Our informal online sailmaker poll generated 336 complete responses, not large enough to be statistically significant, but still useful, in our opinion. In total, readers recommended more than 100 different lofts. The responses are subjective to each respondent’s experience, making it impossible to fairly rank sailmakers based on the poll, so readers should consider this report an overview and use it accordingly in any sailmaker search. The responses can offer some insight into what can be expected of a specific sailmaker and what should be considered in the selection process.
Sixty percent of the respondents said they used their boat for cruising, while 31 percent used their boat for racing as well as cruising. Just over 6 percent identified themselves purely as racers. Most (63 percent) identified their sail material as premium Dacron.
The good news was that 70 percent of our readers rated their sailmaker’s service Excellent, and 22 percent rated the sailmaker’s service as Good. Close to 90 percent of the respondents had purchased sails in the previous five years.
Below are general findings regarding the most frequently recommended sailmakers in the poll. More detailed survey results are available at the website http:// questionpro.com/s/1-288131-1841644. A complete listing of all the sailmakers recommended in this poll will accompany the web version of this article at www.practical-sailor.com. We will also be publishing select comments from the survey on the Inside Practical Sailor blog, which is accessible through the top menu of our website.
North Sails (www.northsails.com) – Of the major “franchise” sailmakers, North Sails was the most popular brand, with 42 respondents saying their sails were built by North affiliates. The lofts were from all over the country. The highest number of respondents (six), said they bought their sails in Annapolis, Md. Nearly one-quarter (10) reported a problem. In the ratings for overall service, the votes were as follows: Excellent, 19; Good, 14; Fair, 3; Poor, 6. Of the major national franchise sailmakers in our survey, North had the lowest percentage of customers satisfied with overall service. The chief complaint was generally the lack of personalized attention and poor after-sale service.
Doyle (www.doylesails.com) – Twenty-four respondents said they had their sails made at Doyle affiliates, almost all of them at East Coast lofts. Only one respondent reported a significant problem with his sail, which he said was quickly rectified with a personalized visit from the sailmaker. In the ratings for overall service, the votes were as follows: Excellent, 20; Good, 4. Respondents generally praised the lofts’ after-sales service.
Quantum (www.quantumsails.com) – Twenty-three respondents said they had their sails made at Quantum lofts. The locations were primarily on the East Coast, with lofts in Rhode Island (four), Annapolis (four), and Seabrook, Texas (three), making up the greatest number of respondents. In the ratings for overall service, the votes were as follows: Excellent, 13; Good, 7; Fair, 2; Poor, 1. Most respondents praised the level of service, although three respondents (two from Texas) stated they were not happy with details such as corner reinforcement in the clew area.
UK Halsey (www.ukhalsey.com) – Fourteen respondents said they used lofts affiliated with UK Halsey, the highest number (four) were served by the loft in City Island, N.Y. In the ratings for overall service, the votes were as follows: Excellent, 6; Good, 5; Fair, 2; Poor, 1. Criticism centered on after-sales service, which was praised by the majority of the respondents.
