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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

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North Norlam sails

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weluvlife
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166 Posts

Initially Posted - 08/06/2003 : 22:14:20

Hello,

North would like to sell me a NorLam laminate 1.7 ounce 170 light air genny. They really put down the nylon ripstop material. How do you all feel about the durability of the laminate sails? Do they wear out fast by flaking and rolling them into a sailbag?

Thanks

Mark Eichman
Lake Don Pedro,CA
'86 c25 TR, SK

Edited by - on

John G-
Admiral

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793 Posts

Response Posted - 08/06/2003 : 22:43:16

I have a North ripstop drifter that I just love especially now in the doldrums of August. The Norlam technology is very good but I would want to know the price difference. The Norlam sails are good on high end racers how will you be using the sail?
 

[url="http://www.peregrinefund.org/"]<img src="http://www.peregrinefund.org/images/intro_mid_image.GIF" border=0>[/url]
[url="http://www.catalina25-250.org/photo/peregrine2.jpg"]"Peregrine"[/url] C25-#4762 FK

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Bill Holcomb
Admiral

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USA
769 Posts

Response Posted - 08/07/2003 : 10:45:49

Hi Mark,

I don't have anything against North. In fact, my 97% Blade jib is a North sail. However, I've had a 1.5 oz ripstop nylon drifter for at least 15 years now on Snickerdoodle. Since I only use the sail in light breezes to about 7 knots, the sail is still in very good shape and sails well on all points of sail.

So, from my experience, I'd go with the spinnaker cloth again if this drifter ever wears out.

Bill Holcomb - C25 Snickerdoodle #4839

Edited by - on

Ed Montague
Captain

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USA
499 Posts

Response Posted - 08/07/2003 : 12:25:00

Mark, I have sailed with a Mylar laminate 150 for the past 4 years. It had great shape and worked well for the first 3 years, then the darned thing started falling apart. Little pieces of plastic flaked off. It was a hank on so it was taken down and rolled into a bag every time out. Most of the wear was at the clew and forward about 8 feet. I have seen in photos here on this site, boats with simular sails so hopefully somebody else will pipe in. If budget were not an issue I would probably buy another mylar sail, but I opted for a furling dacron from Sail Warehouse in Monterey.

Ed Montague on 'Yahoo'
1978 #765 SK, Stnd, Dinette ~_/)~

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weluvlife
Navigator

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166 Posts

Response Posted - 08/07/2003 : 23:27:52

A salesman named Pete at North was telling me that they don't sell the nylon cloth for their drifters any longer. I'm not sure I believe him. He wanted me to get the laminate and really talked down the nylon. hmmm Maybe I need to speak with another salesman there.

The laminate sail should be rolled and not flaked? A rolled 170, would be quite long and consume a lot of space below. I'm not sure I could stand for this.

Thanks for all the input so far. I appreciate it.

Mark Eichman
Lake Don Pedro,CA
'86 c25 TR, SK

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weluvlife
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166 Posts

Response Posted - 08/07/2003 : 23:30:01

Hi John,

How long ago did you buy your North ripstop nylon drifter? How much was it?

I am only a recreational cruiser and race only when someone gets near me :)

Mark Eichman
Lake Don Pedro,CA
'86 c25 TR, SK

Edited by - on

Dave B
Admiral

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Mali
863 Posts

Response Posted - 08/07/2003 : 23:58:17

North is not even close to being the only good sailmaker out there... Unless you're going into some world competitions, you might want to talk to a few others before you buy North's line (or at least their salesman's).

Dave Bristle, 1985 C-25 #5032 "Passage" SR/FK/Dinette/Honda in SW CT

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John G-
Admiral

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793 Posts

Response Posted - 08/08/2003 : 11:52:29

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
Hi John,

How long ago did you buy your North ripstop nylon drifter? How much was it?
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>
 Mark,
I’m sorry I don’t know how much it cost. It was on the boat when I bought her. It was new, never used, still in the sailmakers flake.
In July and August I can ghost along as all the other bigger boats are using “iron wind” <img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>
 

[url="http://www.peregrinefund.org/"]<img src="http://www.peregrinefund.org/images/intro_mid_image.GIF" border=0>[/url]
[url="http://www.catalina25-250.org/photo/peregrine2.jpg"]"Peregrine"[/url] C25-#4762 FK

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tinob
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1883 Posts

Response Posted - 08/08/2003 : 14:48:28

NORTH---NOT

My local sailseamstress when questioned about replacing my then old genny touted me onto the North guy/person that she deals with. Two weeks later North comes in with a $1500 price for a Dacron 150% genny. I then contacted Gary at Ullman and had the new genny with the appropriate UV cover and the foam luff sent to me at less than half of North's price and in time for the season.

IMHO ya can do better than Ullman.

Val on Calista # 3936

Val Bisagni]<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b3df11b3127cce94709c5ff2e90000000010" border=0>

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Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 08/08/2003 : 15:30:39

take a look at our new updated links.

There are a number of lofts listed there. Most will give online quotes as well.

The durability of laminate sails is very low. Even if properly rolled only a few good years of use will come out of them. After that, they become practice sails, or B-Crew sails. One note - you will rarely, if ever find a boat that rolls there number one if they race anything other than one design. Making a sail change to a rolled sail, especially a big one like a 155 or 170 is a real PITA.

Sobstad makes some new kind of DACRON laminate that is supposed to be lighter weight than the North stuff. We just got a new number one genny for the Evelyn and it is an unbelieveable sail. It is also supposed to have a better life expectancy than the north stuff. http://www.sobstad.com/prod01.htm#XVS Club Racer Dacron

D. Wolff - "The Flying Wasp" #401 sr/sk
Chief Measurer C-25/250 National Assn.
<img src="http://www.flags.com/dreamimages/Flags/measurer.jpg" border=0>

Edited by - Duane Wolff on 08/08/2003 15:38:36

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Dave B
Admiral

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Mali
863 Posts

Response Posted - 08/08/2003 : 19:11:58

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
IMHO ya can do better than Ullman.
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>
Val: I presume you meant "can't"... <img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

Dave Bristle, 1985 C-25 #5032 "Passage" SR/FK/Dinette/Honda in SW CT

Edited by - on

tinob
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1883 Posts

Response Posted - 08/08/2003 : 21:28:04

Dave, Can't was intended, thanks for the heads up.

Val on Calista # 3936

Val Bisagni]<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b3df11b3127cce94709c5ff2e90000000010" border=0>

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