Clew Plate to accommodate the bloomless rig.
I loved the Dart for the simplicity. There were very few days I could not sail do to much wind. I never considered it slow, not as fast as the P-19 MX I had, but I sailed more on the Dart
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Steve Fisherkeller
P19MX
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Posted: Nov 11, 2020 - 05:43 AM
I have a blue Dacron jib on my H18 from Supersailmakers. Maybe not as good as the stock sails on the Nacra, but it’s served me well for years.
For recreational sailing, no complaints.
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Posted: Nov 11, 2020 - 02:07 PM
Thanks for the input everyone, this forum is such an asset for beachcat sailors.
I considered adding a bow foil as Steve did but after three seasons on this boat I've been happy with the stock setup and I question my ability to improve on Rodney Marsh's original design. Trying sails off other cats only works when there is access
to quality used sails readily available. The people sailing these old cats aren't changing out sails like the highly competitive class boats do so not really an option. There are only three or four beachcats in my neighborhood and they're cruisers.
Karl at Slo Sails built a beautiful tramp for my Dart 20 working from my measurements at a great price. Three seasons in and it's still perfect.
With its tiny jib the mainsail is the most important sail on this boat. I'm leaning towards a laminate for the main for reduced weight and a dacron jib for furling. I'm going to discuss with the sailmaker building a slightly larger jib but that would just make me roll it up sooner in heavy air so maybe not. I'm an old f'er and this is probably my last beachcat and I want the best sails I can get to sail off into the sunset.
I've chosen whirlwind to work with, he's not firmiliar with the boat but neither is anyone else.
Happy trapping everyone,
The Bore
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Dart 20
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Posted: Nov 11, 2020 - 02:48 PM
where Steve sails (where i do too) we have very light air in the summer mornings and lots of boats with more sail area. that may have been a part of why he wanted to oversize his jib
We also had lots of access to "gently" used olympic sails via Jill and Robbie (Red Gear Racing). so there was a lot of sail turnover. Also Mystere's were abundant here as they would do winter testing at our beach. So again - lots of used sails to mess with
Good choice with Chip. I couldn't be happier with his work and costs
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