I second this! You will always use more material than you think, and you will probably got through at least 2 or 3 versions before you start feeling comfortable with something. If you haven't covered it yet... double sided STICKY TAPE is your friend! I work for a loft that may have overstepped their place on this forum in the past, so I'm trying to be sensitive to that. I've been sailing, racing and part of this forum for much longer than that. (I got hired as a cat consultant
) I'm learning about sail building and manufacturing as I try to take advantage of my access to tools and equipment to make some cook toys for myself as well.
Once you figure out your pattern, check in with some lofts and see if they have any shorts they want to offload. We had intermittent luck with some challenge 6.03 colored sailcloth and have since moved to another supplier for the colored dacron, but we have some shorts that we offer discounts on for colored sails. You may have a local loft with a few yards of purple burning a hole in their books.
tpdavis473 wrote:
If you are going to make your own sails, you are already saving $$ . And you probably won't get "it right" the first time for your local conditions (I certainly didn't). You are going to be modifying your first sails until you are "happy"; then you will make "the new ones" that will be closer to "right". SO, my advice is buy the least expensive sailcloth you can find of dacron material-whatever color suits you best (I like buying from Sailmakers Supply personally
http://www.sailmakerssupply.com/ (I have no relationship with the company, I just like their prices and the quality of the goods I've purchased from them...that being said, I got stuff that was "good enough" off eBay). Also, personally, I'd stay away from SailRite because they are overpriced for what they provide. My other "faves" are Challenge sailcloth and Bainbridge, but you hafta buy a lot of stuff from them and pretend you are a business since they don't sell retail. You can also buy mylar film, make a sail from it and then reinforce it with kevlar kitestrings like 3DL. There's no end to the possibilities...but I'd start with the least expensive dacron you can get.