Appendices -- Useful Supplemental Information

CUSTOM FINISH

When a sail is required to reflect the character or vintage of a boat, departures from our standard finish might include a manila-colored boltrope, rat tailed around the corners, as here, or hand-sewn brass rings and liners, illustrated elsewhere on this page. Occasionally, the style of the sail (or the whim of a client) will dictate a hand-sewn boltrope, instead of a machine-sewn one. A tiny sail, as a canoe sail, might require ultra-narrow panels to be historically correct. Sometimes, cringles or grommets, laid up from a strand of rope, will be part of the finish.

It should be noted that none of these elective options make a more aerodynamic sail. Hand-sewn brass rings are no stronger than the hydraulic-pressed ring in this sail. Buff-colored faux manila doesn‘t make a better sail. (Hand-sewn boltropes rat tailed around corners are, however, stronger, and on big sails intended for hard use, these become the “standard“ finish.) When custom finish is specified the cost of the sail will reflect it. Faux Manila costs more than our standard three-strand spun-Dacron boltrope. Very narrow panels mean more seams, more sewing time. Hand-sewn rings and boltropes take a lot longer than hydraulic pressed rings and machine-sewn boltrope.

Slightly offsetting the extra labor and materials cost of custom finish is the fact that the sailmaker is happy to keep his hand in these traditional skills, and will temper the surcharge.